The Old Order Changeth

Since chautauqua tent elecutionists rendered “The Bells,” there’s been a complete change in speaking style. During that culture-under-canvas era, the pitch of a voice fluctuated with every bell-from the loud peal in a belfry to the faint tinkle as Bossie meandered over the meadow. For the most part the delivery measured the worth of those speeches.

A “seasoned” speaker opened in temperance-meeting cadence, warmed up to a pipe organ’s crescendo, and ended on the pitch of a soul-saver at a mountain meeting . . . pulling the tremolo stops only after the sound of his shouting carried half a mile when the wind was right. He timed his pauses with a veteran’s precision, radiating good will and beaming his blessings on his listeners while he droned on to a studied climax.

He was so involved in selling himself that he usually obscured his subject. He merely mouthed words that a mountain boy described as being the same as an ice cream soda; nothing but sweet wind. Also gone the way of the old-fashioned exhibitionist is the equally unappealing speaker who rants, raves, or weaves back and forth in sock-darning fashion over one worn-out thought. He’s in a league with the collar wilter who talks so fast he says things he hasn’t even thought of yet, or those oratorical flights that keep a speaker circling the field or constantly buzzing the landing strip.

The fellow who constantly circles can’t find the terminal site. Although he gives a good flight, his ability is doubtful. The buzzing boy overworks his anti-climax when he comes in for a landing, by suddenly “giving it the gun” and then he’s off again into the wild blue yonder.

Tags: public speaking

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