Evening journal., 1913-12-15
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Senator Carpenters Idea Of
Public Speaking
BY Holland.


In the closing days Of the session
Of Congress which expired on March
4, 1881. I heard Senator Matt Carpen-
ter, Of Wisconsin, speak ON the floor
of the Senate Not again did the
senator speak in that body. He was
then pallid with the organic disease
which. a few weeks later, terminated
his life. That he was weak physical
ly was made apparent to the sena-
tors. for he leaned occasionally
against his desk as though to sup
port himself.
But his voice was unimpaired. It
was voice which possessed a sim
gularly sweet, flute-like quality
Every tone had a sort of velvety or
smooth character. not unlike the
quality which distinguishes the great
singers He spoke without effort, at
least as far as the use Of his voice
was concerned. He used what IS
called the conversational tone But
he so employed it that every word
was distinctly heard in the galleries
He was speaking upon a resolution or
bill which related to the consular
courts which the government had es-
tablishedd in some Of the far Eastern
countries. Ordinarily the subject
would have been or no interest to
any one but lawyer. But Senator
Carpenter infused into his remarks
such animated description, without
the slightest apparent touch Of
studied rhetoric and gave TO the dry
subject such interest, that in addi-
tion to his personal charm and the
beauty Of his voice every one in the
Senate chamber senators aud visit
ors, sat ontranced
was reminded while the Senator
was speaking Of a conversation which
] had with him about three years
earlier. Il was one very hot summer
afternoon. The dog days were max
ing New York city something like
sweat box, for, in addition to the
intensity Of the heat, the air was
charged with humidity
was walking through Madison
Square when | saw Senator Carpenter,
whom I knew slightly come from the
hotel across Broadway and. after
carefully selecting a seat near the
fountain, slip into it in such a Ian
guild manner as TO indicate that he
was almost overcome by the weather.
He wore no waistcoat and his coat
was OF light black alpaca His linen
showed the effects of the heat He
threw his hat upon a bench by his
side. When he saw me he made a
motion for me to sit beside him.
Il came over TO New York" said
the Senator. TO prepare for an argu-
ment which I expect to make in the
Supreme Court in October, hut I
shall have to give it up if this
weather continues"
I asked the Senator if he ever
wrote out the speeches which he made
in the Senate.
mo. sir" he replied. ITO do that is
to ruin speech"
He unused a moment and then went
on TO say: 81 think that the Ameri-
can people are altogether too fond Of
hearing men talk. I mean by talk
the delivery Of camDaign speeches or
set and forma addresses. However,
I discern signs which lead me to be-
lieve that this great volume of sound
made by public speakers is to be
greatly diminished
There will always be. 7 presume. in
a country like ours a large number
of people who will follow a popular
orator around and stand with mouths
wide open to hear him. But intelli-
gent people are beginning to see
through the tricks of rhetoric and to
understand when a speaker is actins 2
the part The time is near at hand
when the most effective speeches viii
be made by men who are thoroughly
masters of their subjects. who have
collected and assimilated many facts
and statistics. and who then present
their subjects in a quiet, orderly, un-
rhetorical, undramatic way. seeking
only to convince the hearer of the
soundness of the argument and not
to persuade him that he is listenine 9
to great 6rator-a true Orator Puff
And when I heard Senator Car
penter speak upon the consulate
courts I realized that he was follow.
ing the formula which he gave to me
for effective speaking.