The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-28
DECADENCE OF HOUSE 0RAToRY
(Pittsburg Post.)

(Pittsburg Post.)
Washington, Jan. 22.-For many years
really great Grafton has not been
heard in the house of representatives.
Today there is not in the house a man
who can fairly be called even a fine
orator What was known as elOqucnce
to the ancientS-Of the last generation
has gone altogether out Of fashion.
There is no place for that sort of thing
in the new scheme of parliamentary
procedure. 1t can serve no utilitarian
purpose-it can change no votes
therefore. what is the good OF it? Ora
tory, like everything else in this prac-
teal world, has learned to obey the law
of supply and demand.
AS there is no demand for it in the
house of representatives, no supply is
kept in stock. The fate Of measures is
settled in advance of their presentation
by the speaker or by party caucus, de-
bates are mostly conducted on COM
mOnplace, colloquial level, the vote is
taken-and there you are. What man,
with natural ability and knowledge of
the world, of history, of things in gen
eral, requisite TO make him a great
orator, would waste energy in thinking
out and delivering as it should be de-
livered a powerful and finely finished
speech pro or con on any subject in the
face of such conditions as these? Such
a man is well aware that his powers
can be utilized TO his own advantage,
and the advantage of his fellow men
if he happens to be moved by patriotic
or humanitarian impulSes-in many
other fields much more effectively than
in the halls of congress In popular
assemblages, in the courts, on the lee
ture platform, great orator may WIN
fame and wealth more certainly, more
easily and in far greater measure. In
the house, under the Reed regime, he
can talk at length only when the
speaker mods assent.
At best he cannot hope for time
enough to make a Ions speech more
than once or twice a session. Mean
while, TO retain the good VIII of his con-
stitueacy and have a chance of return
ing. he must answer hundred letters
a day. settle contests for fourth-class
pOstmasters. pred pension bureau OH
Gals to hasten the granting of pensions
to old soldiers and hustle around the
departments generally in search of jobs
for the small politicians and their
friends in his district. In q word, to
remain in congress nowadays man
must be a practical politician. And 1t
would be hard to devise anything bet
ter calculated than the routine of prac-
teal politics to blunt fine feeling. de-
stroy sentiment and asphyxiate emo
ton. The new conditions are such that
in the first place they operate TO keep
men with the temperament that makes
orators out of congress; and secondly,
if such men happen to get into con-
gress, they find there no incentive or
motive fer the development and eXer-
else of their powers.
1t is no loss to the house of represen-
tatives or the country that oratory
which is cultivated for its own sake
the mere art of fine speech-m making
has gone out OF fashion. If man
hasn't something useful and eleVa ting
to say, it doesn't matter much whether
he says it or not. 1t is bstter, in fact.
that he should keep silent. Otherwise
it viii soon become apparent that he
talks not for the purpose Of influencing
others to 90 what he thinks right and
wise. but merely to satisfy his own
vanity and advertise himself. No ma6-
ter what ability such man may have
and ne isn't apt to have much-Or how
we'll he USES words, his talking is a
waste of time that any legislative body
is justified in discouraging.
The debates of legislative bodies are
intended TO be directed to practical and
afford opportunity for the exercise Of
oratory as an art, however Iine that art
may be. But when a member of con-
gress has special knowledge of a sub
ject, and can impart that knowledge to
his fellow members and to the country
in strong, polished, eloquent language,
his speeches are sure to be much more
effective than II they were padly
arranged clumsily wOrded and deliV
Grad without aui,rl +iOn grace An
ounce of steel nodded into conical form,
smooth and FURNISHED of surface, viii
go much 'farther-wiIl penetrate deeper
when shot from gun than an ounce
of steel in the form Of q. rough, shape
less slug. A fact or truth stated in
fine, strong, epigrammatic words
catches the ear, imDresseS the mind
and holds the memory much more read
lily than the same fact or truth enun-
ciated clumsily. The rhythm of fine
sentences has a charm closely akin to
that of beautiful music. In this fact
lies the justification of the art of ora
tory. 1t is this which makes it really
useful art and entities t'~cse who culti-
vate it for worthy ends TO esteem and
admiration.
The neglect of it and its consequent
decay are therefore bad signs, indi-
eating that what is called the utilitar-
ian spirit has too great a preGOminance
| in our public life. We all know what
Shakespeare says of the man who hath
no music in his soul. So the man or
aggregation Of men to whom fine ora
tory does not appeal may reasonably
be suspected of lacking qualities that
are essential to normal, healthy. kind
hearted human nature. Such men are
apt TO be altogether too practical and
commercial in their instincts and ways
of looking at affairs. holding money
and the mere furniture and fiXings of
life in such high esteem that they sac
rifice everything else to them
Speaker Reed himself is probably the
most impressive orator in the house
today, all things considered. Other men
can make speeches that read as we'll
or better, but none can hold and sway
an audience as he can. He has the gift
| of turning epigrammatic sentences, of
| dealing with big subjects in a broad,
mastery way, and while his voice is
peculiar it has its fascination. There is
little grace in his gestures-his huge
bulk is not inviting to the eye-but his