The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-05-19

great orators or the times OF George
ILL.,. and how wide the differences be-
tween them and the men of Victoria's
reign. The speeches then delivered have
have passed. into the classics as models
of parliamentary eloquence.
1T is questionable whether any of
Mr.. Gladstone's efforts will be perused
by the general reader or looked at
hereafter except for reference. It is
now almost a boast in England that
an orator would not be tolerated in
the house of commons. Read Chath-
ANS famous spech-and Chatham was
the grandest of English orators
wherein he exclaims: History, my
lords, has been my favorite study or
Burke's magnificent effort proposing
his resolutions of Cancellation with Am
erica; for instance that passage where
In he describes the industry and en-
terprise of the New England whale
fishermen, ending with the exclama-
ton: I pardon something to the spirit
of liberty with any passage in any
recent speech in parliament and note
the contrast. The manner of speech
prevalent now in parliament sets at
naught all ideas of oratory.'' >,";',
"Mr. Disraeli, whether on the gov
eminent or opposition benches, sits in
the front row. Except that. he oc-
cupies prominent seat there is moth
ing to attract attention to him as one
of the leaders of the house and one of
the most noted men of the age. He
oil lot nj
Perhaps he may dip, a pen in the ink
that stands on the long table that d.
vides the government from the OPPOSE
ton leaders, and on small piece of
paper make memorandum of some-
thing said, but otherwise he is an ap-
parently unconcerned spectator of the
proceedings. I heard him several
times. In a pleasant conversation at
terWard with Mr.. John Bright I made
bold to inquire if Mr.. Disraeli could
not speak more fuently. Mr.. Bright
replied, with significant phrase: oh,
yes, if he wants to- Certain it
is that OratOry can never be lost while
liberty survives. But for all this the
glory, pride and power Of the orator
have passed away. In the common
wealths of old the aspirations of the
patricians were for oratory or arms,
and not a few like Caesar excelled in
both. The senate convened. The peo-
pie met in grand assembly to hear dis
cussed the Weighty questions affecting
welfare of the state. There the ora
tory appeared. His whole soul and
brain were bent on moving the as
sembled audience. He had no thought
beyond. If others disputed it brought
into play the highest flights of rival
genius. Aeschines contesting with De-
mosthenes called forth the grafton of
the crown. The orators then were the
leaders of the nation, the directors of
public opinion, the controllers of leg
islation and the arbiters of peace and
war; At home they were the idols of
the people; abroad the hosts of kings.
They were the marked men of the
world.
But in these latter days there has
risen power mightier than an army
of orators, power that has destroyed
their influence, dwarfed their genius
and lowered them to the level of the
ordinary mortal. A power that can
Danish kings, destroy dynasties, revo-
lutionize governments, embroil nations
in triumph or disaster, wars, and for
good or i'll changing the civilized world
The glory Of the orator sank when the
printing press arose. The orator at
best can but speak to thousands: the
press to hundreds Of thousands. :: The
orator may at the choicest moment
fail from i'll health, or one of many
causes; the press, free from all the ills
that flesh is heir to, moves on it's mis-
sion with the felicity, power and pre-
cision Of machinery. The orator may
move an audience;the press can arouse
a nation. The speech dies with the
sounds that gives it birth; the press
lives forever on the imperishable
page. The orator now addresses him
self less to the assembled audience
of the evening than the world of read
ers the next morning. Let us hope
that the press may be faithful, pure,
devoted to truth, right, justice, free
dom and virtue as the orators have
been. "-Philadelphia Times.
H.. a rxv> ,0HO a W.