The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-04-23
IN was as interested and delighted as

There are times when man In pub
Tic life must discuss matters from the
platform in words that are exact and
carefully chosen. He must not lay
himself open to miSinterpretatlon ana
must~prepare to avoid being misquoted,
especially when a hostile press is ready
to seize on any pretext TOR dlstorIlon
or to make a false impression. Iheh
he must use manuscript ana Ia1t Goes
this occasionally When he does his
hearers may be sure that his remarks
have great Importance. He Keeps
the manuscript in the back ground and
leads up to its introduction reluctantly,
sometimes taking ten or fifteen MIN
utes Of off hand speech to pave the way.
Even then he will pause at times,
throw it down and talk straight from
the shoulder, taking off his glasses and
holding them by the bridge as he drives
straight at his listeners with marvellous
force and clearness.
His voice is that of an honest man
and is commensurate with his size. 1t
is nearly impossible for him to drop It's
tone to a whisper. He has no occasion
for whispering and 1 have been with
him when there were delegations wait
ing on him with inquiries and PROPOSE
tions and not one word of what they
said could be heard ten feet away. On
the other hand when Taft spoke his
words were clear and plain to all about.
Whenever he has anything he does not
wish to say he says nothing at all-he
has no use for whispering and CON
niving, it is not cOnsOnant with his
open frank nature.
For large audiences he has a better
voice than even the one possessed by
his dear friend, the late William Nc
Kinley, who could reach the last man in
the last row of any assembly without
appearing to strain or make any undue.
effort. Its tone is not the most mol
lient or capable of fine oratorlcal shad-
ings like that of ex Senator Charles A.
TONNES, Bourke Cochran, Martin Lit
Teton Or William Jennings Bryan, but
his enormous lung capacity gives MN
power with ease and his marked facll-
ity of language never fails to leave
pleasant Impression. He obtains con-
viction, not with emotional oratory,
but with common sense logic and OBJ
vious sincerity.
A Congressman who has reputation
for elocution was listening to Taft one
day down south and remarked aside:
at is too bad that the secretary does
gestures; they would go very well"
perhaps So answered a noted edi-
tor sitting with him, 'but l can't at
ford to illustrate every paragraph of
his speeches with snapshots OF his
gestures and | must say that the peo-
pie who read my paper seem to THINK
his stuff goes bully without Them
He has way of extending both OF
his bip arms with the large strong
hands outspread at the end OF each
crumbled sleeve and emphasizing each
phrase with a certain positive jerk that
is most convincing. And again when
argumentative he will extend his left
arm and tell off each point with a
smack of three fingers of his right hand
in the palm of his left. Wild sweeps,
rising infections, low STOPPING, inten-
sity, facial grimaces and abrupt gyra-
lions are incomprehensible to him. He
likes to push back the sides of his cuta-
way coat and put his hands in his peck
cts and talk plain business. An old
habit of his, contracted when on the
bench and delivering decisions, is to
fold his hands across his ample front
and quietly say what he has to say.
The mans appearance is very mark
ed. There is no figure in history with
whom he is quite comparable. He is
giant in size and his huge bone and
muscular frame has a somewhat obvi-
Gus layer of fat on it. Even so, there
is nothing about his gait or manner to
lead one to believe that he would not
be very dangerous man in hand to
hand encounter. His light hair is grey
ed and his moustache, which is lighter
still naturally, has faint tawny tlnge.
1t conceals strong, sensitive, refined
and markedly humorous mouth. His
teeth are of medium size, we'll set and
meet squarely. His head has splen-
did development, especially the brow
and his blue eyes are little less than
the average in size but are very clear
and frank. Some air of ability and
wisdom emanates from them, perhaps
the heavy folds of care and thought
above and below them diversified by
the laughter wrinkles have mentioned
combine to stamp his face as that of
one who has thought, seen and done
much and can do more.
His clothes are always plain and just
neat enough to escape being careless.
He is a very poor man for one OF his
position and standing and the cost OF a
wardrobe sufficient to stand the wear
and tear of his world trips and arduouS
duties is quite an item with him. His
favorite attire for public appearance is
a dark cutaway suit with small stripe,
white linen, the collars of the wing
variety, and plain black tie. Once in
a while he wears a little scarf pin and
the watch and chain have mentioned
are of gold plain and inexpensive.
From the chain depends little orna-
ment and in ordinary thoughtful con-
versation and sometimes in his
speeches, he fingers this ornament
slowly.
There are speakers who work their
audiences up by successive climaxes.
Taft never does this and wastes no
time on unnecessary talks-the only
time he has to spare is to joke and tell
stories and after long experience
with him-I am compelled to say that
| am undecided as to which of two
things he would rather do, sit down to
his desk after an hours golf and a
hearty meal and work, work, work till
everyone else has quit and gone hours
before, or get before good crowd of
real American people and laugh and
tell stories with them.
Ga . TT % II. r..
Bears the n The Kind You Have Always Bought
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