The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1911-09-29
Speech Opened Grants Eyes

feat, and 1t was then that some OF tho
Republican leaders appealed to Cen
eral Grant to make one speech. sug--
costing that 1t be made In Generals
Garfields home district.
But ! have never made a POLITICAL
speech" General Grant replied. III
wouldn't know how to begin one"
Why, General" said the spokes--
man, "all that is necessary for you
to do is to talk to the people exactly
as you would talk to a friend You
tell your friends that this Is no time
to cultivate resentment; you say that
1t is necessary for Republicans to get
together; and you have pointed out
some OF the reasons why 1t is Of the
highest Importance that the Repub-
licans should win this election That
is all you will have to do in any pub
lie speech you make"
Grant considered for few mo-
ments.
We'll, he said finally, "if Roscoe
Conkling will go with me and make.
a speech from the sahle platform. L
Will do the best l can, but | haven't,
much faith In my ability to make a
speech"
In a few days 1t was announced
that General Grant and Roscoe Conk-
ling would speak upon the same plat
form, In the town of Warren, Ohio.
The bare announcement that Grant
was to make his first political speech
at least. upon the stump-changed
the whole aspect OF the campaign.
The curiosity to hear the ex-presi-
dent, who had been called the Silent
Man." and Of whom 1t was said that
he couldn't make a speech, served to
focus the attention of the entire
country upon Warren. Ohio. People
Hooked into the town from all around
the state on the day of the speech:
the great newspapers were represent
ed there. Grants speech was re-
ported in full and. of course, was
read by every Republican voter. 1t
changed the tide frcm ebb to food,
for from that moment the Republican
prospectus frightened
Said General Grant to Roscoe
Conkling after the meeting: Sen
ator. after ! had got started in nv
speech. lost all my nervousness. Do
you think | was able to make the
people hear me? My voice seemed
not very strong"
They heard every word" Senator
Conkling replied.
Mark Twain was chatting with mo
few years ago about General
Grants book OF personal memoirs:
which was published by the firm OF
which Mark Twain was the chief
partner.
Il have always thought that Granite
political speech at Warren. Ohio.
showed him that he had an unsuspect.
ed gift for writing" said Mark. His
facility with the pen was as great
in its way as was his power with the
sword He might have suspected II
had he realized the real literary quail
ity and the capacity for terse. epi-
grammatic statements which manv
OF his dispatches from the field illus
trated. But 1t remained for his War
rem speech to open his eyes In this,
respect. and ii was followed a yeay
and half later by the first magazine
article he ever wrote He was so.
pleased and interested with the WORK
of composition that he was persuaded
to accept an offer for a series OF
articles upon his experiences in the
Civil war, these articles being the
basis OF his personal memoirs. I am
Aure that had IT not been for tho
political speech General Grant made.
at Warren he would not have dared
to attempt writing for the magazines
and therefore. would not have writtens
his personal memoirs"
Copyright. 1911. by f. J. Edwarcs. Az
Rights Reserved.l