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WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1908.
TOPICS OF THE DAY
— : — ^ ?
THE DECAY OF ELOQUENCE
The remarks made in the— Federal
Parliament in reference' to the ? dcaih
?of Charles Kingston are interesting :n
more ways than one. They vary clearly
reveal that the stately eloquence 'of
?other days is passing away. Mr.
Deakin's speech seems to have been a
string of; commonplaces, and ;.' Mr.
Fisher's was even more destitute of
style and. dignity. Mr. Reid alone ap
pears to have the power of rising to
the solemnity of the occasion. 'Stand-
ing1 in the shadow,' he finely said, 'all
political antagonism disappeared for
ever.' That touched the higher
note. ?' Mr. Reid, 'despite his ten
dency to play the clown, 4s perhaps
the, most eloquent man in the Aus
ttalian Commonwealth. He alone car
ries on. the tradition of the lofty style.
He may lack the physical qualitiesof
a great orator, but he possesses the in
tellectual requisites in a high degree.
'He is one of the woi-st speakers in
Australia, and yet he makes the great
est speeches.
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