The Meeker herald., 1908-09-05

- est OF sOphlSte. Inefo ID
usually little to be gained
In what he says, but to 1.-THE
Groundlings," there IL q deep sig
nihcance in the way hs says
but. to 1.-THE groundlings." there il q
deep Significance in the way he says
It, We had orators In the ward and
In the city. the common. native gar
Den variety of "wind-jammers," and
the exotic. or imported variety OF
"jaw-smiths." Oratory at its best Is
rather q lost art. and the political ora
Aor ID = good example of lost artist.
We never expected to influence voting
h the ward on account of speech.mak-
hg. The Republicans went to Repub-
lican meetings and the Democrats
went to Democratic gatherings. and
the applause that the speakers re-
cefved was simply the Jolly" that
their own crowd was handing them,
and there you had 1t.
Occasionally q man might drift In
where some really witty and able
talker was rousting out the "chin-mu-
Sic" and be impressed q little. but af-
ter he had gone home and slept over
It, and appeared At the polls. he would
get the same old ticket and vote 1t in
the same old way. heard the orators
In An early day who were orators, but
did not hear them in the political cam
paigns. Bob" Ingersoll and Emory
6torrs were orators the like of whom
I shall hardly hear again. but It was
not for me to be dazxled by the gilt
tering generalities or clumsy plau-
tudes of these "silver-tongued" orators
Of the hustings, no matter whether
they were Of my own party or not.
liked a good, sensible talk, but the
average line Of bunk" handed out by
the ground and lofty tumblers Of the
city campaigns was something to
make a man laugh.
And yet the custom had grown so
strong that nothing could apparently
stop 1t. There was always the COM
mittee on halls, and tho committee on
speakers, and there was = racing and
chasing Of cabs and a mounting Of
platforms by anxious candidates. and
. great desire to present to the citi-
gems the issues Of the day" and 80
ucit their SURFACES on election day.
And who attended these meetings?
Why. mainly. the boys" The pre-
cinct captains, the members of the
ward clubs, the hangers-on that only
knew Andrew Jackson as the name Of
q cigar, the men on the pipe-extension
gangs, the ward superintendent, the
men down in the city hall, the sewer
diGgers, laborers, ETC., who are work
ing for the city. and the payroll bri-
gade" in general.
And where was the private citizen?
Why, he was At home. reading the
evening paper. playing with the cat,
having . quiet little game Of "cinch"
ut ten cents corner" hve cents
Q "set.up" and Tommy around to the
Dutchman's with the big white pitcher.
Much he cared for oratory. II he got
q letter from the managers of the cam
paign, or maybe . letter from may
orally candidate, he opened It and
read 1t, and possibly specialized . lit
tie as to the truth Of 1t, but. as rule.
h did not bother himself much a. to
he meetings.
There was an exception to this.
however, when the candidate for al
dsrman or the candidate for mayor
appeared In q ward. Then the citizens
generally went to the meetinss. But
net to hear what were glibly termed
tissues" discussed. But to look at the
candidate, size him up. and see wheth-
or they liked him, and II he looked
like man who could NIL the Job.
Thu didn't care for his "oratory," un-
led ee could tell them q good story,
roast" the opposition candidates
eddy. and then he was indeed a
"star."
The appearance of the may
crafty candidate was, Of course.
the great event Of . ward
campaign. and filled the halls
10 overlooking. Boys and women in
the galleries. and even the aisles
TANNED. Perhaps some silver
tongue" would be making the welkin
ring with . passionate declamatory
burst about the thirteen struggling
colonies" these are the times that
try mems souls" when in the course
Of human events" or some other
"guR' borrowed from . school histo. :.
. war pamphlet or the declaration Of
iAdspeodenoe, when all At once there |