The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-29

country below Mason and Dixson's line.
and many a time he has heard tho
prompting voice Of the Democracy OF the
southland In his battles of debate.
Cochran Is considered in the very cream
OF his life as an orator. Recently he wan
called upon to lit his sonorous voice for
the Democracy In New York and the ro-
suit Is too well kno&n TO reiteratc
Tho great orator has been declared by
many observers outside OF party lines to
be as great thinker as a pulpiteer. He
IS In the early fiftes, and has all the
wisdom and understanding Of an Amert-
can statesman and man OF affairs. For
many year he has anticipated coming
South, especially to Richmond. On Tues
day night he Will lecture at the Academy
under the auspices OF the McGill Catholic
Union, and 1t is safe to say he VIII be
greeted by brilliant audience.
,"Snvoyard," one Of the most capable
writer's on the staff OF the Washington
Post. wrote of Cochran few weeks ago:
Cochran is more than the rhetorician.
He Is thinker. Nature was generous
and gave him glowing and powerful
mind and all tho adjunct sof an orator
the imposing presence. the handsome per-
son. and voice surprising all the others,
rich deep, musical, commanding. with
JUST eIOuSH VI llc VI p5 w " 49, u - $500
out Of the water. But this Achilles is
yulnera ble-tact was denied him, and he
knew he was genius. He has read much
and has reflected profoundly Ele Is not a
superficial man, and he Is q logician. He
studied with immense profit Isaac
Newton, John Locke and Adam Smith. lie
saw the profundties In the satire Of that
greatest OF Irlshmen, Jonathan Swift.
He knew Burke from lid to id-all his
tory was his. and all literature opened
It's stores to that fertile and5teeming and
hungry mind. Contrast his speech on the
Wilson bill with Bryan's, made the same
legislative day. IL sou would see the
logician after the order OF Adam smith.
and the nd captandum debater after the
order of Frederic Bastlat. and as an ora
tor the superiority OF the lrishman was
even more apparent.
Judged by Its effects-by the enthusiasm
1t created among his supporters and tho
dismay 1t carried into the ranks of his
opponents-Bourke Cockran's speech on
the Wilson tariff bill In January. 1884. was
the greatest effort It has ever been the
fortune OF the writer to hear. At Its con-
clpsion the House was In tumult for
full quarter of an hour, and, With Ed
mund Keen, he might have exclaimed:
On it, Mary, the pit rose to mel AS
nm academic discussion OF great politl-
cal question. I do not believe that speech
has been surpassed since Webster left the
arena, He did not discuss the question
as Carlisle did when he challenged Sher-
man, Aldrich and Hoar In the debate ct
tho wool schedules OF the Mckinley BILL
nor was the speech much like Thomas b.
Reeds splendid effort closing the debate
on tho Wilson bill. Blaine was never
so dramatic, and the rich vocabulary OF
Conkllng was equalcd here by a man who
was master of many tongues. Tho speech
fulfilled the definition Of oratory as en-
pressed by the greatest Of parliamentary
orators-it was reason red-hot. Wendell
phillips said that Daniel O'Connell was
the first orator OF modern times, and
phillips had heard Webster. It Is very
doubtful IL O'Connell was greater orator
than Cochran.