Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-07-18

OPINIONS OF TIIEPREss.
MIR. BRYAN'S ORATORY.
(From Atlanta Constitution)

However much evil his political enc
mics may lay to his door. they cannot
deny that William J. Bryan ranks as;
one of the most fluent and effective or
ators on the public stage of to-day. Ii
is small wonder that with his magnili-
cent qualities of leadership and the
righteousness of the cause that he
champions. combined with his vital ana
unusual eloquence, he has succeeded in
creating an immense and devoted fol-
lowing in the United States.
There are orators and orators, and
like the stars, ''onc differeth from an
other in glory. TO the man who has
heard the average stump speaker. Mr..
Bryan's eloquence is II revelation graf
lying and astounding. You may en-
JOY listening to this man or that His
piatitndes are hiSh-soundinE, and the
phrases which he coins are tickling to
the intellectual palate. But there are
twovery severe tests In real oratory un-
der which the every day expert almost
invariably willis. Come away from an
ordinary political meeting and endeavor
TO recall the most striking portions of
speech. or to line up.in your minds
eye the general drift of your mans cf-
fusion. You VIII meet failure in almost
every instance. To be sure. there will
be vague remembrance Of pleasant
periods. glossy and succulcnt at the
TIME, but 1t will he difficult To lay your
finger on single lucid train Of thought
winch has wildly impressed your mind.
Ahother test, and one more rigid still.
Is 10 read Il speech and watch its in
nuence as you read. At the time. the
mans fervidncss OF manner, his ncxi-
bility of voice or grace OF gesture may
nave warmed and excited YOU but Won
VIII discover that his sentences in cold
type do not waken a fraction OF that
enthusiasm which prompted YOU to APP
plaud and approve go literally.
Everyone who has heard Mr.. Rryan
speak knows that he survives these
tests. There are very few Democrats
or even Republicans whom you can an
proach ana find ignorant of the scnti-
nents of the last Presidential candl.
date. and who cannot repeat some of
the most powerful and tense of the nj :
teranceS which gave them TO the world
lou can pick up newspaper. and read
a speech by this same individual. and
you Will find that not an atom OF the
ire and stimulating properties has been
LOST by their transfer to paper You
read, and are electrified and cnthuscd
just as though the author was pleading
IN ms most sonorous tones, and Won
were occupying a front seat drinking
in his marvellous eloquencc. 1t has
been proven that these addresses have
A't'"'@ Hs' Siceil IL NOle-SdlnlnG anllltS
when read in the quietude of the study
as when listened to in the magnetic in
toXication of the convention hall.
In the latter case, the speaker is so
fluent and his metaphors and figures so
lighining-like as to compel your utmost
attention for d full appreciation. You
nave no time TO digest or ques ton
them. Count them over the next morn
ing and you will find them Just as log
ical and impressive as when they were
sounded ill your ears. You will dis
cover that you have not been daZzied
by platform pyrotechnics, but that the
meat is as wholesome and grateful as
was the odor of it's production.
How many public men are there who
can lay claim truthfully to these ex-
traordinary intellectual qualities? 1t
would be an arduous task to name four
or five in the forum of to-day. That
the gentleman from Nebraska is easily
the leader of these is not disputed by
those who have made n lifelong study
of politics and politicians.