The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-01-30
Truly Wonderful
and Convincing

UTleIeSC WdIlfleT pOSSIDie Tie SpbcCu
of Mrs. w. w. MaEtin in the circuit
court room last Friday evening, on the
tissues of the Day" Mrs. Martin, of
Cape Girardeau, is woman of rare
attainments, both as a writer and
speaker. She is constantly writing
for the Ladies' Home Journal, and
has also made an enviable reputation
as speaker during the past few years,
having done considerable work for
different women's organizations. Some
of her best work, however, was done
in the Liberty Loan campaign during
the war period. At least she appears
to take greater pride in the work she
rendered then than in any other per-
iod. In that campaign she was recog-
nized by those in charge Of that great
work as one of their abiest anu most
successful speakers of the many thou
sands so employed.
Mrs. Martin came Friday to address
the women's clubs that afternoon in
the Young Mems Club rooms. This
she did in about a two-hour speech,
in manner that was truly electrify-
ing. 1t was merely as an after
thought that she was secured by the
Women's Democratic Club for a poll
tical speech that evening, her identity
with the Democratic organization of
the State being known. Mrs. s. j.
Tetley, chairman of the women's Dem
ocratic committee for st. Francois
county, presided at the night meeting
in capable manner. She stated that
as that occasion marked the entrance
of women into Democratic affairs in
st. Francois county, she thought it
only right and fitting that the meet
ing should be opened with prayer, and
called on Presiding Elder o. H. Dug
gins to lead in divine supplications.
Then, in we'll chosen words, she intro
duced the speaker of the evening.
In beginning, Mrs. Martin stated
that while she has had considerable
platform experience, that this would
be her second attempt at political
speaking; that during the war period
much of her time had been given TO pa
triotic work; she felt that speaking
for Democratic principles was prac-
tically along the same line, and there
fore had faith that she would be able
to tell her hearers some things they
should know. And truly was her faith
justified in works, for never before
was an audience more thoroughly ab-
sorbed in what they heard than were
her hearers, according to expressions
afterwards of practically all of those
who were so fortunate as to be pres
ent.
Mrs. Martin clearly indicated not
only thorough knowledge of the his
tory of this country since government
began, but also of the history of the
world. But the clearness and direct
ness of her presentments of gleanings
from such knowledge was where her
power of presentation, at least in
large measure, lay. The clearness of
her statements, the lucidness of her
expressions, were truly wonderful. To
follow her closely, and aynone could
have done that, as she used no high
flung expressions so common with
speakers of the old school, there could
be absolutely no reason for anyone to
go wrong in their political conclusions.
Her methods of reasoning were entirely
different to practically all other poll
tical speakers who have been heard
here. Her statements were all crisp
and to the point. There was no "beat-
ing around the bush," a practise so
common with political speakers.
The speaker apparently had no de-
sire to skip or to conceal anything.
Yet the presentment furnished, as
many of those present attested, zone
of the most forceful and unanswerable
arguments in favor Of Democratic
control Of government ever listened
to-" 1t was so different, and yet so
bristling with incontrovertibe argu-
ment as to make all Democrats present
stronger in the faith than they were
before, if such thing was possible. If
any Republicans were present they
must have gone home debating in their
own mind whether or not they may
not be in error regarding their past
political alignment. She told in her
own convincing way, and furnished
many statistical facts to uphold such
statements, how and why the Demo-
cratic party is "the white mans par
ty"-all American. She demonstrat-
ed, on the other hand, how the Repub-
lican party is largely composed of ne
groes, ignorant foreigners and capital
ists--the two illiterate races to do the
bidding of the other element in that
party--the moneyed and capitalistic
classes. She freely admitted that
there were also many good Aemrican
citizens in the Republican party
too many for the country's good
though in that they were just as igno-
rant as to how they were being used as
are the masses of the rank and file of
that party.
The Times is sorry not to be able 10
present the speech in full, as it was
really a vote-making speech, calcu-
lated to make any honest and intelli-
gent Republican seriously consider
whether or not the high financiers
were not using him as a cats paw to
rake their chestnuts out of the fire. 1t
would be a truly wise course to pur-
sue if the Democratic State Central
Committee could secure Mrs. Mar
tins services, and few more such
women speakers as is shelf any more
such there are and keep them right
in the midst Of the approaching cam
paign, to tell the voters the enlight-
ened truth as to what is to their own