The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-07
FARGO COLLEGE STUDENTS
WERE GIVEN GOOD ADVICE
Fathaiy Talk From W.. Bryan This M~orning-Tdd Some
Of the Necessary Qualifications Of a Good Orator
Must Be Orator Of the Heart

In the midst of college enthusiasm,
and political ~exuberance and excite
ment, William Jennings Bryan adj
dressed the students of Fargo coli
lege this morning. in that style, and
ease peculiar to himself alone, speak
ing extemporaneously on Public
Speaking and the Small College.
After a very fiattering introduction
by President Creegan, Mr.. Bryan
brought down the audience my as
serting "If I a only stayed at home
in my presidential campaign and Sc
cured President Creegan to go around
the country and sound my praises as
he has this morning, / might have been
elected. As it as, l spoiled it all
by going myself and displaying the
real instead of the ideal.
Il am glad to say that I graduated
from a small college. 1t has a just
claim to existence. In this age of
consolidation and concentration, many
people imagine that the great univer-
sity is the only place to go, but !
think the small college has its adj
vantages.
~ - VI W1uCI SNOSdlAOll
in that the majority of students at
tend the college in their immediate
neighborhood, who would not travel
far to attend the larger ones.
TN the large college the student
learns ~aristocracy too soon. There is
a tendency to group students in classes
in regard to wealth. People learn
~aristocracy soon enough after they
graduate. There is more of a demo-
cratic spirit in the small college.
1.-THE personal contact with teachers
OF high ideals, is an argument in
favor of small schools. The object Of
schools is not to send out scholars,
but people well rounded for good
citizenship. I feel much attached to
the small college and hope they may
grow in strength, for they include
many denominational schools, and we
must have morals along with intelli-
gence.
when 1 entered your chapel, I was
at once convinced from the ferocious
volume Of your barbaric yell that you
have future orators in your midst.
Lung power is a great asset to a pub
lie speaker, although there Ire other
very important ones. In West Superior
several years ago I was followed by
a certain speaker, by the name of
Thomlinson. In the newspaper write
ups the next day, I saw this article:
'Cf the two speakers. Bryan and Thorn
linson, the latter vas the more favor
able speaker. Bryan could be heard
two blocks. while Thomlinson could
be understood at q distance Of four
blocks
However, persuasion is the goal Of
every orator. A man should empha-
size his subject, not himself, for there
is only one of himself, while there are
a variety of subjects, and the audi
ence will soon tire of the self empha-
sizing man. The people said Of Cicero,
HOW well he speaks'-but after
Demosthenes they cried with enthu-
siasm, Let us go against Philip,
showing the force of his talk.
1.-TWO essentials of o~ratory are to
know what you are talking about, and
believe in what you say. You must
have before you give, you must be
knowledge, and if you are not sincere
how can you expect to impress your
hearer? l define ~eloquence as speech
from heart to heart. AS a mar think
eth, SO is he 1t is clearly very futile
to speak to a mans head, II his heart
is against you.
IT would advise the young orator to
adopt a habit of clearness of state
ment. All truth is self evident-the
best service you can render truth Is