Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
ELOQUENCE MARKS
FRENCH ORATORS
Parliamentary Speeches Are
Dramatic and Impassioned,
but Wholly Unconvincing.
BY EDWIN G. PINKHAM.

PARIS, AuElst 10 (NA.N.A).-
French parliamentary eloquence is
everything you would expect highly
finished and deeply polished article OF
Il is dramatic, ir1passiored, iorceful,
rhetorical, fi1ockine and, Of course, like
parliamentary eloquence everywhere.
wholly unconvincing. Sut 1t Is en-
trancing to listen to.
Every French political orator is a
salesman. exactly like those who speak
well of the articles in their shops; they
put everything they have into the ex-
position You may not want to buy at
the end, but you have been entertained.
The Chamber Of Deputies Is the best
show in Paris. It probably lacks some
thing Of the gorgeousness Of the Folies
BerTere. but II is not at all behind 1t
in dramatic posturing, grand marches
Cof phrases and the art Of producing
those unexpected cliinaxes that bring
q roar from the gallery.
Like Orchestra Conductor.
In the tribune the French parliament
karv orators performance is a good
deal like that OF the conductor of an
orchestra. The Chamber Is a sort OF
well (truth being at the bottom OF IT;
Of course), with tiers Of red upholstered
seats rising abruptly around its walls.
The orator speaks and acts his piece
from a place below the desk Of the
president who urnpires the contest be-
tween orator and Chamber with
hand bell. The orator-or conductor.
Ii YOU please-tries out his instrument
with a few little fiourishes IN the way
OF overture and seems pleased with the
notes evoked on the left, or the right,
or the center. as it may be-they were
What he expected. This gives him COM
oiete self-confidence. He knows now
where to toss biting phrase ana get
the best result.
If any student of politics and govern
fnent should still imagine the purpose
Is change votes by force of reason ne
should examine into these proceedings.
The French Orators Big idea.
The purpose of the French orator Is
70 produce rage and despair in the
breasts of his opponents. II he can
make them tear their hair and choke
he is ready to call It good day. He
feels he has produced the atmosphere
OF understanding in which men OF open
and cooperating minds can act 10
gether for the conduct OF government
ard the happiness of the race.
NV orator. call him that because
of those I have heard be seemed 70
have the frmest grasp Of this correct
theory Of public sdministration-had
an exceedingly good day. say Depu.
the Chamber. They went out, Of course,
and Jumped into the river
NV orator hurled new insults after
them. He was telling them, ] suppose.
where to find the deepest places. II
nninorities can be disposed of in that
way they'll soon have government by
majority in this country-somethlns.
believe. they've never had yet.
NV orator, having thus saved France
for the present generation and feeling
some reserve strength still left IN him,
locked around TO see If there were any
chance to get Q stroke In for the next
generation-to anticipate some future
dangers that might descend on Ia patrle
when he wasn't there or not in voice.
He saw Deputy who had Just come
In and seated himself My orators face
lighted up with pleasure and he tossed
that Deputy = phrase: It landed rlgn t
vest buttons. The Deputy-or what had
been him (his constituency will now
have to hold another election. OF
course) dissolved in fragments and
disappeared. There was a slight rain
of buttons and wniskers from the CELL
ing afterward. but that was all.
I Thought there might be a recess
nov or some such Formally. or that at
least they would 60 and fetch another
Deputy. but nothing happened. The
president rang his bell. and I suppose
the knitting women up in the gallery
counted one. but there was no other In
terruption.
very directive Oratcry.
SUPPOSE 1t will have TO be admitted
this is the most effective political ora
tory known to parliamentarism any
where There isn't the pretense in it,
known TO the American and English
systems. that 1t Is argun1entative and
convincing and therefore constructive.
n takes the more candid view that
the purpose Of debate is not to placate
and get cooperation, But to blast and
ana obnoxious rrlinorities that seek to
make It dificult for constructive and
beneficent and otherwise lovely natures
to run the government In the way they
I'm for the French way. I wish
they'd adopt 1t In the. Senate at Wash
gent Republicans there. Our parlia-
raentary theory. Is that If they're rea-
soned with suficiently they'll support
the administration. I've never seen II
work out that way, ana I begin to
wonder II the theory is right.
suppose the notion Of the tribune
one person can ascend TO 1t at time
there will be only one person speaking
at time. II that was the idea it doesn't
work out. II only half works out-that
Is, there Is only one person speaking
at > time from the tribune.
But do not know that the theory
that debate Is better where only one
person speaks at time is sound one
really. rather like the French prac-
tice. where everybody speaks at once.
That form Of competition is expression
ism, and the presidents hand bell
ringing and lot Of ushers going about
saying "Sh--sh-sssh' make debate
quite lively and interesting
II is true that It Is dif1cult TO know
what French debate Is about. but
think that Is true Of almost any debate
everywhere: certainly the debaters
themselves rarely know.
Probably IL isn't important anyway.
All that Is important Is that there
should be talk. as all modern govern
raeft Il government by talk. What the
talk is about Is d secondary considera-
ton In the parliamentary theory It
merely insists that nobody shall be
nnuzeled-which Is, perhaps. its great
weakness See what IT'S done to the
Senate at Washington.