Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-17


that. in his opinion. one of the greatest de-
fects in the college training of today lies
in its very general forgetfulness of ora
tory, the art of public speaking.
Whether the eminent senator Is right in
believing that this neglect In favor of other
things will ultimately prove detrimental to
the nation time alone can tell. No one who
remembers the old days and has been pay
ing attention to this years commencement
exercises can fail to perceive that the neg
lect exists.
In the old times, unless the class was too
large, every graduate spoke a piece of his
own composition on the great day that he
ceased being a student and became an
alumnus When the class was SO large
that orations from all the graduates would
take too long, the honor of delivering COM
mencement orations-it was an honor to be
competed for then-was reserved for stu
dents who had shown special ability. That
a commencement could possibly be the real
thing without its orations entered nobodys
head. Today it is mostly different, at least
with the big modern universities, though
here and there you may find small college
that graduates its students in the good old
way.
Senator Depews contention was not. in
Iced. that any great harm was done by the
omission of the graduation orations as
such. This omission he considered 4 Symp-
tom only of the general neglect into which
the art of oratory had fallen 1t was his
idea that public speaking, especially when
done eXtemporaneously, afforded most va
liable mental discipline; that 1t carried
with it such degree of rapid and accurate
thinking could be ncu!cated in no other
way.
Thoroughness vs. Oratory.
The senator's views were quite widely pub
lished at the time. and in some quarters
professors business men, even members of
various legislative bodies, took direct is
sue with him. The late Frederick Coudert,
quite as graceful a speaker as Mr.. Depew
himself, was among those who held that
the colleges give too much attention, If any
thing, to platform speaking. Better by far,
he said that subjects be taught with great
thOroughness; let the young man be
taught to know his subject from top to
bottom said Mr.. Coudert land he will
know how to tell what he knows, whenever
occasion arises"
that many of the men with whose names
the public Is most familiar have won their
success largely because of their power as
platform speakers.
Mr.. Depew himself is one of these 1t
has long been the fashion in some quarters
to speak of him chiefly a speaker, as
one who carried his points mainly through
his skllful, forcible handling of words and
noe by reason of profound knowledge This
is an injustice to him, but even il it were
so his point In favor of the thorough teach
ing of oratory In the colleges would be all
the more we'll taken.
Speakers of the House as Orators.
No one ever succeeded in covering him
self with credit in the difficult position of
Speaker of the House of Representatives at
Washington who was not good orator.
The incumbent Of the place. Uncle
joe Cannon, Is not an orator who
delights or excels in flowery figures of
speech, but he knows exactly how to voice
what he has to say. and his skill was ac-
quired by the thorough study of the ora
tors art. Not in college, to be sure, though
the fact that he learned how to speak in
the country debating school. and not in
academic halls. does not weaken the argu-
ment in favor of the study of oratory in the
least.
Uncle Joe" surely knows whatever topic
he speaks on as well as the next man; but,
unless he had mastered the art of telling
what he knows, he could never have been
Speaker of the House.
His predecessor as Speaker, Col. Hender-
son, Is quite as valuable an example of the
power of oratory Uncle joe Like
Cannon, Col. Henderson got most OF his
platform training in the country debating
| school, and he has told the writer that it
was by far the most valuable training he
ever had
Col. Henderson's idea Is that the young
| man VINO becomes enthusiastic on the SUD-
| tect Of oratory. especially If he practices
debating on miscellaneous subjects, will be-
| come SO much better informed in all sorts
| of directions, than the student who devotes
| himself to study alone, as to leave the lat
| ter. behind in the race, nine times in ten. II
| the evolution of his career leads him a. all
into public life. This often holds good. the
| colonel believes. in business and commerc al,
as well public life.
Good for the Business Man.
| The man who has learned how to talk,
| to put his knowledge into words rapidly,
luctdly and convincingly, stands twice the
| show of winning he who. though know
ing his subject thoroughly, is at loss for
| words to communicate what he knows
OF the three most recent Speakers of the
| House-Cannon, Henderson and the lament
! ed Thomas Bracket Reed-the last-named
| was undoubtedly the greatest orator. He
| laid quite as great stress upon the value OF
| oratorical training for the young man as
| either Mr.. Depew or Col. Henderson. and
| while no one believed more implicitly in the
value of careful preparation, he did not
| overlook the value of extemporaneous train
| ing. On one occasion. at least, his own ex-
temporaneous training saved him from seri-
| GUS humiliation.
| II had very important campaign ad-
| dress to deliver in Boston," he told the
| writer one day. in Portland. Me-, land
| worked long and intensely over It, And, as
| audience. I learned the speech so well that
! did not take my memoranda to the plat
| form with me. don't mean to say that I
| learned every word by heart. but many OF
| my best sentences, thought, were firmly
hxed In my memory. and. Of course had
/ the entire plan and scope Of the address
wildly In my mind when / went from the
| hotel to the hall.
| Down to the very moment of beginning
| had not the slightest lack of confidence.
| the slightest fear that any part of what
/ had planned to say would fail me when
| should call the words to my tongue. You
| may Judge of my dismay. when. on rising,
| discovered after uttering the usual saluta-
| ton to audience and chairman, that not Q
vsstige OF the speech. as planned. was at
| command.
A Great Extemporaneous Effort.
ITO say that the situation was appalling
| only partly expressed It. A mist SO thick
that could not see the audience swan
before my eyes. and my voice. was pres
entity aware-for was saying something,
what. know not-was faint. indistinct and
| without carrying power. suppose could
have hesitated only moment or two. but
| It seemed to me that / was practically
! voicaless for q long time. Then a nov q