The Washington herald., 1909-05-09

he would say. let Us find Eeat same
where and sit down and talk.
Was Re a great orator, T. your oPin-
ion?"
Good short TaIicer.
As dve-minute talker Ne was not
equaled By any man in public life His
set speeches were rare, however, and not
so universally good. The trouble was
that he couldn't commit a speech OF any
KIND 20 memory and then repeat IT ehec-
lively. he tried It once with unsatis-
factory results. The speech was a pretty
long one for Reed. and had been care
fully written cut in full When he stood
up 70 talk John Dalzell sat at bis side.
manuscript n hand. and prompted him
when he got or the track, which was
pretty often. much &c Reeds annoyance
ard embarrassment
Memory IS necessary adjunct 20
formal oratoTy" Mr. Payne went on 10
say. Grover Cleveland could repeat a long
speech word fer word exactly as written.
and neither his words nor his sentences
were remarkable for their brevity. But
Roscoe COukHng had the most amazing
memory ever heard Of. A man told me
that he f5Ilowes Coakling for three hours
in Breeklyn. y. Z. reading the speech
from proof slips. and that he could not
detect tie slightest departure from tbs
text In one place CenkIing changed the
order OF tzo paragraphs. but the man
was sure that the transposition was made
purposely-
'I was introduced 70 ConkIing by =
Hamilton Meyers. Of Auburn, while on q
steamer in the St Lawrence River.
Meyers had written a lengthy poem about
the scenery. history. and legends Of
Owasee LAX. Cenkling told Meyers that
the poem rad given him great deal OF
pleasure and then he quoted twenty pages
OF Il. something which Meyers couldn't
have done himself When Meyers ex-
pressed his astonishment Conkling said:
I have looked at the poem but once,
and that was several years ago. Ny
memcry Is peculiar I can read any OF
Nacaulay's essays and then repeat it
without making single mistake. -
Influence of Orato-y.
rs oratory.' asked, ''as influential as
It used TO be-"
The daily drippings Of The press" Mr.
Payne replied. have worn a pretty deep
hole in the power OF the spoken word out
among the people Nowadays speech
can't be delivered the second tine. If it
IS worth anything at all it Is teieCraphed
over the country as soon as delivered, and
IS exsiact the day afte-. believe, having
reflected upon the subject very often. that
the speech which counts comes with diff
Guilty from the lips Of the speaker Many
an orator and many a writer is cursed
by an easy flow Of words from an illimit-
able vocabulary Language rolls out and
makes no enduring impression. The speech
or the article is an entertainments. highly
satisfactory, no doubt, to the performer,
instead Of an instructive ana persuading
argument
7 listened carefully TO William J.
Bryan's first speech u Congress. HIS
voice was nelodlous. his presence was
magnetic. his manner was attractive. and
his words came IN an agreeable StnrTent.
was 10 speak the next day Mr.. Justice
McEenna- OF the United States Supreme
Count. then a member OF Congress from
California turned 10 me and said: 'You
viii haze 20 make some reply 10 Bryan
when you get up tomorrow
He Is pounding the octopus a1-
swered. but for the life Of me cant get
hold of anything that is tangible. Think
about the speech and name 10 me in the
morning the points TO which I ought TO
make an answer
You are right Bfr. McKenna SAID
next day. 'Bryan's speech was ike smoke
-you put out your hand but it wasn't
there
Talent Of Talk
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