Evening journal., 1904-04-25
MoNpAv, ArRrL as, 1904.
ANCIENT AND MODERN ORATORS.


The world IS always awake TO the
word Of a master; one cocks his ear to
listen while the poet tells how he con-
structs his verses and when the real
orator takes up his fountain pen to dis
course on the gentle art Of persuasive
speech. the rest of the world keeps
silent and with mouth agape, listens.
The writer OF the Jeffersonian editor
ials in the current issue forgets for
the moment the sage Of Monticello, and
It Is proper that he should since Jeffer-
son never made a speech, and dlscourses
in his own inimitable and liquid style
on Demosthenes and Cicero.
And It IS wen when we consider
certain phase OF modern politics to
dwell for moment on oratory. the
chief factor Of a political organization
which has for eight years aspired to
ascendency Brutus spoke Of the possi-
bility of men turning their backs on
"the ladder by which they did ascend p
but not so with this modern orator and
oratorial critic. His ascent round by
round was by means Of the ladder OF
oratory and should he kick It away,
he would be left dangling IN mid-air.
This reminds us OF an Incident that is
worth relating. When a congressman
recently elected went to Washington to
be sworn in. several Of the older mem-
bers gathered around and rendered
their words of advice. Said one: Nov,
don't talk too much. We had a Con-
gresham from Delaware a few years
ago whose oratory was always on tap
There was no subject that could be
raised but that he was on his feet
ready to pour forth a stream OF elo-
quence." "what was his Manner ask
ed the new member.
"Oh." was the reply. Il have forgot
ten his name but he was a big man
and had a long name which he allowed
to drift over his facial features. He
was a great champion Of the le TO
doctrine"
So, after all this man was not soon
forgotten by his congressional coll
leagues. It is true they did not recall
thing that he said, but they were oer-
tain that he had said it-impresslvely
and often.
Now this ex-congressman does the
things with a pen that he would fain
do with his mouth. He discusses the
oratory Of our two Senators, and we
cannot dismiss the thought that there is
in the mind OF the commentator the
feeling that he could do much better
But he forgets the salient fact that De-
mosthenes and Cicero represent two
very different schools. as wide apart as
those eNemplihed in the oratory OF
Theodore Roosevelt and that Of Will
liam Jennings Bryan.
For with the great Athenian. oratory
was simply the means OF bringing GER
tain important facts home TO the people
It was not an end. but a means. De-
mosthenes held that clothes were ne
cessary IN order that man might ap-
pear in public, and not that the man
was necessary only to exhibit the
clothes.
Cicero, on the other hand. was the
rhetorician; his speeches were ornate
and tropical His beautiful periods
were applauded. not so much for the
message they contained. as for the skill
displayed in stringing beautiful phrases
together. IT was FOR that reason that
IN the great events surrounding the
death OF Caesar he was omitted from
The councils Of either party. Does any
body imagine for moment that the
orator who proclaimed that Carthage
must be destroyed" would have been
left out when any great Athenlan pro-
ject was in progress?
SO these two types Of orators are rep
resi- tied today in Delaware-senatoi
B anding for one. and the editor
Oh Jefersonian for the other De.
n aenes to overcome an impeachment
q speech practiced with pebbles in hi.
mouth, and overcame a natural DIM.
dence by force Of viii. He got there