Peculiarities of Public Men

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 17, 26 April 1906, Page 30

Peculiarities of Public Men

Sir. Henry Campbell-Bannerman (says an English periodical)! indulges very sparingly in gestures when speaking, but he has one little distinguishing triek — that of fafnaii'ttg himself with any available efip of paper, as if to cool his rising ardor ;' while he punctuates his oratory by occasional thumps on the table, to drive a point home, or by a clutch at the lapels of his coat. Mr. John Burns has learnt his oratory in the open-air schopl* which demands a loud voice, j plenty of fire and vehemence, and accentuated action. He throws back his broad shoulders, colls out his long sentences ajid rhetorical phrases in a Hyde Park voice, and as he nnishecl each slip of his notes he crushes it in h.s right hand and thrusts it into a side pocket of his pea-jacket. Mr. John Morlcy is a speaker of quite a different stamp Irom the member lor Battersea. He is normally quiet and unemotional ; stands by the chairman's table with his leit hand playing nervously with his wa/istcoat buttons, while he points the index linger ol his right hamd at the audience. Mr. Asqjuith has a fine clear voice, an excellent delivery, and an attracts e presence. His speeches are derightlul to listen,' to in their smooth, easy, sonorous how. Ire is very sparing ol gestures, ,boit the nervous movements ol Ins hands Letray his state of tension. Sir. Henry Kowler is a speaker of the old school of Gladstone and liri^mht, with plenty of nlre and action, while Sir. Edward Grey is placid> almost to the verge of mditierence , and Mr. Sydney Buxten's oratory is apt y described as 'rapid, but bloodIfess* with plenty ot thought and matter, b,ut devoid ot any light or shade or much animation.' Mr. James Bryce is a man ol prodigicus learning and ability, but by no means a stimulating speaker. His speeches are really lectures, brimful of instruction, b)tit denvered with a solemnity and immobiLty which make them not a little tedious. Mr. Halciane 'is another Minister ot immense cleverness and Wisdom who 13 not an alluring speaker. He eschews oratory and gesture, and with arms fcliled across ins huge chest reels out his speeches in a voice which seems ridiculously small for his big body. Mr, A. j. ttaltour as one ot many legislators whose speeches read ' better than they sound ' ; he is not naturally lluent, ana otten has apparent diihculty in hLding the exact word ne wants, while his voice and manner are not in his la\or. Mr. J. Ohamberlam, on the contrary, is always alert and lull ot energy and movement on the plattorm. Brain and body aliive are electrically charged and lull ot vigor ana life, lie n&s a wonderfully clear, penetrating voice, and a remarkable gift of lucid exposition and how ol language. li;ach telling phrase ot his speech is accompanied by an appro*pnate action ; iwhen developing an argument he leans forward wat'h raised finder and emphasises his conclusions by 'bringing his clenched fist tharply down on the palm ol his left hand. He has, too, a trick of toying wiljli 'his eyeglass, placing it in his eje, dropping it again, and then replacing it. Mr. Wyndham is eminently a graceful speaker — gracerulj in his easy, lluent diction, in attitude, and varied gcstuie ; Mr. iSrodnck has been descriUed as the ' automaton,' irom the mechanical Wow of his speech and quality ot his gestures, which are Limited to a jerk ol the arm and a thump ol the table ; Mr. Chaplm, when he is not busily engaged in searching for and adjusting his elusive eyeglass, pounds the table with alarming \ igor and Irequency ; and Sir li.dward Clarke stimulates h s oratory by stroking, or rather tugging, at his Dundreary whiskers.