Show Oratory and Wit CIA curious thing about political oratory ora-tory and wit is the side light I got upon one aspect of it years ago in Buffalo Thus Mr Cleveland is quoted by a listener lis-tener One morning a quaint looking old chap came into my office and said I that he had read in tho newspapers that I was to speak at a mass meeting the following night and wanted to know if it were true When I told him that it was so he revealed to me a new method of gaining oratorical distinction distinc-tion Ho volunteered to interrupt my speech at stated intervals with a remark that should be agreed upon between us To this interjection I was to retort wittily wit-tily and thus as the old fellow pointed out I would acquire a reputation as a witty speaker My first impression was that he was amusing himself at my expense but he repeated to me several things I coulri reply to wittily and wanted me to pny him roundly for helping me to a reputation reputa-tion But I told him I was indifferent to that kind of fame and he went away disappointed Not very long after that I was seated on a stage listening to a speaker when who should arise in the audience but my quaint visitor and bawl out one of the very things he wanted me to pay him for interrupting me with The orator answered him with the same retort that I was offered the privilege of making and the audience exploded into laughter and I heartily joined in but my amusement had not the same foundation I fancy as that of the rest of the laughers And during the rest of the evening the old fellow made an occasional interruption from different parts of the house and the retorts re-torts were of the same manufactured sort I am a trifle skeptical now on tho subject of witty retorts Cincinnati Commercial |