The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-27
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Secret of Col. Bryan's Oratorical
Success
written expressly for The Washington Heah)
BY DIR. Z. j. EDWARDS.

Success.
written expressly for The Washington Heah.)
By DIR. e. J. EDWARDS.
Once 1 was chatting with Chauncey
n Depew, our conversation being in
spired by the fact that William J.
Bryan had made an address in New
York City the night before. which
was listened to by thousands and
which was apparently forgotten as
soon as it was ended. 1 asked Sem
ator Depew to what he attributed
BTyan's power as a public speaker.
Chiefly to two qualities which he
possesses in a very high degree" Sem
atOr Bepew answered. One is his
extraordinary voice. I think it com
pares well with any voice I've ever
heard. even with the wonderful voice
of Gladstone. ! don't know whether
Bryan ever submitted to careful
training. or whether his is an I'M
trained voice. But it is a wonderful
speaking organ. He knows how to
Use it with the highest effect. l some
times think that it would be a good
plan for our college professors and
instructors in rhetoric to say to pupils
who are anxious to become orators
that the first thing to do is to do
precisely what the singer does-culti-
waite the voice. The most effective
the voice is not forced until there is
danger of using a falsetto. The sing
er, II he is worth anything. can so
sing the softest passages that they
can be heard at the remote end of a
great hall. and 1t should be as easy
for a public speaker TO do that with
out shouting at the top of his voice
In the next place, Bryan has an
excellent physique. and that is more
than half the battle for an orator.
There have been some little men who
have secured great triumphs in ora
tory, but they had to work much
harder than is the case with the man
who possesses the physique of Bryan.
Furthermore. Bryan does possess the
art either Of being sincere or Stimulating
sincerity. but let anyone read Bryan's
speeches in cold type, apart from the per-
sonal magnetism of the man and the
charm of his voice, and a very different
effect is produced from any Bryan can
command when speaking face to face
With great audience"
I asked Senator Depew If Roscoe Conk-
Hng's mastery of the art Of public speak
ing was not due to some extent to his
beautiful voice and his perfect command
Of 1t and also to his gift of greatly i'm
pressing his hearers in part because of
his striking personality.
'I suppose replied Senator Depew,
that there never was closer student OF
all that appertains to oratory than Ros-
coe Conkling. ! have been told th9t he
made a study of words and was per-
suaded that II perfect enunciation were
secured II is because the speaker takes
care of the consonants in a word. For II
he does that the vowels take care of
themselves. Conkling also carefully
trained his voice. which naturally was
roble-speaking organ. He became
consummate rhetorical actor. so much so
that he was able to persuade his hearers
that he was speaking extemporaneously:
yet he never made a speech of any length
unless he had carefully prepared II. per-
fectly polished II. and then committed IL
70 memory. And some Of his feats OF
memorizing-a for instance. his New
York Academy OF Music speech In the
second Grant campaign-were as remark
able tests Of memory as any I have ever
heard"
Copyright, 1915, By Z. J. EdwardS An rirhts ~
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