The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-11-28
THE LITERARY CLUB.
Orators and OratOry as Viewed by
Essayfst and Hearers.


Essayfst and Hearers.
The Literary Club inet last Friday night nj
thelhome OF Mr.. j. Allen Smith. Rev. j. i.
Mcf finnon was President. Mr.. W. W. Brad
ley, Secretary. y - 4
Lowfie Wilson, who chose Orators ana
Oratory." as his subject. He thought "tbe
power Of expressing emotions IN striking Snd
appfoprlate language" was one OF the gr4al-
est gifts that had been bestowed upon Ehn.
He said that orators like poets, were borg,
was more sascepIIa % cultlyst4on Than the
when c6Itivaied TO- it's highest deyelopment
was tbferior to no endowmenS with which
man il blessed. " gave Its possefsor power
over hearers which no other person could
hope 20 win. Whether in the fo&pm, or pull.
pit, o& Legislative halls no powerSwas greater
than he art Of speaking in an elSquent and
effective manner. OIatory hadS oDtrolled
the ddstintes Of nations and seaed the tate OF
tndiv hiuals. Oratory had brought contrite
souls % the foot OF the Cross, Of driven the
erringSto destruction. OratoIy mad brought
na.io9 individuals di TO theSdvidins q
accord if6g to the trend or bent q. the mind of
The $ssaylst named number of orators,
both living and dead. Among Others he
spoke bf William Jen ngs Bryan. Of Rev.
DR.. Thomson of Charleston. /of Rev. DR..
Jerridd, OF Rev. DR.. Hix, and others whose
namestwe do not now recall. ..Ej,so =
readingEof the essay, one member, asked for
the Distinction between oratory' and .elo-
quence. SThis seemed TO strike the club all in
n heap, and for moment the members
could uIt catch their breath. Sat HEt.,t -.
1t wa&held that u man night make an In
passionad and effective speech under certain
circumsS Sances, which he could not make un.
der othef conditions. 1t was, often true that
the enthusiasm OF the audience inspired the
eloquen&e of the speaker and sometimes the
enthussasm of the audience''was more, efo-
quent than the words Of ihf9rator
consisted more In the words when written
and re4d, would thrill the reader.more than
the ma{nne Of the speaker. 3fyN ~ '.t$,
Rev. Dr.! Thompson. When speaking to the
re,urnea sSldier6 he lisened the state Of
coming her sur Fins children home after
A member thou Iht-but he didn't say it
that speeches on that line were all more or
less inspired by Webster's speech at Bunker
and inspired either directly or indirectly ali
sentimental speakers on that line. = ~, -. -
A member said. judging from the effect Of
Bryan's recent speaking, be did not measure
up to the highes standard OF the orator.
A member thought-but be did not say it
that Bryan had said very little that would be
remembered. His sacreligtous. reference TO
crown which should not be pressed down
membered longer than anything else. ~:
A member said that a man might,be elo-
quent without saying anything that would
read well.
A mem Der spoke OF Booker T. Washington
as an orator or note.
A member cited as one OF the best pieces OF
eoquencs that he had ever heard, was the
sermon Of DR.. Jerido on "The Judgment" 1t
80 impressed him that he couldn't sleep that
night.
On the subject OF that sermon, another
member thought-but he did not say it-that
DIR. Jeridos sermon on the Judgment was
poor enough. The preacher had but slim
Bible authority for the exercise Of his imagi-
nation. The propriety OF making spectacu-
lar show or the Judgment Is doubtful.
One member said Ben Hill, of Georgia. was
a greater orator than Benton who attached
the South In the Senate.
Hon. NJ. l.. Bonham, ofAnderson, was cited
as an eloquent orator.
The name of Henry Grady was mentioned
as one Of the greatest orators of the South.
And the name OF John Temple Graves was
not forgotten. |
The discussion during the evening was as
notable tor what was not said. as for what
was said.
The meeting was an exceedingly pleasant
one. ..