The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-24
CAMP AIGN ORATORS
OF DAYS GONE BY

based on solid political truth. were also
frustrated by wit. by anatd ,se and by
imagery, rich yot simple, such 8 the ia la
MAJ, could understand. Corwln was UNI
excolcd as Il stump orator while he llved,
and his superior has not appeared since
I his death! The people OF ONO y, we're "a, a.
81 his feet and there was no Office In their
gift that they did not bestow upon htnl.
Ills last years, however, we're. slladowed
by the belief that his career had been
handicapped by his reputation as Wit
and h,,norist. My dear Garfield, said
lie to tho future President, Just before
his dcatl,,g%be so1enl,--solenn as an ass
All tho monuments III the world are pl'i ~
to solemn asses
Prentiss a Famous Orator.
Another famous campaign orator Of
sixty gears ago was Sergeant 8. I'reitiss,S
d native OF Maine, who, removing at an
sc4,ly age to Mississippi, there rose ~, he
space Of time extraordinary bricf to
master place atlthe bar. PrentIss rs al,
orator was Inferior to Webster and Gay
in yleor and strength, but he was the
equal OF any man of his time In the ready
eloquence which captivates a popular as
se11,bly He was never at a loss for an
epiglaln or a retort, and his sit1lpromptu
speeches were his best efforts Ben: Per-
ley Pooro somewhere relates a good story
of ono Of Premises campaigns IN MS
adopted State. Ho had arranged a route
and ono of his friends had gone ahead
TO make arrangements for hall in eaclls
successive town and to advertise the
meeting there. The proprietor of q tray
cling lncnagerie took advantage of these
CONGREGATIONS and followed, exhi biting al
cachpace on the day that Prcntlss spoke.
The first intimatlon that tho orator had
of the rivalry was at a small town III
~. n 40
Alabama line. After Trentiss had been
speaking for an hour, holding the atten-
ton of his audience, he observed some OF
the outsiders looking over, their shoulders
and this movement was gradually fol-
lowed by more Of his audience. IL began
10 think lie was gro wing dull and en-
deavorcd to rouse himself up to more anil
nation; but 1t was all in vain. lie =
length looked in1tho popular direction and
there, to his horror, Just coming across
the hill was an elephant dressed in scar
let trappngs and Oriental splendor. a
foolish, feeling Of vanity not to be out
done by the elephant came over him and
no continued toBtak. He found 1T wash
use. M So he said: We'll. ladies and gen-E
ltleman. am beaten But I have the con-
ISOLATION that 1t was not by my COM
petitor. will not knock under to any
Btwo-legged beast, but i yield TO the ele-y
tphant. 5t3
Prentiss afterward made an arrange
ment with the proprietorof Tie menag erie 4
to divide time with the monkey q nd the .
clown the first hour being given to polls
tics. One of the ca geaT;Was used as
rostrum. Soon he heard a low sound
which rescmbled a gl,0Wl n and learned
that the hyenn was I ho nearest listener
There We're large auger-holcs in the top
of the box for the admission Of air.
Prentiss commenced speaking, and when
he reached the blood and thunder portion
Of his speech he ran his cane into -
cage. and called forth q most horrible
yell from the enraged ANIMAL at the same
time gcsticulating iviolently3with the other
hand. why. fellow-citizens, Il he would
sexclam, the very wild beasts are shock
ed at the political basencss and corrup-
ton OF the times. Sec how this worthy
fellow just below me Is scandal ized !. II car
his yell OF patriotic shame and indigna-8
$tion." The effect was electric; he called
DOWN the house insa, perfect tempest of
enthusiasm. lie hurled i. bis anathemas
TAT Ills foes Na,id enforced them by the
syells b his neigl1bors.
Prince John" Van Buren,.
The campaign efforts OF John Van
Buren, and James W. Nye belong to a
somewhat later period in our poll ical
history. Van Buren, said General
finest stump speaker brought forward by!
the Free Soil movement, Unlike his
father. Martin Yap Buren,, Prince John
was of splendid physical proportions Like
Conking, he was "a man whom 1t did the
eye good to look upon when he appeared
In public; but unlike conkling, lie at-5
tracted BY n delightful mannersm, and
gained extraordinary personal popular
ity which is ILLUSTRATED nowadays by the
sobrlnuet of prince, first applied 10 him
by Thurlow Weed, Il by which he Has al
ways afterward known. Tcsdid not dis
like to be called Prince John lie had
achieved a 1inc reputation as a lawyer
before he took very active part III poll
tics, and had he been possessed of that
ambition which, mastered his father he
might have gained as many successes
as the father won, Prince John, no wever,
was Il ellow-well-me yet always
dignned, fond Of the good things of life.
possessed Of wonderful animal spirits.
keen sense of humor, and a repugnance
for some OF the responsibilities and trials