The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-28

self-poise gives him dignity and i'm
preSSiveneSS. When he warns to a
subject he can throw intense passion
into his voice if the occasion calls for
it, but there is never a suggestion that
his feeling is likely to run away with
his judgment. The speaker has never
taken the floor since the Fifty-third
congress, so that many people have
almost forgotten his powers as an ora
tor. He has never had the habit of
making long speeches. They say he IS
too indolent TO prepare them. But he
has the power of saying much in few
words; of presenting the essentials of
subject or a situa ton in highly con-
densed form, so that a speech by him
that will fill a page of the Record con-
tains more meat than a dOzen-Dag
speech by the ordinary congressional
orator. and, Of course. is vastly more
effective.
On the Democratic side of the house
in recent years there has been but one
man who was Reeds superior as an
orator Of what may be called the heroic
type. This was BOurke Cochran Of New
York, who was compelled TO retire from
congress because he would not do Rich
ard Cookers bidding. Cochran had all
the natural equipments Of the orator
splendid physique. imposing head.
strong, expressive features, a voice of
wonderful power and charm, unusual
animation of manner and an unstudied
grace Of gesture which suggested the
elder Salvini.
He was q master Of strong. clear.
flexible English. and no man in the
house in recent years has made
speeches that could compare in bril-
liancy of thought and effectiveness Of
delivery with those which Cochran
made in the Fifty-third congress,
when the Wilson bill was under con-
sideratiOn. These who heard them will
never forget the tremendous E0wer and
passion he threw into them Unlike
Reed, Cochran apparently allowed him
self TO be carried away by his feelings.
But woe TO the man who thinking
Cochran off his guard attempted to
diScOncert him by Interruptions in the
heat of his OratOrical passion. The New
Yorker became calm in an instant
listened intently to the question OF the
! interrupter, then quick as a flash an
swered in a way that sent his would
be tormentOr rolling in the dust of the
congressional arena The same man
never interrupted Cochran twice.
Bailey of Texas can make a good
speech, but one would not call him
eloquent. One trouble with the distin-
guished young Texan is that ne has
dignity beyond his years In a man
of his age, this strikes the average OBJ
server as heaviness and lack of pliancy
and creates q certain feeling of preju-
I dice against him when he begins TO
talk. But there is point and substance
in what Bailey says and if he remains
in congress he will develop into a. great
debater, although ne may never DE re-
garded as a fine orator
He will be pre-eminently a useful
man to his party and the country.
! There are several other young men on
| the Democratic side who can make
speeches worth hearing, among them
! Mcclellan and Sulzer Of New York,
| Fitzgerald of Massachusetts and Will
liams Of Mississippi. Judge Mcguire
of California, who. unfortunately re-
tires at the end of this session, and
who may be classed among the younger
men, is a very pleasing speaker. whose
! earneStness of purpose strikes those
who listen to him most fOrcibly. Handy
of Delaware, another earnest and cap
able Democrat, who Will not be in the
next congress, delights in the rough
anj-tumble of debate, and cen hold his
own with the most expert on the floor.
On the Republican side, of the many
VINO have regulations as orators, few
can make speeches that read well when
printed in the Record. They don't
think it worth while to prepare care
IulIy what they are going 10 say. DOL
liver and Cousins OF Iowa, Johnston Of
Indiana, Sherman of New York, Pitney
of New Jersey, Mccall of Massachu-
sets, BOutelle OF Maine and Hepburn
/ of Iowa are good in half-rninute dashes,
putting lots of ginger into their
speeches, but they haven't got the stay
ing power for sustained efforts of much
strength.
John DalzelI can more than hold his
own with any Of them. His speeches
are not only well arranged, but his Ian
guage is carefully chosen, as q rule, and
there is plenty Of animation in his de-
livery. His craftsmanship, as is well
known. often carries him beyond the
line Of fairness in dealing with party
questions, and destroys the effective
ness and value of his speeches. But
that he possesses many Of the most val
ued gifts CT the orator. even Democrats
are not disposed to deny.