Evening journal., 1913-04-02
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
General GarfieId'S Advice
to WOuld-Be Orators
By Holland.

Il have often wondered whether
General Garfield would have follow
ed the rule which he once told me
he had laid down for himself by
means of which he would be able. as
he thought, to maintain the reputa-
ton which he had gained as an ora
tor"
This was a statement made to me
by Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew
shortly after his first term as United
States Senator from New York began.
| had asked the Senator whether he
thought the floor of the Senate was
rs good a place for oratory in the
best meaning of that term as it was
thirty or forty years ago, and, in fact,
from the beginning of the government
until within a few years
Il had long talk with General
Garfield, short time after his nomi-
nation for the Presidency in $780,
said Senator Depew. 1T was a de-
lightful hour or two which | spent
with him. We talked very little about
contemporary politics. Our CONVERSE.
ton drifted into the field of oratory
and the discussion of some of the
great orators of the past.
Il have long regarded General Gar
field as one of the great American ora
tors. He had many of the qualifica-
tons which are essential if man Is
TO succeed in the field of oratory In
the first place, he was a man Of inn
posing physical stature large as he
was he was well proportional.
I'm addition Garfield had an almost
perfect voice 1t was not of tenor
or futelike quality but it was rich.
and, / presume. if he were a singer
he would have been recognized as
presenting a great bass voice. I think
his voice carried further than the
usual limit for ineligible outdoor
speaking that is to say. he could be
distinctly heard and without strain
ing his voice by a crowd numbering
a good deal more than FIVE or six
thousand which is commonly regard
ed as the limit beyond which an out
door speaker cannot make his voice
heard. He had too, that unexplain-
able quality which is sometimes desie-
mated by the word personality. and
that is a quality which is vital if
reputation as great orator is to be
gained
"For this reason I was very glad to
have General Garfield explain TO me
a rule which he had laid down. He
said that high reputation as an ora
tor is almost always gained before o
man is As years of age, usually at q
much younger age. The orator estab-
fishes his reputation almost before he
is so Webster's great speech in re-
ply to Senator Hayne in the United
States Senate was made when the
former was just about 90 years OF
age Edward Everett's reputation
was al its climax before he was so
After that people who heard him be
gan to say that he was losing his
great gift as an orator.
Clarified said to me that he had de-
cided that whatever reputation he had
gained as an orator had been earned
while he was a member Of the House
of Representatives and before he was
As years of age. lie had therefore de-
cided that he would no longer at
tempt to make formal addresses. In
public life he would be compelled to
speak and it would be necessary for
him to go upon the platform. but he
purposed combining himself to plain,
unadorned statements
He said that II he were. advising a
young man who had undoubted quail
ifcations that would enable him TO
become an orator of high reputation
he would say to him: Study your art;
study the great masters. not for the
purpose of imitation. but rather for
the purpose of eliminating your weak
nesses and developing to their capac-
ity your own best qualities. Speak
not often. and never without careful
preparation. Make up your mind
that whatever success you achieve
will be gained before you are 40
years of age, and fix upon that age as
the time when your reputation VIII
have been made. for after that you
are likely to impair IT,
81 have always thought said Sene-
tor Depew. that General Gar6eld
would have performed a great service
had he found some way by which he
could teach this lesson TO the young
men Of the United States. so many OF
whom are ambitious to become ora
tors.
"Garfield's view was that the great
est orators are born, not made. but
that patience, perseverance and pro-
found study of the art would quarry
many young men to take rank with
all but the few who have gained the
highest honors as American orators
Copyright, 1913. by E. J. Edwards.
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell OF
Grover Cleveland's High Estimate OF
William l.. Wilson"