The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-31
Az, Impression Of William Jennings Bryan

Look at the seed. You cannot explain it.
Then why try to explain man? Take an
egg. II is miracle. Set it under hen
and in three weeks it will bring forth
what man could not find in it. You can
eat the egg, but you cannot explain it,
Take water. fire or anything in nature.
The world is fun of miracles Then why
refuse to think that the Lord worked in
any other but miraculous way In ere
ating that greatest miracle man2 No. the
natural state of mankind is love and love
means service. 7 believe that our des-
tiny among nations is to render service.
We have already done much We have
given the world better ideals and educa-
ton in social life, in government and In
religion. We are trying to inculcate the
doctrine of peace, and we hope that Pres
ident Wilson's peace plan viii tend toward
the doing away of war and the promotion
of international friendship and love-
] despair of giving you the Impression
that Mr.. Bryan's conversation makes
upon one with whom he talks face to
face. His countenance is like a benedic-
ton and his voice is so mellow and sweet.
The sentences come forth so beautifully
rounded that they make you think OF
a copper plate engraving. At one point
In the conversation | involuntariy said:
You certainly can say things beauti-
fully"
II do not like that word beautiful re-
piled MIR. Bryan. II would rather have
you say that l speak forcibly and clearly
! think clearness of statement is the most
important thing in oratory, and it is that
at which / have always aimed and tried
to attain. I remember of making speech
upon the tariff now more than 20 years
a Df qat
and said: MIR. Bryan l have been anx-
ious to hear you. You are not as eloquent
as | had expected, but YOU made that sub
iect as clear as it could be made" At
the same meeting anothr man said: why
man could understand that speech If he
could not read or write" | consider those
two remarks greater compliment than
any I could have had as to elegance of
diction'
when did you first realize that clear
ness was the chief element of successful
oratory?"
81 do not know. I suppose it naturally
came through my study OF my audiences
in my long career as a speaker. have
been speaking more or less all my life. !
do not believe that the orator is born
rather than self-made. Birth is but the
smallest part of his equipment. Good
speaking comes from study hard work
and practice You have got to know
Nldl Spu are Asilhiiib dbohl anu Nou must
mean what you say. If you do not know
a thing you cannot tell it, and if you do
not believe it and feel ii in your heart
you cannot make anybody else feel or be-
lieve 1t. You must state things clearly In
order TO have men understand you, and
next to clearness of statement you need
conciseness of statements; that is, of
saying much in a few words"
/ here asked whether originality was
not a prime essential in speaking, saying
that man must have new ideas in order
to impress the public.
well, as to that" replied Mr. Bryan.
there are not many ideas that we of
the present tipe can claim as absolutely
own own. Mankind has done a lot of
thinking since the creation, and if you
will trace your concepts back to the be-
ginning you will find the germs of most
of them somewhere or other. The num-
Der of really new ideas is not large. al
though the number of applications of an
idea is infinite. A large part of the ora
tory of the present is the application of
the wisdom of the past to the conditions
of the present
As we talked about oratory I referred
to the many speeches Mr.. Bryan had
made showing him a statement that he
had made 500 speeches in 1906, had adj
dressed 600 people in 1897 and had alto
gether spoken to more than 100000, face
10 face, within the past 16 years AS he
looked at the paper said: Il suppose
you have addressed more people than any
man who has ever lived2'
Yes, / think that is likely true" was
the reply. II Is certain that if | have
spoken to more persons than any man
now living | have spoken to more than
any man dead. because the further back
you go the fewer the crowds and the
more difficult the travel. In no previous
time could man have Travelled so much
as | have
'I have been told that you have made
$4,000 year by your leetures?
THAT is not true ! have received a
great deal, but not so much as that.