The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-05


iatc senator Daniel was fncilc princcpa
as platform orator. he win ever stand
) rs peerless His speeches were all do
a,,, ".ler mo most careful and
laihstakinS pr, ar,tlon He never
trusted to tho in. pirat!Cn of tho mo-
mont. Ana Just here | am reminded
mat once heard the late James 4;
\ Dlaine say that the most impressive
impromptu speechc; no ever heard were
thoso which had been the rcsnlt ~ ,ix
months preparation. Like Daniel Ia
= evidently prepared before no spoke.
2 remember once at Appomattox Court
2 mousse nearing ono Of those three hour
. spcecneS OIL John Daniel. when he sim
: ply electrified his audience ana ,f,ar
mat meeting We came together Ia
4 farfnVille. where no was booked 70
speak again at night. ON reachinc tho
Gepot n large crowd met linn with =
oand or music and gave him cordial
\ 6reeeinS. lie was conducted across the
street 10 the hotel portico. when there
we're spontaneous calls for n spe.ch. lie
iaced MS audience. hcsitated FOR q mo-
$ mcnt ana then spoke heSitattuglv ANA
! with evident distrust we then ,,nr,
8 70 MS room. and he said to me: ,Ivhy
oid you not tell mo that this was on
the program" l was surprised that
: "no so used 70 public speaking should
haVo wanted for words In ackn0,ylrat-
I ing the courtesy. hut he said. II c9n
never speak without having nrst
: thought over what l would say" That
7 evening In the courthouse before ;.
! large audience, he repeated tho srcocl
: OF tho morning, word for word ana
2 with marvellous effect. have bo.o
I wondering ever since why IL was That
!! man so fluent and SO forceful could
not make five minutes extcmpore talk
4 without previous preparation. But thar
= was John Daniel as he confessed him
y SELF to be
Tho result Of this was that no was
9 never conspicuous In debate Those OF
s US who recall the Daniel Cameron
debates Will bear testimony to this
4 fact Supreme as orator. and there
was glory enough for ono lifc Of
4 All memorial addresses delivered upon
Z tho floors of Congress. those of Sena.
& tors Root and Lodge upon Senator
I Daniel are far better than any ii was
1 ever my privilege to read. The subject
was inspiring, and the coworkcrs who
! had dealt with him men or great
! genius.
The strongest political speech | cyer
! heard was delivered by the late Colonel
/ John IL. Baldwin. OF Staunton ia Tho
: Ireeley campaign. 1t was hard to con-
: vince tho Nirginians. native and to the
manner horn. that 1t was their duty
! to vote for Horace Greeley for the
Z highest Office In the gift of the Amert-
: can people. but At the conclusion Of
! that speech felt that Nirginians had
{ nothing else to do. ~ man OF superb
! person. dignfied of men graceful in
y bearing. choice In his English and n
! .logician without n peer
IL was often my privilege to hear
! Ran Tucker. known of all men who
\ knew him as n great constitutional
lawyer. and who added wit to wis
\ dom, fun to force, lightness To logic
a so that while he convinced no also
3 charmed. II may be permitted TO say.
. so, however. and do 1t with great
respect to his memory. for / not only
2 honored him. but loved him, I venture
to say that his fondness for fun some
= what weakened his force. I recall an
D amusing incident that happened ut
blackstone II was on a day when Mr.
Tucker and other DISTINGUISHED Vir
b ginians had addressed the sovereiEns
ana after the speaking went TO dine
with citizen or tho place When
B the diners had been seated the host
asked the one next to him r. me-
honhce the blessing, ard. not being ac-
customed even to uttering so short n
prayer. he turned to Mr.. Tucker md
D said. Ran. you do 1T j can't" Ran.
z always ready. OF course, responded, and
2 with due reverence.
Tho late John C;oode tustlv cauad
The Grand Old Man" never failed To
Z please those who heard him and such
. was ms urbanity of manner and good
Z ness or heart that he never left n sting
behind. The man who did not resnect
y John Goodc did not respect himself.
me late Governor OFcrrall Il man
or martial appearance and soldierly
9 bearing. was the cavalier OF the plat
> form. His presence was Impressive.
ana he moved his audiences as 4 forest
q that has been swept by II storm.
! Governor Mckinney. one OF the most
amiaoie and lovable of men. welded
1 battle AK ut the bar and on the plat
FORM As gentle as n woman In the
social world. when engaged IN politi-
Z cal controversy he became a tornado
Men WINGED beneath his blows. and yet
when the speaking WAS over those who
had been most roughly handled by him
were first to greet and congratulate
hlin lie was one OF the few men /
eve knew who lost no friend hy any
thing said iii courtroom or spoken from
the stump.
cyclone" Jim Marshall (peaco 10 his
memoryD WAS 4 warrior to he dreaded.
lie. too, welded Il battle AK and flashed
| scimitar OF wit that played havoc
with opponents Big OF body, large OF
( soul. Intensely loyal Il Virginia lie
! defended her with courage and CON
: rietion forccful and formidable.
Tie lato W. w. Berry. OF Bedford
City. played a part In politics abso-
I lutely unique. He was called upon for
much service, and always was reserved
TO close meetings With what no was
accustomed to cali ''urouscmcnt" ana
! those who remember him on such occ.
sions bear testimony TO tbs fact that
: IL WAS ''arouseneIt" indeed. lie began
Z with laugh; the laugh continued until
: tho close. when sides were sore from
2 laughing. His store OF anecdotc was
! inexhaustible, and ne used the product
. with consummatc skill After Daniel
! and Goode ana Mckinney and others
had spoken, Berry kindlcd new enthusi-
asm and dismissed the audience with
/ the benedictiou OF good humor. TO
make men laugh is no small gift, and.
J wisely used. is Il great power
/ Virginia history records Big
Four" in the Legislature, and there
\ was also n Big Four on tho stump
4 Massey. Riddlebcrser. raul and Blair
and 1t must be confessed that il was
4 Il rare combination OF speaking power.
And they differed widely, the one from
the other. Paul was solid and argu-
! mentative, RiddleberGcr was darini;
: and dashing. Blair given 10 pyrotcch-
MICS. while "Parson" Massey Was sim
ply PEARSON" Massey. FOR there has
only been one Of them. lie had no