Evening journal., 1914-05-08
New News Of Yesterday
A Senator's Opinion Of
His Fellows OratoricaI
Powers
BY Holland.

About a week before the retirement
from the United States Senate of
William w. Eaton, Of Connecticut.
in the spring of 1881, / passed an
hour or two with him in reminiscent |
and kindly chat relating to his ex-
perience with Senators OF distinction |
who were his colleagues in the single !
term during which he served.
The conversation drifted to The
subject of public speaking. and l said
TO Senator Eaton tnat I knew he
greatly admired Senator Roscoe
Conkling's brilliant gifts as an or
ator. The Senator said that he had
once had a conversation of consider
able length with Conkling, at a time
when the latter was in a mood TO chat
about some Of his experiences in the
Senate,
think, from something the Sen
ator said, that he was disposed TO
regard with high favor Senator Matt
Carpenter, of Wisconsin, as an or
ator.
Senator Eaton said TO me that il
was a little singular that several men
who gained great reputation, and de-
served Il, as orators were educated
at the West Point Military Academy.
There is," he said, mo classical edu
cation, as We understand the term, at
West Point; yet some OF the great
students OF oratory have insisted that
no man is so perfectly trained as TO
make success as an orator possible
| II he have the other qualifications
unless he has learned the classics
and keeps up daily association with
them"
He spoke of Senator Carpenters
beautiful voice and of the peculiar
melodious quality which was I'm II
that never degenerated into sing sons
or monotony He told me that Sem
ator Carpenter was well equipped
physically for triumph as an orator
and that he always listened to the
Senator's speeches with admiration
because his diction was mastery.
He told me that he regarded Sen
ator Thurman as more telling
speaker, from some points of view
than he would have been had h'
possessed oratOrical charm. There
was always the note of sincerity II
Thurman's speeches. He was neve
obscure. His words reelected hi
clearness Of thinking. l don't thinl
Senator Eaton cared much about an,
of the orators upon the Republican
side OF the House. / mean by tina
men who had gained regulations 70
brilliant oratorical gifts.
asked him II he read the classics
and he told me that he rarely turne
to them excepting that he now an
then read some Of the great Englis
dramatists and writer's. He ha
never consciously formulated styli
He had tried to obtain mastery owe
his voice so that he could, by res
son Of infection, convey his meaning
He told me that he had discovere
that if a speaker took care Of hi
consonants, the vowels would TAX
care of themselves.
He summed it all up by sayin
that If he had gained any success ;
a speaker it was chiefly due to OF
principle. from which he never d
waited. Not at any time had
spoken in violation Of his since
convictions Not one of his speech
/ reflected anything but sincerity
) purpose, and he declared very ear
q estly that he had long ago come to q
conclusion that the first qualificati'
for the oratory which is to convin
e is that II must represent and vol
absolute sincerity of thought
Copyright, 1914, by r. J. Edward
All rights reserved.)
n
L Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will &
"The Secret OF a Strange Senators
y ! COmpanionehiD" "