Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-04-14

scheduled to speak IN BrOOkSVlIle
in the afternoon, but a rain, which
fell all the morning, prevented
those who were not so interested
liz the White Chief from ventur-
ing out, and it is evident there
were not enough Of his followers
to make large enough crowd for
him to speak. He addressed a
crowd at the court house Tuesday
evening that comfortably filled the
room, though a good portion OF
them were not his adherents.
Maj. Vardaman was introduced
by Hon. f. D. Cavett, and after a
few Introductory remarks, entered
into a discussion of national IS
sues from his point of view,
quoting poetry by the volume as
he progressed and scattered flow
ers with a lavish hand. He is an
easy, entertaining, but not an in
structive speaker, whose addresses
show more of the preparation
of the actor and the prac
ticed declaimer than originality Of
thought, profound wisdom or per-
sausive force and power of the or
atOr.
The reading of Brann's IconO-
clast, Bob IngersOll's lectures,
Tom Paine's works. the writings
of DIR. Ward, the venerable Wi
mona political partisan, Rev.
Frank Hallam and Ella Wheeler
WilcOx-a charming writer, by the
way, although, at times, bit
SalaciOus-has given to him con
glOmeratiOn of ideas with a salma-
gundi sort of vocabulary that i'm
press the unlettered with his learn
ing much rs did the old time
SchOOlmaSter of whom Goldsmith
wrote:
"In arguing too. the parson own'd his
skill,
For cen though vanquish'd he could
argue still;
While words of learned length and
laundering sound
Amaz'd the gazing rustic's rang d
around;
And still they gaz'd and still the won
der grew,
That one small head could carry all he
knew"
The address, which was received
with frequent applause, was Var
daman-like from start to finish.
1t abOunded in cXtraVagant asser-
tiOns, vigorous vituperatiOn and
vehement declaration, evidently
indulged in the hope and belief
his hoodwinked followers would
receive and accept them as the
earnest utteranceS of righteous in
dignatiOn at the wrongs heaped
upon him, as he alleges, by reason
of his championship of the cause
of the dOwntrOdden common peo-
pie.
But fervent assertion, unsup-
ported by truth and fact, is not
argument any more than vaporing
and splenetic denunciatiOn of ac-
cuSerS are evidences of the innO-
cence, and virtue, and valOr of the
accused.
They wanted logic and argu-
ment and not flow of fancy.
! They hungered for bread and he
gave them a stone.
They wanted logical presenta-
tiOn of Nardaman' claims based
ON a truthful statement of facts
and an honorable appeal to rea-
son. This they did not get.
Now and then there fell from
his lips words that were generous
.ly applaused, but they were not
greeted with the glad acclaim that
.beSpeak the inartitical, spontan-
eouS outburSt of honest, sincere,
joyous and hearty cOmmendation
Of pointed argument made in able,
storceful, and fair--defenSe of a
Just cause.
On the contrary, the apprOba-
jion manifested often more like
the half-hearted demonstration of
= partisan faction seeking to en-
courage the under man in a fight,
and to urge that gentleman not to
give up, but to shit him again.
i The effect, aside from being a
clever defamation, an academical
elOcutiOnary exhibition in recital
Of a few well-rOunded periods and
1ot over refined anecdotes, inter
.perSed here and there with a bit
# truth and Il batch of misrepre-
entatiOnS and miStatementS in
reference to his opponents, and
sictiOns and fatuous fabrications as
o himself, was not at all credita-
le to a candidate aspiring to rep
sGept an intelligent, patriotic