The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-22
SELECTING ORATORS A TASK
Trials of Chief of Speakers Bureau
at Headquarters.
~ York TLerald

lie was tail. gaunt breezy-a typical
Westcrner. His clothes lacked styie. but
( his manner carried y xorld Of assure nee.
he dropped a cheap and much worn trav-
! eiiag bag In front Of the desk, surveyed
/ inc score of politicians who lounged
about and looked Sergeant At Arms John
I ]. Martin Squarely in the eye.
Inis Is Democratic hcadqu1 rtCTs?'' he
! asked im2ressiveiy.
1T is
VERY well I'm an orator. born aro-
/ r. j can talk as well as tho best man
I tnat ever made gesture, and l have
come from KanSas-from way out in
kansas-tO offer my services to the Dem
ocratlc party: paid my own expenses.
Travelled In day coaches ana lived on
ham sandwiches and all sir-aI sir
1 because | know that the Democrats party
this year Of all years needs me. Il may
succeed without me; with me IL can't
help but succeed Now, who Is the man
for mo To See2''
Three minutes after this conversation
occurred the man from Kansas was seat
I ed i'm the office of Judge McConville,
chief of the speakers bureau at Demo-
cratic headquarters.
II m ordinarily modest man" said
I the visitor. who said he Was Daniel Scott
Hunter of little town about is big as
the F'latifon building. ten miles from
Topeka. but when il comes 10 making
speeches | forget my mOdesty and boast
boast. sir because j am proud Of my
abilities ! made my first speech when [
was 10 years old and il earned me
diploma from the principal of my school.
He prophesied that some dav I would
I become as renowned an orator as Patrick
henry and BOurke C0r<ran. ana, al
/ though his prOphesy has rot We. been
fulfilled. | am confident that il will he
some day. and so are all my friends.
can't help speaking | am inspired. Gre
me a topic-anv tODic-to speak or and /
viii talk to YOU for minute. an hour or
a. day and will guarantee to hold Vour
D a hsHTr
preached In pulpit. talked to graduating
classes, spoken at mothers meetings,
GRATED at town meetings and delivered
Fourth OF July addresses. talked pa
triotism and temperance 20 district
schools. denounced and favored lynchings,
SpOutcd from tree stumps and from pat
forms gay with flags and ferns-in short,
! have done cYcryt hing an orator is OK
pected To do. eXcept-eXcept to speak TO
big political mass meetings in big cities.
and that Is precisely what ! want 20 do"
Judge McConville WAS Interested IN the
valuable visitor but he IS busy man
and felt it necessary 60 check him.
Wei. sir. what is it YOU propose TO
Il propose sir. this-just this: To give
my services TO the Democratic party. I
don't want a cent. ] started from home
with $500 every cent I've got in the
world. It's enough to pay my expenses
for six weeks, and in that time ] can
visit twenty cites and make speeches in
each. I'm pCmOcrJt-cveTy inch of me
] like Judge Parker and swear by the
principles he champions. know every
issue of the campaign know President
Roosevelts every vulnerable pOnt-and
there are a lot of them. by the way
and II YOU Will put me on your list OF
speakers and send me out I'll earn more
votes than all your other speakers put
together. ] know what I'm talking about.
Give me fifteen minutes and Jet me
make you speech-that VIII tell whether
I'm a dreamer or the real thing
Daniel Scott Hunter was perhaps as
picturesque as any of the 500 o. more
orators at large who have called a the
sseahers bureau since its Establishment
two weeks ago He wasn't engaged: he
was found wanting in several particulars.
and was advised IN go back rome and
20 wait the letter which would each him
if the committee finally concluded that
he was really essential 20 the success OF
the Democratic party.
judge McCOnviile. who was selected 10
direct the work Of the speakers bureau,
has perhaps experienced moe difficult
tics than any Their man connected with
the campaign. excepting. OF course. the
chairman OF the national committee
Upon him developed the task Of selecting
between 500 and go speakers TO be as
signed direct from headquarters and TO
pass upon the selection of more than
1000 who wiil be assigned from the vari-
GUS state headquarters.