The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-10-26
From the New York Times.

Il IOln TIE new Ork Times.
NRoF LEE FAIRcHILn, who lee
W lures on stump speaking to the
Spellbinders' school, delivered the
final discourse in his postgraduate course
to crowded class yesterday.
The class was made up of the od-guard
orators of the county committee.
Remember" said Professor Fairchild,
impresslvely, to the real-thing orators,
remember that you are all sons of
Cicero and nephews of Demosthenes. Re-
meber, too, that Cicero, your common
ancestor drove Cataline out of Rome
with a gesture"
Then, after asking somebody to see that
the door was locked so that reporters
could not disturb the proceedings he con-
tinued:
"The orator should be indigenous to the
soil Some of the best spellbnders, when
they reach New York, fail to size up the
actual situation. A noted orator from
Massachusetts made a speech few years
ago in Cooper Union, and while what he
said had tone and all that sort of thing,
he got the North river and the East
river so mixed up that the audience was
at sea regarding what boat it was to take.
THE beginning of a campaign is always
on the sklrmish line. There is no real
fighting until the issues are set and clear
ly defined, and then the orators work be-
gins-especially in New York. This is the
most mercurial state in the Union. The
average citizen is too busy to bother much
about the state.
80 the orators who talk to these men
who are in hurry must say something,
and say 1t quickly. A busy audience
hasn't time to sit around and listen to
something unless 1t hasn't been said be-
fore.
'The issues of any great movement are
not decided by lotteries of men clad in
authority but by something that some
body may say just along the way. Now,
in this campaign it is not a question of
two H's-Hearst against Hughes-but
Hearst as an experiment and a threat
against the sober sense Of the people of d
great state. Against that no man can
win. Get that well fixed in your minds.
Now, Mark Hanna's 'stand-pat' phrase
was so catchy that it has brought Hoyle
even now believed that Hayle knew as
much about craftsmanship as Mark Han
ma did about poker"
Mr. Fairehild told his class about Tom
Corwin, the first great campaigner this
country knew and cited one of Corwin's
experiences to show how 1t might be pos
sibe to misjudge an audience.
Don't always look for vociferous ap-
plause, or expect that intense silence
means disapproval," said the professor
"Corwin was campaigning out on the
Ohio reservation years ago. His audi
ence was composed of stern Yankees.
Corwin had such reputation that unless
an audience showed 1t was very much
moved he thought he was making a mis-
take.
"Ths day he talked and he talked 1t
was a hot day and he kept at it two
hours. Finally he sat down disguised
and worried. Not one word had been said,
not a sign of approval or dsapproval.
Corwin was humbled. There was another
spell of silence when he finished, and then
a gaunt farmer rose.
Mr.. Chairman he drawled, we have
just heard a great address, a wonderful
address, and 1 move you, sir. that We
now give three cheers for Mr.. Corwin.'
Il agree with my brother said an
other farmer. after pause, and L rise
to second his notion
And on the chairmans motion that all
in favor of this should rise, the audience
rose Ell masse, and later threw in three
cheers for Mr. Corwin for good measure.
II believe you will divine from that
story" said Professor Fairchild that
there Is no way of telling what an au-
dence is thinking about. The seemingly
listless and uninterested spectator may BIO