ong railroad jumps from Assembly to Assembly, guarantee of
continuous engagement to attractive speakers, better publicity, and the
concentration of responsibility. It is found that the most successful
Chautauquas are held, not in cities, nor even in large towns, but in
the smaller places. The town of a thousand, or even one as small as five
hundred inhabitants, during its annual Chautauqua week will rally from
the farms and hamlets two thousand people to hear a popular lecture,
five or seven thousand during the week. In each place an advance agent
appears, interviews the business men, the ministers, and the heads of
any clubs or improvement societies, and obtains pledges of support by
the sale of a definite number of tickets. College boys make up the tent
crews; a Scout Master organizes the Boy Scouts; and trained experts
arrange for the advertising. The "morning-hour men" give lectures in
courses of uplifting nature on civic and national questions; the popular
features of the program are supplied by entertainers, musical troupes,
bands, artists, and dramatic companies. It is a fact of deeper
significance than many recognize that political leaders find here the
greatest forum for their messages. Many of these orators receive more
than fees for their speeches; they come near the heart of the people,
they reach their constituencies and disseminate their views more widely
than through any other agency. Some political reformers have won not
only prominence, but power through these chain Chautauquas.

It may be remembered that while the Hon. William Jennings Bryan was
Secretary of State he received some criticism and even ridicule for
"hitting the Chautauqua trail" and "going off with the yodelers." On
that subject the _Baltimore Sun_ said in an editorial:

If it could be demonstrated, we would be willing
to wager that the average Chautauqua student has a
far better knowledge of public questions than the
average of those who sneer. And whether he likes
it or not, no public official of to-day can afford
to disregard the Chautauqua movement.

Mr. Bryan himself gave this testimony in the _Review of Reviews_:

The Chautauqua affords one of the best
opportunities now presented a public speaker for
the discussion of questions of interest to the
people. The audience is a select one, always
composed of the thoughtful ele