Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-10-04
"Bob" Cousins,


people at tent in the park. The tent
was filled and many stood outside
throughout the meeting. Brakes mar.
tial band and the Audubon Republican
Glee Club entertained the crowd for half
an hour before the speaking commenced
Judge W. r. Green presided and intro.
duced the orator in an eloquent and APP
propriate manner.
Mr.. Cousins speech was thought by
nearly all his audience to be able and
eloquent. It's brilliant sarcasm offended
few democrats who are democrats re.
CARELESS Of argument or reason, and who.
il they can't meet the argument become
angry. But among the wavering and
undecided and among the republicans,
the effect of the speech was excellent.
1t put backbone into lots OF republicans.
Cousins is a great orator. On the
platform he has the physical presence to
attract his audience. His powerful
body indicates great strength in reserve,
and the classic outlines OF form and fea.
ture shows the grace Of the orator. When
he speaks calmy Tor half M hour with
scarcely gesture, when your attention
follows rapidly through the easy stages
OF his argument and the surprt,s Of his
rhetorical outbursts, you wonder what
the man could do il he would just try.
Cousins has reputation as an orator
second to few il any in the United
States. In our state only one approaches
him, Dolliver, and they are so unlike
that comparisons are hard. A few
other may be as successful on the stump
but none others are nearly equal to these
two in the quality Of oratory. Mr..
Cousins excells in the use of bold
metaphors but he never oifends the
taste. He is great student Of litera.
ture and OF art. His orations show his
rich scholarship. Historical illusions
are used by him with excellent effect.
HIS orations have been carefully forged
in his study and come out with the beau
tiful glow OF his workmanship. One OF
his great secrets is that he delivers these
carefully prepare speeches with man
ner that causes you to suppose he il
thinking them out as he stands there
before you.
No speaker on the platform, surely no
speaker on the stump, handles his voice
with 80 good effect as Cousins. He
needs hall in which to show this to the
best advantage. Every infection and
emphasis lends it's full power to the
orators assistance. Few gestures are
made, but the few are useful and etIec.
tive. In argument the main points are
set out in bold relief and impressed on
the mind. But ii is in polished satire
and skillful sarcasm that Mr.. Cousins
excels. Ia that line we think he has no
superior.
Mr.. Cousins was accused a few years
ago OF adopting style OF speaking re-
sembling both Ingersoll and Victor
Hugo, but as he grows older his style
has settled and fixed itself into one Of
sufficient originality to be called none
but his own. 1t is Bob" Cousins style.
We have not the space to review his
speech at length but will be content to
give two passages from it which those
who were present will quickly recall.
| 81 observe that Mr.. Bryan manifests great
| sympathy and anxiety about the welfare OF the
| young man, Absalom.' If recall correctly the
| career OF young Absal0m, he was cOnspiratOr
and made war against his country. After first
prompting his servants to XIII his own brother,
/ he inspired II revolution by standing at the
gates OF the city and making populistic speeches,
palayering the people aud ar0using complaints,
and among other things he said: 'Oh, that
| were made judge Of the land Aud he sent out
| spies throughout all the tribes OF Israel saying
| AS soon AS ye hear the sound OF the trumphet
then shall ye say 'AbaslOm reigneth In Hebron.
Finally came the battle In the woods OF
| Ephraim, and, although the kind old father
| David had cautioned his generals to deal gently
with the young man Absaom they cleaned him
| out, horse, foot and dragons, and the last we
hear OF the young man Is that his head was
| caught In the bOugh OF an oak tree and he was
| taken up between heaven and earth, and even
| the democratic mule that he was riding slipped
out from under him and ran away. Young
Absalom hung there awhile, hoping to run for
the presidency again, but a sound money demo-
| crat by the name of JOab fired three darts into
| him and since that time he has not had such
large headlines.
| l am glad Mr.. Bryan has found a new proto-
| type In history. IL will greatly relieve the
| friends OF Abraham Lincoln. But the Absaloin
| temperaments and doctrines are poor exemplars
| for the rising generation. Whenever young
man gets to training with the negative element
OF mankind he soon becomes a hopeless pessI-
mist, and, instead OF helping progress and the
human race, he begins to waste his time passing
melancholy resolutions at the tail-end of the
procession.
| A cheaper dollar Is a poor motto for either
| youth or old age. There are plenty OF oppOr-
/ tunities for young AbsalOms on the Affirmative
l side. There has never been such an age and
such country as this In which to succeed, pro-
/ yided the young man does not waste his time
complaining and does not permit the thunder Of
populism TO sour the milk OF his disposition.
Organism Is the sour milk of this generation.
IL is the food OF fault-nnders, the nourishment
of mischief and misanthropy."
Speaking OF the democratic pretenson
that our army may subvert our lib
critics, in long and eloquent passage he
SAID this
"Does the history OF valor and Of glory In the
| Revolution prompt the gentleman to warn
| America against American sodiery? Does the
| records of the regulars led by General Jackson
| at New Orleans nh the hearts OF gentlemen
| with fear or apprehension for the safety OF our
citizens? Does Chapultepec send warning
even unto modern Washington? Did there
ever issue from the lips now closed In everlast-
Ing love and fame In that silent mausoleum by
the Hudson any word Of menace to future