Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-20

or Elihu Root or Joseph G. Cannon or al
most any other big man In the party there
would always pc some applause: but when
| would break out intQs a mighty roaE Some
body in every audience, would know Reed.
Cannon, Root, and ALI the others, but eY-
Mckinley; his name, was, in fact, almost
household word. It's association with
his tariff measure was partly responsible
for that condition. bit his great stumping
No presidential candidate save Mckinley
/ and Bryan ever approached their stamping
record, but In 1884 Blaine began his tour
that year in Rochester. It was planned
that this first address should not De long,
In order that it could be sent out complete
by wire. 1t was to be delivered at IL
O'Clock in the morning, and Mr.. Blaine was
to embark on west-bound train imme-
diately after finishing the speech. 1t was
expected that Il would furnish the "key-
note" of the campaign in a way. at least
until something better should be forthcom-
ing Naturally. the editor Of the local re-
publican afternoon paper was DESTROYS OF
printing a good report. especially as the
Associated Press had arranged to send his
report out over the wire.
A Marrow Escape.
For this reason the manager of the paper
asked the city editor to look after the re-
port personally Shortly before II o'clock
open space then in front of the county
court house to make the report with his
own hand. Whenshe arrived. however he
found that an unexpected change had been
made in the program; the speech had been
delivered half an hDur' earlier than had
been Intended and at''that very moment
Mr.. Blaine was stepping into carriage en-
route for the railroad station. Naturally,
the newspaper man was much surprised
and chagrned. TIE unexpected change in
program; had, left him without report
job, to say nothing of the political catas-
trophe that might ensue5 were the first
keynote ofsfhe Sssp nadSn anot to ,be sent
GU. lfe mp sa m ~ make matters
! just hidden goOd-bye to Mr.. Blaine. step
ped up and injured anxf5usly shout the
report. 80 $ -,
Assuring him that there would be no diff
ffculty about that, the city editor, with
sinking heart, buttonholed a-yonng lawyer
friend who stood near by. Fortunately for
the city EDITORS job and the publicity of
| the campaign Keynote" the lawyer had
made few stenographic notes for his own
benefit. Such parts of the speech as he
had not committed to paper the lawyer
was able to remember with fair accuracy,
and after half an hour of lively work the
/ two had fixed" up a half column of copy"
that not only "held his job for the city
editor. but called out plenty of praise as
an excellent report Of a genuine campaign
keynote" address.
There Is story affoat, though I cannot
guarantee it. that one of Bob 1ngersoll' 9
most famous speeches. delivered. l think
| in the Hayes campaign at Indianapolis
and beginning THE past rises before me
like a Dream was rescued by a narrower
margin even than. Blane's Keynote
speech of 1884. According to the story. tue
reporter sent by one of the papers to take
down the speech missed connection, through
some confusion of orders.
A Lucky Chance.
This was not discovered In time to as
sign another shorthand man to do the
work and the managing editor, who was
present, attempted to make report 1T
the speech from his own longhand notes.
This he soon saw was impossible, and IN
despair he hunted up the colonel. just as
he was leaving town. and asked II ne mao
any notes or memoranda out or when
something like an adequate report could
be made. The colonel was sorry, put inc
speech had been made quite extempora-
neously; he had no notes and could remem-
Der very little of what he had SAID. Inc
managing editor was in despair. Ihat ne
paper should come out in the morning
without a verbatim report OF the lngerSoi
speech was not to be thought Of But now
was a report to be obtained? Whlle ne "as
agonizedly trying to write up the pest re-
port he could. there came a knock at ms
door. and in walked a rather shaopy-look-
ing young man with bundle of penciled
manuscript written on brown paper
The managing editor hardly UNDERSTOOD
what his visitor had to say at first. SO alb
sorbed was he in the difficulties OF the mo-
ment. but presently there came phrase
that made him sit up and take notice.
Whats that?" he Queried eagerly. gu
have a report of the Ingersoll speech
Yes SIR" answered the other, Il nave IL
complete in shorthand, and about half or II
Is written in longhand. I'm a newspaper
man out of Job and I'm carrying the
han 7 tn a shorthand reporter.
Maybe you have ! good report already. ou.
If you haven't and'its worth enough TO get
me out of town. ~
Meanwhile the managing editor had been
running rapidly over fhe written-out por-
ton of the shorthand notes. Evidently the
report was genuine, nandtthe warmth Of his
reply to the tramp reposters words was
had the only complete report of the Inger-
soil speech printed anywhere, and the
tramp reporter fp}tffnd himself safely set.
tied in steady ,1ob.a Undoubtedly that
speech, which wass reprinted many times
before the campaign Wis over. had much
to do with the result Of the eiecuon tha'
year. 'efa w
Harrisqp's Speeches.
Benjamin Harrison never made pro-
longed stamping tour on his own behalf IN
a presidential cahpaigh. but he made
great series of short speeches one year.
when on tour over 1.-THE country, tnat
showed him to be master of the short popu-
lar address. In the first Mckinley cam
paign he made small number OF longer
addresses. which carried his audiences away
in whrlwind of enthusiasm.
"A popularity of Harrison's campaign
speaking was the fact that ne never Iaiied
to disappofnt his audiences twice, first by
his small stature and apparent lack OF
voice and general mpressiveness. and later
by MS solid merit as a speaker, his real I'M
pressiyeness and his convincing earnest
ness said man who heard Harrison in
Carnegie Hall that year.
When the ex-President came out upon
the stage he looked like nothing SO much
as full-grown, middle-aged brownie He
was much stouter than man of his rather
low stature should be. his legs We're TOO
snort. and his head was too large All
these personal peculiarities were empha-
sized by his evening costume. I had never
seen him before. and was rather crest