Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-24
THE STUMP SPEAKER PASSES
Daily Letter by Frederic J. Haskin

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 21-
Life is being made harder and more
complex for the poor politician at
any rate as far as speech making is
concerned. The trusty oration that
rocked nine counties in 1885 and
any number of years following is
almost useless baggage to the vet
eran candidate now. In fact, the
country has reached a stage where
a politician must write compare
lively new speeches every time he
takes the stump to re-elect himself
or somebody else.
This is no doubt an annoying de-
velopment to some old-timers. For
years. our political campaigns were
staged with one stock Grafton. To
be sure the grafton wore DISCUSSES.
1t had various titles and subjects.
But if you took it apart and gaZed
into its mechanism it was the same
time-tried speech, made up of the
same string of metaphors and ref
that could not fail to draw
tears and applause from any 100 per
cent patriotic audience.
Thus. early in the opening para
graphs occurred the reference to the
eagle screaming defiance at the das-
tardly enemies of national integrity
and a little later came the dra-
matte announcement that the
American flag waves proudly over
this sunny land ;let us not darken
its shores by the shadow of infamy."
And SO the speech went on with its
rolling sentences, sure-tire senti-
ment, and old, old anecdotes.
There are politicians who say that
the country has changed less than
some people think. and that the old
style grafton is still a great vote
getter. especially in rural districts.
Others, however, hold that the
stump speaker who hasn't sersed a
change in the times and the public
is in for a shock.
There are several reasons why
spread eagle oratory has G al
most defunct. One is that the pub
lie takes more interest in platforms.
Once, the American voter vcled for
a party and all the stump speaker
had to do was to arouse partisan
feeling. Waving the bloody shirt
was his job.
Facts Never Troubled Old-Timers
In those times the politician who
would allow himself to be pinned
down to facts on a troublesome Is
sue would have been regarded as a
total failure. The expert was the
man who, when asked pCintedly
what he thought of a question.
would smile genially and wink at his
audience to show that they had a
joke together.
Now. really" he would drawl
good-naturedly, the members Of
our great and glorious party are so
well aware of our attitude toward
this question dramatic pause) and
the adherents of that other m.sguid-
ed and unenlightened party would
scarcely be able to grasp the finer
points of the issue (pause), that
am reminded of a story IN this con-
nection which reflects in true light
the attitude of our party at all crit
ical stages when the honor of the
nation rests In its hands" Then
followed the story of the Irishman
and the other cow.
But now the rivalry between polit-
ical parties no longer seems a suf-
1ciently great issue to hold party
members true to their clan. More
and more in each campaign the
voters demand proof of a %ccnstruc-
tive PLATFORM anu iHSiSt vi hho"-
ing the exact position of the party
on public affairs.
This tendency has affected o~ratory
sadly. 1t is next to impossible to
drag in high-fiown illusions to the
flag. a mighty cause, and u sa-
cred trust when one is speaking &c
farmers on the price Of corn an6
hogs. Nor do these illusions seem
to fit in with other timely topics
such as the ship subsidy. the tariff
or labor problems.
Prohibition might seem a suitable
field for emotional appeals but ever
when such a theme Is being ex'
pounded audiences grow FESTIVE un'
der a food of sentiment. Facts ano
figures are expected now in political
speeches. Even speakers WHO have
always been masters of the art OF
evading definite statements are find
ling that language in all of its sonor'
GUS beauty fails to awe the modern
audience.
A stump speaker used 20 be as
much of an entertainment feature
as the circus. People would sit e
tranced as long as a speakee would
wave his arms and go through his
list OF tricks. But ever cince the