The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-07-07
Went ALL UNSUNC
Tragedies in the Wake Of Unde-
Iivered Speeches. :.
Men Have Bowed to Fate, but Will
Women, Pedestal Of "Rights,"
Survive Disappointment

OF all the tragedies of masculine ex-
perience ever since the Stone age none
has been more poignant than that of
the undelivered speech. And now one
wonders whether the women, the dear
souls, will prove more or less sensi-
tive to the blighting sorrow Of prepar-
ing graceful speech for some impOr-
tant occasion and then being cheated
by fate Of the opportunity Of deliv-
ering 1t.
And when it's clever speech, truly
brilliant speech, with carefully pre-
pared climax seasoned with flashes Of
wit and drOll anecdotes that would
make 'em roar-what a tragedy is
there, Horatio!
How different the history Of the
village, of the county, of the world
might be IL all the speeches that were
ever prepared had been actually de-
liyered according to SCHEDULED But
some pesky accident happens. The
hour grows late. Earlier speakers hog
more than their share of the time.
Careless people In the audience get
sleepy and go home. The chairman
has to catch train. Somebody has
to move vote Of thanks and you
Alas! poor you, after hours Of an
gushing suspense, you with that mag
nificent speech in your pocket, you
who have SO fulsomely clapped for the
other tiresome speakers the
most promising orator in the place,
are left biting your nails with all
your music in you" It's maddening.
That blighted sorrow fell upon a
nice woman in Washington the other
day, remarks the New York Sun. She
was the head of distinguished fe-
male delegation that called at former
President Woodrow Wilson's house to
present their respects to him in a for
NAL way. She had prepared speech,
perhaps most able and moving one.
But the delegation was accorded no
more than a fieeting and dramatic
glimpse of the invalided statesman.
It's an old story for the hardened
male sex, but a new one for the wom-
en-a silver-tongued orator "left with
the mouth open," as the Spanish say.
And 1t sets the Imagination wander
ing into the highways and byways Of
history in search Of the speeches that
might have been delivered If things
had gone little differently.
For instance, 1t is probable that
among the papers of the former kaiser
il q manuscript Of the speech that he
was goillg to deliver at that Christ
mas dinner In Paris.
And then there's the speech. that
General Semenoff was Just about to
deliver when he arrived In New York
and mistook Sheriff Maggie and bunch
OF deputies for the mayor and alder
men. He thought they had come to
the station to present him with the
freedom OF the city, and he was just
opening his mouth to make properly
rhetorical response when somebody
explained to him In Russian that the
paper the sheriff was showing him was
q warrant for his arrest.
Frederick MacMonnies may have
prepared speech to deliver to any
delegation of women who should dare
to beard him on the subject Of the
manners of the stalwart young man
who symbolizes Civic Virtue In the
sculptOr's statue of that name. But
as feminine agitation over the statue
is simmering down the sculptor's
speech to his amateur critics may be
fated to pass into the limbo OF
speeches that never got themselves
spoken.