The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-07
May Be Suggested by Postmas-
ter General Hitchcock
MUCH CAMPAIGN MATTER
and Democrats Under the Frank
ing PriviIege-Chautauqu
Lectures
by RoDERIcK CLIFFORD

ing out campaign documents and
speeches under frank has given rise to a
story that Postmaster General Hitchcock
may recommend to the President that
Congress be asked to provide a special
stamp for ranking purposes.
The use of special stamp, such as
the trustees of the postal savings bank,
have adopted in order to keep the record
of cost of the mail relating to the postal
banks would enable the postmaster-gen-
eral to inform Congress just how much
the privilege of ranking official letters
actually costs Uncle Sam. 1t has not
been many years since senator's and
members paid postage on letters written
to constituents and others who asked for
information
The postage bill of some of the ma
tional lawmakers, it is asserted, often
amounted to more than 800 a month
each This drain on the congressional
income was cut off by the passage of a
bill allowing members of Congress to
frank all letters written on official bus
mess. Official business was construed
to mean letter from any one asking in
formation about matters before Congress
or the departments, direct or remote.
AS may we'll be imagined, the con-
gressional mail matter, since the adop-
tion of the personal franking privilege,
has steadily increased.
A special stamp instead of the printed
inscription official business" would
enable the postoffice department to tell
at a glance Just about how many
thousands of dollars 1t costs the gov
eminent to carry the congressional mail.
IT is believed the effect of such legisla-
ton would check the well known abuse
of the ranking privilege, and. in the
end. act as an economy lever. 1t is
said that this is only one of the reforms
the postoffice department has in view.
It has not been many years since the
Chautauuua circuit opened new field
TO the lecturer At the beginning there
were many to predict failure, but the en-
thusiasts behind the movement never
lost courage, and today the best speak
ers and lecturers in the country are to
be heard at the Chautauqua circuit.
Some of the most prominent members
of the House and Senate are great draw
Ing cards and much of their spare time
IS taken ND on the circuit. Among the
best known of the national lawmakers
IN good incomes are Congressman Champ
Clark of Missouri and Hobson of Ala
hama, and Senator's Dollver and Cum
mines of Iowa, and LaFollette of Wis
cousin
A little while ago. CONGRESSMAN Clark
minority leader in the House, when asked
to tell some of his experiences on the
lecture platform and his debates with
Chautauuua speakers. said;
"Newspaner wits make a good many
rines at Chautauqua speakers, but new
ertheless. the Chautauoua is a great ed
vocational institution It is sort of lit
erarv camp meeting. The Chautaudua
IS onlv one feature, but an important
one. of the lecture business. which bus
mess. barring the Chautaudua feature.
is a very old one. The Chautauqua IS
comparatively new. Some of the most
prominent public men America ever pro-
duced engaged In lecturing, among them
heing Edward w Everett. Charles Sum-
ner. Wendell Phillips SCHUYLER Colfax,
william 7. BRYAN Richard Hobson, Sen
ators I.aFollette, DolliNer, Tilman Cum
minis. Rristow and others. Col. Robert
G. Tngersoll was a famous lecturer
'rrhere is one thing about lecture, or
Chautauoua money-it is clean money.
Nobody has to pay to hear a lecture un-
less he so desires. so the filings fall
harmless
set an, not going to lecture this fall.
though 7 have standing offer of 5000
q lecture. T propose to devote the whole
time In aiding to elect a democratic
House.
"Sometimes the Chautaudua managers
call for debates. I have debates fire.
nuent1v with Senator Dolliver and Con-
gressmen Grosvenor and Landis ] also
had occasional debates at Chautauqua
with others. notably Col William P.
Hepburn and Senator ]. Ralph Burton.
"Dolliver was always a great orator.
IN late DAYS he has also become a great
debater. There is vast difference be-
tween an orator and debater. A man
NAV be both, but he is lucky If he is
either Dolliver is both. When he and
debated he was much more orator than
debater In his speech of an hour and
quarter in our debate there were two or
three parts of 1t taking 10 or 10 minutes
each for delivery, 1t to appear in book
form.
general Grosvenor is debater from
away back He is not an orator in any
sense of the word; but as a debater he
is what Mai Joe Bagstock describes
himself to be. sly sir. devilish sly;
tough. sir, devilish tough With all due
respect to everybody the republicans
have found no man to fill his place as
ready all around, always prepared.
never-say-die debater. He and Colonel
Hepburn were the two most dangerous
republicans to go up against in the
Mouse. in my day. Lower your guard,
even a little too much, raise it, even
little too high, and Knockout blow was
sure to follow.
stalking all In all. Charles lands was
verhaps the most entertaining of the lot
He has a fine stage presence, is good
0eal of debater and much of an orator
and a decided humorist In facial con-
tortions he reminds one Of Tom Corwine.
He couldn't chit as hard as General
drosvenor he couldn't soar so high as
pplliver but he always hit and always
SCARED enough to entertain an audience.
We has vastly more humor than the
General or the Senator He reminded me
OF Kid Mccoy, the ex-pugilist-he would
ret in and hit and duck and come out
smiling His blows were not so hard
General Grasvenor's, but he hit more
often. On points of legal sparring he
was a crackeriaclS.
'Of course, I lectured alone more fire.
auently than I debated. For one per-
formance I would rather debate than lee
ture but for everyday business rdSpre-
Ger to lecture alone It's easier. In lee
turing alone one can take care of throat
and body; but in debating all that is for
gotten and over-exertion is apt to oc-
cur.
s'Whether will ever lecture again do
not know. That depends on circum-
stances. It's hard work, but pays well
IN clean money and has many pleasant
features"
Two Men Drowned