Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-07-17
BRYAN'S VOICE TO
REACH MILLIONS
SPEAKS TEN OF HIS FAyORITES SPEECH
ES INTO EDISON PHONOGRAPH
MACHINES.

ES INTO EDISON PHONOGRAPH
MACHINES.
William Jennings Bryan has just
made another move which will carry
joy to his admirers and followers and
be not without interest to those who
oppose him and his ideas.
| 1t must be admitted that a candi-
dates speeches have much to do with
what people think of him, and that
the more people he can address, the
more widely he can disseminate his
ideas
1t IS true that the newspapers report
the speeches of politicians of import
ance, but they can only give the cold
words in type, shorn of the PERSONAL y,
voice and infection of the orator.
Bryan has found a way to give his
best speeches i'll the greatest number
of American homes in the shortest pos
sible time, and that is by means of the
Edison Phonograph.
Some time ago he was approached
with the suggestion that he make some
Records for the Edison Phonograph.
Naturally Mr.. Bryan refused, but
when it was pointed out that in no
way could he address so many Ameri-
can people as through the wonderful
medium Of the Phonograph, he saw its
possibilities at once.
1t was pointed out to him that a
single popular Edison Record frequent
ly sells up into the hundreds of thous-
ands, and that hundred hearers for a
single Record is a ridiculOusly small
allowance, but that taking these fig
ures, Record which sells hundred
thousand would have ten million
hearers. Mr.. Bryan realized that in no
way could he get so close to the hearts
and minds of the people, not even
through his own publication. ''The
Commoner," as he could by putting
into every home an exact reproduction
of part of one of his speeches, deliver
ed with his own voice, with his own
emphasis and with his own interpreta-
ton.
The result was that special expert
was sent to Bryan's home in Nebraska,
and in Bryan's library were made ten
Records, each Record consisting of an
extract from one of Bryan's speeches.
The selections were made by Bryan
himself, aud comprise just what he
most wishes to say to the public.
Whether or not Bryan is nominated,
and whether or not, being nominated,
he will be elected, he already has an
advantage that no other candidate can
possibly have, as he has accomplished
something that no previous presiden-
tial candidate or prospective candidate
ever accomplished. He has multiplied
his speaking power to the entire limits
of the United States. 1t will be pos
sible for him in this way to address
every man, woman and child in
America between now and the presi-
Dental election.
If he or any other candidate should
start out to make speeches and spoke
six days week between July 1st and
November 1st, and should address an
audience of three thousand people
every afternoon and another audience
of three thousand people every evening,
if none of these people were the same
people (which would be physically inn
possible if he spoke twice on the same
day, which would necessitate in many
cases speaking twice in the same town.
he would only have addressed five
hundred thousand people instead of
fifty million, as would be easily pos
sible with his ten Records.
This has opened up anew possibility
for presidential candidates.
The genius of Thomas A. Edison,
which has already made it possible for
Tolstoi's books and writings to be heard
in the tones of Tolstol's voice, makes it
possible for American people to heard
the voices of their candidates in their
own homes.