Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-11-03

tured by so much as a ieer to interrupt
our progress. Now in England-but
here again let memories of Trafalgar
square and Hyde Park suffice.
The habit of allowing each side to
have its innings in turn, and without
opposition from its opponents. holds
especially good a political meetings 1t
is the first of all rules at such gath
erings in America that the speaker
should be listened to simply because he
is the speaker, and without reference
to the quality of his speech. The man
on the platform may be an orator or
he may be, though few Americans are,
unable to string two sentences to-
gether-it does not matter. No dis
tinction is made. What Mr.. Howells
calls the "inexorable hospitality" Of
Americans embraces equally bore or
Balfour Each is followed with in
discriminating courtesy. No distrac-
ton is at hand, or allowed to appear
Offering moments of escape from the
oratorical cataract. The heckler and
the interrupter are shown no mercy.
Policemen descend upon them the mo-
ment they open their mouths, and they
are Dunuleu OUT ol kIt ldli as AN
offence to decency and good manners.
The speaker is the despot of the meet
ing. He is as safe on the platform as
parson in his pulpit or an actor Oh
the stage. Nobody dreams of trying to
drag him from his point or asking him
TO explain things. He is part of a
show arranged for the benefit of the
spectators. in which it is theirs to
listen and his to speak. The audience
may like neither the matter nor the
manner of his speech, but the custom
Of public life prescribes that except by
leaving the building they have no
means of protest. And the conse-
quence is that not only is America the
paradise of the political speaker. but
that American meetings, while lacking
something of the salt and raciness of
our own. are considerably less tumul-
tuous
The reasons for this Difference
yielded to their bosses" of eloquence
lie deep in the character of the people
Partly. no doubt. ii comes from the
American love of doing things accord
ing TO rule and regulation, of always
observing the letter. even when they
neglect the spirit, of the game they
are playing. That. indeed. is the only
thing that saves their complex cleo
toral machinery from hopeless enlan-
clement. Americans, too. are said TO
be an irreverential people. but they
dearly worship A majority. Ia a com
pany of six you have only to show An
American that five are against him IL
convince him that he is wrong. That
is just when an Englishman becomes
finally convinced that he is the only
sane person in the room. Probably
there is no country where minoritieS
have fewer rights or more modest OK
pectations. They are taught their
place in most departments of public
life in the States. but at political meet
ings their mere presence is only toler-
ated on conditions Of monastic silence.
In America the majority is everything.
and a man or body of men that feels
itself outnumbered straightway and
instinctively holds its peace-knowing
quite Well that freedom Of speech IS
only allowed when the thing spoken
does not run counter to the opinions
of the majority Moreover AMI this
explains the absence of heCkling.
Americans are singularly uniform.
They have been educated on the same
system and up to about the same level.
and there most of them have stopped.
The average man is a greater fact
there than anywhere else, and % learn
the views and instructive way Of look
ing at things of an ordinary voter Is
to understand the entire electorate.
Personal individuality is not so COM
mon as in England. The standard OF
intelligence and education is high,
wonderfully so: but it is standard
which few rise above or fall below.
Hence a distrust of all opinions that
are not generally accepted and a hesI-
fancy in advocating them.
The average American does NOT care to
make himself conspicuous BY taking the
unpopular side. The English workinSman
feels no such diffidence. He may not be
in every way as bright as We could wish
him. but he fairly bristles with quaint
originality with odd mental points. re-
freshing bumps of ignorance and the
stubbornness Of a desWtory education,
and he feels that he owes II to himself
ana to his private efforts in search oi
knowledge to state his views coTaln
pODulO. lhat Is why HOlHllls utliSl'N
him so much as to attend his opponent -
gatherings and start an opposition meet,
ing in the centre of the hall. lie mas all
his class feeling. all the Joy of knowing
that everybody else is against him, ana
all his grand talent for dSDutation 20
urge him on And no doubt lie serves
very useful purpose. He extracts pledges
from candidates. and ferretS on. their
views on high matters Of policy, and
pounceS on them when their elOduence
takeS on too much Of q party bias or
shows y tendency 70 stray beyond the
frontiers of truth.
But in the states where party ties are
much stronger, Il Democrat attends only
Democratic meetings. and Republican
only goes where he can be sure OF hay
ing his opponents Soundly pummeiled. He
is on the lookout for is an orator who
will take his convictions for granted and
proceed TO lash them into enthusiasm
America has had little experience OF
wobblcrs who hold the fate Of constitu-
cncieS in their hands and vote Demo-
crat one year and Republican the next
as chance or passing inclinationS may
guide them An American who doesn I
vote for his party usually doesn't vote
at all. The consequence is that a meet
ing in the states is promoted not with i
view to winning over the wavererS but TO
stimulating the faithful; instead OF 10
serve, both objects. as with us, 1he
American public speaker can usually feel
80, bD,. no front 0t