The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-19
NmLIAMs IN THE CHAIR.
Study Of Possible Speaker as Presiding
Onicer-Hk Task mt Sc. Louis Much
More Difficult than That OF Mr.
Cannon at Chicago.

Especial Dispatch to Evening Post.)
St Louis. July sBecause John Sharp
Williams will probably be the speaker
Of the next Democratic House of Rep
resentatives. his conduct as temporary
chairman of the convention has been
watched narrowly. and the tumultuous
session Of yesterday a V really an ex-
cellent test OF his mettle. His task OF
course. was enormously more difficult
than that of Mr.. Cannon at Chicago.
Besides the delegates, who were excit-
able enough in all conscience. there
was social difficulty from the first with
the turbulent thousands in the gal
leries.
At Chicago the difficulty was to make
they did interrupt, the chairman made
one of his unique gestures as IL he were
patting the head of an invisible New
foundland dog, the crowd laughed, and
straightway amended its behavior.
Here the difficulty is to make the people
sit quiet. Mr.. Cannon's idiosyncrasies
were of the kind that helped him TO
keep control even of those beyond
the sound of his voice. His pantomimic
injunctions Of silence would have pro-
duCed their effect On a man watching
him with a telescope five miles away.
But it was evident here from the first
that the peculiar qualities which make
Mr.. Williams an inimitable debater
helped him but little in the chair. The
ironical humor which is his most eff
fective weapon must naturally be heard
to produce its effect. In his rulings.
explanations, and expostulations ne
showed the anne good temper and
piquant humor as he would in the
House, yet those beyond the range of
his voice must have judged him a de-
cidedly harsh and peppery moderator.
His voice tired after his acceptance
speech of the first day, and when, to
help out, he used a megaphone. his
arms, too, soon grew tired from hold
ing it up. After he had once taken
to the megaphone the crowd would not
suffer its abandonment. No orator has
yet been discovered who can be either
sparkling or eloquent through a mega
phone.
This convention he observed, when
the body seemed diSinclined to give
a respectful hearing TO the spokesman
for the Hopkins side of the Illinois
contests, ought to sit as quiet as a
jury hearing a case"
1t is an utter a~busurdity under any
circumstances to admit 1000 excitable
spectators to the sessions of what is in
theory a d~eliberative body. A chairman
may either try to transact business by
favor of the crowd. or else try to sup
press the crowd. There was no ques
mans theory. The crowd was there in
sufferance. No only did he threaten
to have the galleries cleared. but he
picked out specific eruptions of disor-
der and sent policemen to quell them.
Right there, se~e-behind the West
Virginia emblem" he shouted to the
sergeant-at-arms, pointing with his
forefnger; "sit down, sit down, sit
down even you telegraph boys" he
launched through his -megaphone, at
a moment when nine men out Of ten
in the hall were standing in their
| chairs. Those who are not gentlemen
are not expected to keep quiet was
another of his warnings.
When Mr.. MenZies. of Indiana, was
striving to argue the Illinois case be-
fore an audience just recovering from
the. spell of Bryan's oratory. the chair
man quoted, as he raped for order:
LAS Mrs. Harris said in Dickins' novel,
BE fair whatever you do"
All in ali, he was rather impatient
Of the exuberance of the crowd. When
his incidental allusion to Cleveland
started the plaudits OF Wednesday,, ne
was taken by surprise. He tried by
uplifted hand to stop the noise. H
tried the gavel. he tried going on with
his speech to see if they would no
stop to listen. He sat down, he got w
again, n finally he lighted a cigar ant
waited resignedly.
When he introduced Mr.. BRYAN i
was with the fewest possible word:
and he pumped himself at once bacl
into his chair; but when the Nebraskal
turned to him with a rather ceremoni
Gus, Mr.. Chairman he jumped to hi!
feet and made Acknowledgement with
a wave of his hand.
His rulings have a crispness and brew
itY that those Of Nj. Cannon have al
ways lacked. He was Ire of his ground
as a pariiamentarian, had no prompt
ing, gave his decisions without an in
stants delay. 1t is doubtful if at any
time he realized the ~inadequacy Of any
human voice to be heard above the ba
bel TO say nothing OF his own voice
which is Of only moderate power. Point:
of order were beloved at him with all
the strength of strong mems lungs
from the front rows of seats, and he
responded in a voice but little above
his ordinary speaking pitch M seem.
GU d tribe surprised tHdt people OIu MOI
hear him. The chair has made the
statement with evaporation, botf
physical and mental to make himself
understood" he once said.
The firm attitude which he took in
regard to the disturbances from tn.
galleries was obviously approved by
h convention, as it showed both b5
a~pplauding his warnings and by tn,
en- thusiasm of the rising vote of thank.
when he surrendered the chair II
Champ Clark.
If some one feature is to be selected
for a comparison between Mr.. Cannon
and Mr.. Williams, as presiding Off
Ger. 1t had better be the cigar. Mr.. Can,
on's. which the cartoonists have mad.
familiar to the public usually has it
to his lower eyelid. He holds it loosel,
in his mouth as he holds the gave
/ laoral.- in Ain hand That af NJ VII