Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1900-05-03

| }. Bryan, when caused tue mllueo
enthusiasm among theaudience. He
likened him to Jefferson and Llncolr
and said he hoped and believed ina
God would raise up VIM. j. Bryan
to be the next great American com
moner.
Magic of the Human Voice.
EVERY GREAT ORATOR HAS HIS
OWN PECULIAR WAYS.
There is a wonderful magic in the
human voice. Not only does it work
miracles in song, holding thousands
entranced by its spell, but it is alike
powerful on the platform, in the
forum, ON the hustiugs, or III the
Simpler Office of reading aloud.
While we recognize this power,
there is nothing more difficult to de-
fine in words than the peculiar charm
one finds in the voices Of certain
readers and speakers, whose tones
and methods are as unlike as one
class Of energies can we'll be from
another. One speaker may posses
deep sonorous voice, full of musical
cadences and gently falling infiec-
tons, while that of another may be
almost falsetto in the run as naturally
to high keys and rising infections as
the other does to mellow descents.
While third may be wanting in
musical qualities and yet wins our
attention by its sympathy with the
speakers thought.
When the speakers thought is one
of great force and power such a voice
becomes sort of Thor's hammer to
shiver the argument Of an adversary
or drive home the orators logic and
fix it in the mind Of the hearer.
1t does not always follow that an
effective voice is wed to. or directed
by, strong intellect. The rule is
the reverse Of this, and it is the ex-
ceptIons to the rule that give the
world It's great popular authors.
Another thing is also worthy Of
notice in this behalf: Every great
orator is, to large degree, original
in his methods. Even his infections
must be his own, and it is very sell
dom that they are in harmony with
the teachings of the books. The
great orator may appropriate much
OF value from the training Of the elo-
cutionist, but the great orator is a
law unto himself.
once knew preacher who spoke
in sOnorOus sing-song, which he
made most effective by defying the
rules of the elOcutioniSt. He was
neither a profound scholar nor II
great thinker, but the magic Of his
voice would hold thousands in al,
most breathless attention., where u
more gifted man, with less sympa-
thetic and melodious voice, would
atterlyS fai!-tcslspteresF Axra;Sp 1rgss
Henry Clay'S reputation as agreaG
public speaker arose largely from his
sonorous voice and Well-rounded
periods. Thomas Corwin, who was
a greater speaker than he, dealt more
in humor, of which he was the most
master that ever ap'
peared in American politics. He
always thought, not without cause,
that his very readiness to cOnvulse
an audience with laughter detracted
from his fame, and gave the solemn,
sonorous speaker, like Clay, great ad'
vantage with the reputation makers.
Caleb 3. Smith had a lisp in his
speech, which, however, was scarcely
distinguishahle in the rapid fire Of
his clear soprano uttrrancps. smith
was not great on the printed page,
but as popular orator on the stump
he had no superior and few equals.
c. NJ. Clay roared like railway train
speeding over long trestlp, but in
the rumble his words were, at little
distance, indistinCt. II was not
so with Smith. AS far as you
could hear the ringing tones Of his
voice you could distinguish his words
aud follow the line Of his thought,
bespoke with much greater
rapidity than Clay. George w Ju-
liam spoke slowly and distinctly. He
was the best master of the weapons
of irony and sarcasm the State ever
produced. \ bitter word grew ter
rible as it fell from his lips.
D. W. Voorhees, was the orator of
lofty flight and startling simiie. His
voice could accommodate itself to
every change Of thought or moditi-
cation of feeling. He could strew
flowers one moment. or revel in the
haunts Of desuIution and death the
next. His voice was his servant,
and he was more the actor than the
logiciun.
Morton was an image. breaker.
When other men wrought fanciful
creations Of frail materials, finished
in beautiful patterns, his merciless
logic heightened by the wonderful
depth and force Of his voice, went
crashing through them to make plain
the truth which they had 0hScured.
The power of his voice was so
great that when he used To read his
keynote speeches, holding the sheets
openly in his hand before him, not
one person in twenty ofthe thousands
who heard him knew at the time or
would afterward believe that he was
reading a carefully. prepared Grafton
rather than speaking from the in.
SEPARATION Of the hour.
JACK EsCAPED.--A Salt Lake
City paper reports that tall, gaunt
woman, with ginger hair and a sulne.
what fierce expression Of counte.
nance, lately came to the county
clerk of BUxelder county, in that