The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-01

Best Orations.'' THAT entailed a great
| deal Of labor he declared. I did not do
the collecting. only the selecting. I was
principally the scissors Of the undertake
ing"
How does modern oratory compare
/ with the oratory of ancient times2
1t is difficult to make comparisons
| he replied, because the ancient oratlons
were spoken in foreign languages, Then
he referred to the different styles Of
oratory, to Burke. as s'ornate and diff
fuse, to Lord Chatham, perhaps the
greatest of English orators" and to tine
quality Of personal magnetism which
IS potent factor in the success OF
spoken language upon audiences Per
sonal magnetism he continued, does
not belong to any age or any particular
ucation.'
AS instancing the magnetism of men
to sway audiences, often with words that
might be unattractiVe in cold print,
Justice Brewer spoke Of John 3. Cough.
I often heard Cough and was carried
away by his eloquence," he declared i
would go home thoroughly elateds but
when my father OF mother asked me
what Cough had said couldn't tell them
for the life of me. remember once at
\ ale commencement, along IN the %
about the time 1 graduated there an IN
cident to the point that have mentioned
heretofore Cough was to deliver an or.
alton. He spoke, of course, on temper
ance. There was distinguished au-
venerable, notable men in the New
Haven of that day. a large space was
clear about the table. for Cough liked
to walk back and forth as he talked He
described how a drunkard had beaten
his wife and came to his climax with:
ANY man who would kick a woman
ought to. be kicked out of the universe
emphasizing his words with vigorous
thrust of one foot, Whereat every person
on the stage, intensely wrought upon by
the orator, likewise kicked outward, as
did Cx0l1c~f,
And Justice Brewer brislzly kicked
out his own foot to demonstrate his re-
plembrance of that commencement ora
tory nearly fifty years ago
There are good orators now among
our public men"
Yes" he answered Il read the
speeches in the senate pretty carefully,
and occasionally / find excellent specI-
mems of real eloquence. I am not so
familiar with the speeches in the house
of representatives. Last winter Senator
Hears great speech in the senate most
attracted my attention" Although
praising Senator Hoar as an orator,
Justice Brewer added that the Massa-
chuSetts statesman, with advancing
years had lost the physical vigor he
once had necessary to successful elo-
quence before enraptured audiences.
I'VE are not declining from ancient
times in orators said he, earnestly,
nor in the ability of our public
men. The newspapers supply informa-
ton much more generally than in
former days. But if Daniel Webster
lived in the present he would not
stand alone en- the high pedestal above
all others. as we are apt to think he
would" declared Justice Brewer, with
one finger high uplifted. In the
courts there has been decline of ora
tory; it is well that it is so. Partic-
ularly in the appellate courts, the ar
gument of cases generally resolves it
self into discussion between the at
torneys and judges. We give lawyer
two hours for his argument, but he
rarely occupies all of it before the
judges begin to question him on points
involved in the litigation"
Justice Brewer is a born teacher, with
probably as large and diversified a fol-
lowing of young men as any instructor
in this country. Il enjoy my lectures
at Columbia university law school,
said he. Il an entertained by the queS-
lions that those young men put to me.
and when I am on. my way home 1
often get to wondering by what process
of thinking they arrive at such in
quiries. I study it over till it becomes
to me a sort of mental conundrum, and
finally sometimes ] arrive at solu-
ton Tt is not the boys who applaud
the loudest that are the most attentive
to what is being said; they do not ask
me the keenest questions. But they are
a very fine class of young men, It is
satisfaction to me that may be able
to do them some good
Are the opportunities for young
lawyers as good today as when you
began to practice?'
NO" replied Justice Brewer. 1--WE
no longer have a new country in the
sense we had then. I do not know what
the Philippines or Porto Rico will offer.
but certainly the field is more occu-
pied. I do not mean by that that few
lawyers nowadays succeed. Very many
of them succeed and make fees that
were not dreamed of by the profession
in former days. But it is harder to get
a start. Unless a young mans father
or some other person can open the way
for him in the law the prospect for him
is not entirely assuring.
Thus the conversation ran on in
formally as Justice Brewer talked of
his fondness for washington as a. place
of residence and of many other current
but dignified. such as merits the esteem
in which he is held by Washingtonians.
He does not shut himself out of the
healthy pleasures of life. He frequently
goes to market in the morning with his
grandchildren, who are his dearest
companions. He sips the delights of
the social world of the capital. and his
after-dinner utterances have been
among the wittiest and n ost entertain
ing heard about the banquet tables of
Washington during the past twelve
years or more
The felicitous associations among the
justices of the supreme court have been
spread before the public through his
happy references more, perhaps, than
by any other man, and the good
nafured badinage between himself and
Justices Harlan and Brown, especially.
has become one of standing delights of
social Washington Learned utterances
at law have fallen from his lips, which
viii survive him. but on occasion when
off the bench he has made the country
ring with his earnestness and eloauence
on fundamental issues affecting liberty,
good government and well being
L.. WILLIAM THAVIS.