The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-28
oRATORY As AN ART.

The Philadelphia Ledger refers to
oratory as "a vanishing art" There
are many excellent takers" it says,
in Congress, in the courts and in the
pulpit, but of oratory in the old Web
sterian sense we have little and the
supply is rapidly diminishing" 1t is
to be admitted that Webster was an
exception among orators. But, sup
posing that he were alive to-day, is it
likely that his oratory would prove so
wonderfully effective as it did nearly
quarters OF a century ago? At
the present time Mr.. Webster would
face audiences quite different from
those he was wont to address: and he
would find that by far the larger part
of his audience consisted of persons
who would read his speech in the news
papers the following day, in cold type.
And. under the sound of his voice, he
would find people much less emotional
and more critical than were his con-
temporaries. In Webster's day there
were few newspapers, the telegraph
was not developed and education was
not so widespread as at present. News
travelled slowly, and impressions of
public men We're conveyed by word of
mouth from person to person. The
man who had sat under the spell of
Webster's personal magnetism would
convey to a dozen or hundred others
his impression of the mans great
ness and marvellous oratory. Thus the
assurance of Webster's pre-eminence
was radiated far and wide, and it took
so firm a hold upon the minds of the
people that nothing could dislodge it,
even to this day. To be ranked with
Webster. a man of the present period
would have to be really a greater man
than he was. since the people of the
day are not given to hero worship. The
newspapers bring the public man so
close to all who read that they become
familiar with his life and habits: and
familiarity is not conducive to hero
building.
passing art? Have We not an abund
ance of it, in Congress and out? 1t
may not be as effective on the masses
as heretofore. but that is not the fault
of the orator. In the Senate take Hoar
of Massachusetts,; was there ever finer
diction. nicer choice of language
than his? Take Beveridge of Indiana;
where would one find more tlowery
and fervid style? Take Vest of Mis-
souri,, and both fine language and fer
vor are his. Take Bacon of Georgia,
and we have polished rhetoric convey
ing deep thought. Take Spooner of
Wisconsin, and his speeches sparkle
with the eloquence of the learned ad-
vocate. Take Depew of New York,
and his addresses will be found scin-
tillant of wit and humor yet holding
the auditor to the point to be eluci-
dated. 1t may justly be claimed for
! each of these men that he is an orator
and an adept in the art. And there
are others in the same body for whom
the same claim might be made. On
the House side, too, there is a long list
Of men in whom the art OF oratory sur
wives.
And outside OF Congress there are
William Jennings Bryan. Bourke Cock
ran. Henry Watterson. Bob" Taylor
of Tennessee Rev. DR.. Newton Dwight
Hills and literally scores Of others who
have the power 10 charm with the mu-
sic OF their words. Are they not ora
tors? Can 1t be doubted that they
WELD power over those whom they adj
dress? Their power is not so great as
was that OF the Websters. Cahouns
and Beechers. but is It not because the
times have changed and men have
changed with them, rather than be-
cause Of any decadence in oratory and
| lack Of orators?