speech which no one
can possibly applaud." Of course what she meant was that she would
like to see him devote himself to getting the truth before the people
without resorting to any of the tricks of oratory.

No matter how much a wizard of words Nature may have made him; no
matter that he has the dark art of making the worse appear the better
reason; no matter that his golden voice is like music, and his very
appearance pleasantly thrills you with the strange and subtle
magnetism of the man: if he have not sincerity, all these are nothing.

And he cannot affect sincerity and fool the people very long. He may
fool them in one speech or in one campaign if he be a political
speaker, but ultimately the people will sense his moral quality and he
will be discredited.

This very thing happened to a celebrated American speaker who may be
said to have been endowed with genius. There was no resisting the man
while he was speaking. But he never was honestly in earnest. He never
really cared for his cause. There was never a moment when he could not
have spoken as effectively for the other side.

Finally this got through the consciousness of the people, and his
power over their convictions speedily dissolved.

Many years ago a business friend of mine heard this man speak on a
notable occasion. His address was on a subject in which the people
were deeply interested, and was a masterpiece of mingled argument and
pathos; and his audience belonged to him. It had no mind but his, no
will but his.

Afterward my friend said to me: "That man will not last; he is not
honest. At one climax so pure, so exalted, so tender, that I found
tears in my own eyes, I saw him wink at some intimate friends who were
sitting in a stage-box at his right. I was between them. They were
watching him as they would have watched a friend who was an actor. He,
on his part, was showing them what he could do. That wink said: 'See
how I did that. Now observe me closely! I will throw still another
ball of emotion into the air and juggle with it, too.'"

And sure enough, he did not last. His tropical mind lasted, his
chameleon imagination lasted, his compelling personality, his grace,
charm, witchery of words--all these lasted; but all these were nothing
without that honesty which would make him die rather than speak for a
cause in which he did not believe, or be silent when a cause in which
he believed was at issue and in peril.

The people went to hear him