Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-01


repr f s.''A 40 '"'' '''' "'N "''S' "
Ghost-writing may be said to be speech,
address, or article written by one person
but delivered or signed by another.
When we say "the ghost talks today" we
do not mean that some wrath, without
body, is squeaking and gibbering. but we
do mean that some person Is delivering
speech or is by-lning" an article written
by some person other than the one by whom
authorship is implicitly asserted. In many.
if not most, ghost speeches. and ghost
articles" the ghosts style of expression be-
trays his anonymity.
When we say "the ghost walks today" we
refer to declaration that has come down
to us by tradition from the times in London
when Shakespeare, who often played the
part of the ghost in his tragedy Hamlet,
was also paymaster to the players Thus
the saying whereby early English actors
linked salaries with ghosts came to mean
"pay day. and this same saying is today
frequently heard in the House OF Thespis
and in the House OF Printing and means
pay day.
1t Has An Ancient Past
Recently an article appeared in current
magazine which went on to say that ghost
writing had its origin about the beginning
A'~SN 49,
that ghost writing has been practiced for
many centuries.
It was among the Greeks that public
speaking as an art had it's development. In
it's flower, it produced the models OF elo-
quence for all succeeding orators.
In the days of remote antiquity the theory
prevailed that every citizen should be his
own advocate in settling his disputes. The
theory seemed to be sound, but, like many
theories, it was difficult Of practical appllca-
ton inasmuch as many citizens who were
drawn into litigation had justice on their
side but lacked the knowledge, ability. or the
voice to defend their causes.
For this reason one Corax. in the Greek
city of Syracuse in the fifth century B. c..
set up school to instruct or coach private
citizens how to urge their rights and claims
before magistrates and juries and thus assist
those persons lacking in forensic Skill
It is interesting to observe that the prin-
ciples of oratory enunciated by this pioneer
instructor Corax have prevailed in one form
or another in all forensic oratory; that is
to say, beginning, narrative, argument, SUBJ
sidiary remarks, and peroration.
Through all the subsequent and troubled
centuries, embracing the rise and decline
of the Greek culture, the Athenian cities,
the Roman and Byzantine empires down to
this day, the principles of oratory as taught
by Corax have guided many, II not most.
of the worlds greatest orators.
After Corax there hourished in Athens
speech writer, one Lysias who adapted his
compositions to the character and station in
life of the man or client who was to deliver
them, and he wrote the speeches according
to the Technology required by the particular
nature of each case.
Then came Isocrates, who, unified by
weakness of voice to speak in public, devoted
his talent for eloquence to instructing pupils
who came to his school at Athens. He did not
to any great extent write speeches for others;
his school trained his pupils to write their
own speeches. Isocrates earned enormous
sums Of money; some authorities declare
that his earnings were to the money value
of about $50 900 a year from tuition paid to
him by students.
It was from this group, or from this school,
rather, sprang Demosthenes, born 384 BE-,
died 1872 BE-, in whom was combined all that
was excellent in the grand art OF public
discourse.
A Master Ghost Writer.
Demosthenes' father, who was well-to-do,
in fact opulent was manufacturer OF cut
lery and furniture and died when Demos
themes was 6 years old, leaving to his son
what then was an enormous estate.
It would seem that young Demosthenes
received shabby treatment from his guardi-
ans. for when he attained his majority, which
was at the age of 16 years, he found that
the greater part of his inheritance had been
wasted or stolen by his guardians and he
brought suit against them and obtained
verdict, but it is not known whether the
money was ever paid to him. At least he
secured more reputation than money out of
his lawsuit.
He had, however. been carefully educated
for the profession of rhetorician or as we
would say. advocate. and in not few in
stances this literary training in preparing
speeches for others was worth more to him
than the inheritance he should have received.
Demosthenes managed, Notwithstanding a
weak voice, delicate constitution, and a
defective articulation, to build up renown
as the most famous orator of antiquity.
The important duty of the Athenian advo-
cate was to prepare pleas for his client who
would commit the plea to memory and de-
liver it to the jury.
The usual membership of an Athenian
jury was 500 citizens. and some juries were
composed Of $500 citizens. A skillful rheto-
rician or advocate would prepare a plea so
that it might be supposed to come from the
client himself. There are extant about 80
pleas Of this sort written by Demosthenes,
and from them we may learn some of the
lights and shadows of life in the Athens of
that day.
Among the Greeks eloquence was an end
in itself, but among the Romans eloquence
took more practical turn. Gaius Gracious,
whose eloquence was much praised by the
ancients was charged by his opponent as
having employed ghost writer to compose
his speeches
Examples of Ghost Writing.
It seems to be definitely established that
the speeches delivered by the Roman
Emperor Nero were written by his Prime
Minister, Seneca.
Dr. Samuel johnson contributed nine lines
to Oliver Goldsmiths poem, The Traveller.
and contributed four lines to Goldsmith's
poem, The Deserted Village.
Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg, an au-
thentic historian, is of the opinion that Alex
ander Hamilton wrote all but four lines OF
General Washington's Farewell Address.
Daniel Webster prepared an inaugural ad-