The San Francisco call., 1899-08-13

hearers, and who in a thousand ways
creates the climate in which the best
grows and fourishes and bursts into
blossom-that man is an orator, no
matter of what time or what country.
That IngersolPs oratory fell long
way short of the standard he set up
goes without saying. No man attalns
his ideal in anything unless he be a
base man whose ideals are base. Nor
does it matter much, for after all, the
| true life of man is spiritual, not physl-
cal; in the thought and the aim, not IN
the action and the attainment. lnger-
soil aimed at lofty oratory, and II IN
his desire to gain applause from his au-
diences he paid more attention TO the
vine of rhetoric than to the column Oh
logic, dressed very commonplace IDEAS
in the purple Of gorgeous words. ana
not infrequently appealed to what IS
lowest and meanest in men rather than
to what is nobest, he is to be forgiven
partly because we need to be forgiven
much ourselves, partly because he IS
dead and will do it no more, but mainly
because he stuck to what was best IN
himself and rarely wrote poetry.
Senator Chauncey Depew, who has
long been regarded as one of the most
genial as we'll as one of the most effect
i've of after-dinner orators, has recently
declared that to make a hit with a
speech to men who are we'll lined with
a good dinner and desire to top off with
feast of reason and flow of soul 1T is
"absolutely essential to leave some
body's hide on the fence"
Such statement from that source Is
surprising, for Mr.. Depew has the repu-
tation of leaving nothing on the fence
but chestnut burrs. The truth of it,
however, is not to be disputed. A Sher-
idan, indeed, may achieve triumphs.
though his wit in the combat, as gentle
as bright, never carries a heart-sta1n
away on its blade; but the average
speaker can never please crowd un-
less he takes the hide off a neighbor.
Most men, indeed, are so fond of seeing
somebody else hided that almost every
man who practices the art of taking the
hide off is generally regarded as a wit.
Yet it should not be SO. AS matter
Of fact 1t requires more wit and more
imagination TO say complimentary
things about neighbor or a companion
of his reputation, than to strip him to
the bone and expose his skeleton.
It is to be hoped Senator Depew will
practice in the Senate what he has
preached for dinner parties. Since the
awakening of Ingalls, from the rides
cent dream of political life there has
not been in the Senate one-half as
much of hide stripping as the people
desire The Congressional Record has
become as dull as a comic weekly, and
there is no joy in it except for folks
who like statistics. If the fresh Sen
ator from New York will Immediately
dpon the assembling of Congress pro-
Pceed to make a hit at Tillman of South
i Carolina the gayety Of the holidays will
be increased, whether the hide left on
the fence happen to be that Of Tillman
or that of Depew.
Out Of the discussions that in the
East have followed the exposure of bar
barities inflicted in the way of punish
ment upon the unfortunate inmates of
a girls reform school in New Jersey
there has come one little CLEAN Of hu-
NOR and of good. The trend of the dis
of making refractory girls behave
themselves and many children have
been invited to give their ideas on the
subject One of them is quoted as say
ing: "I Just love music, jewsharps and
brass bands and organs and all kinds;
and when I'm very bad at home they
plav me good. Yes, sir, 1t is just this
way: instead of Furnishing me they put
me on a sofa and play easy, soft mu-
sic. and somehow it makes me gooder
and gooder."
On arriving at New York the other
day the passengers of the Campania
beheld upon the pier a vast concourse of
people and heard the strains of a brass
band blaring out: See, the Conquering
Hero Comes" The passengers were
therefore aware that among their num-
Der was one whom the American people
are proud to honor, so they fingered on
the deck, waiting to see him go ashore.
The first that walked down the gang
plank was Senator Wolcott, orator,
statesman, lawmaker member of
the Bimetallic Commission. The peo-
ple paid no attention to him. Then
followed Israel Zangwill, novelist,
dramatist, lecturer and wit. Upon
him there pounced three reporters,
but the crowd let him pass un-
noticed. Next along the gangplank
tripped Tod Sloan, the incompara BILE
Jockey. the victor of a hundred bril-
liantly won races, but still the people
waited. All at once the band sent forth
louder and more triumphant strains,
the vast concourse of people waved hats
and handkerchiefs and canes, and
shouted as in a delirium of joy, for, be-
hold-they saw "Pedlar" Palmer.
Now. "Pedlar' Palmer is not pedlar,
but a prize fighter, and he has come to
this country to elevate pugilism. We
have thus an illustration Of the trend
of public favor in the metropolis.
Statesmen, wits and race riders are as
nothing; they are Jumped on a common
level and ignored when the fisticuff
man comes to town. Admiral Dewey
may account himself fortunate that he
is to reach New York in a ship of his
own and will not have to run the risk