ROBERT M. LA FOLLETTE COLLEGE ORATOR
Follette, Belle Case La
Robert M. La Follette COLLEGE ORATOR By Belle Case La Follette \" OUR DAY at the University ot Wisconsin students met on Friday . afternoon for rhetoricals. We listened to a program of orations...
...Bob was escorted to a carriage by Regent E. W. Keyes, Professor Frankenburger, John Anderson of '79, president of ceremonies...
...George B. Smith, Colonel William F. Vilas, both eminent lawyers and gifted orators whom Bob greatly admired, were eloquent in their congratulations and expressions of appreciation of the value to the State and University of the winning of the contest...
...He made ready with all the intensity of the artist, moved also by a very practical ambition...
...When the train arrived in Beloit the next day there was a large body of students from the college and many citizens from the town to welcome him...
...He consulted Judge Braley, who waS a Shakespearian student, whose library he had used...
...Assembly Chamber Contest THE Home Contest was held in the Assembly Chamber, old State Capitol, April 25th...
...Plans for the home celebration were for a while up in the air...
...The Democrat also spoke of his holding his audience because of his grace and because "it was evident that he believed what he said...
...A telegram was sent to Beloit, directing La Follette to arrive at a certain hour the next day...
...he said that be was modest but that he "had lots of thunder and lightning in him...
...Emerson Hough, writinj...
...There was a great jam— no standing room left...
...The Interstate Contest was held at Iowa City, Iowa, May 7th...
...Bob had come to the University poorly prepared...
...I knew that Bob's handling of the situation was good cause for congratulation...
...He saw in the Interstate Oratorical Contest a chance to achieve in a field where he knew he excelled, which at the same time he greatly enjoyed...
...Bob responded briefly and feelingly...
...society, presented Bob with a handsome copy of Shakespeare...
...After reading it, he sent for Bob to come and see him, told him he found the analysis illuminating and helpful, and requested Bob to make for him a like study of Hamlet...
...Word was received that La Follette would not arrive Friday...
...Nevertheless he placed high value on scholarship...
...The rumor got about that Bob was ill and perhaps might not be able to take part in the contest...
...His oration, as I remember perfectly, was a study of that strange Shakespearean character Iago, that impersonation of crafty, slinking, covert evil...
...For many years I saved these school days productions together with letters which would be of value for reference now...
...Then, too, he was inclined to follow his.bent...
...The reply came: "He will be there by that time...
...Puis of Milwaukee...
...H. L. Richardson spoke for the Juniors...
...I was sorry not to cross the State line, for at that time I had never been out of Wisconsin...
...It is true that as soon as La Follette appeared upon the platform, he received an ovation, the audience was so pleased that he was there to represent the state...
...What rejoioing...
...All Knew He Won IDO not remember ever having heard of this phase of the Iowa City Contest until it came to me 'recently through an interview with Dr...
...He took the manuscript from his pocket and read reflectively, ¦without emphasis, as though reading to himself...
...There was a long line of march, many carriages, hundreds walked from the station to the University campus...
...in l!K)o of "I.a Follette of Wisconsin," says: "I first saw Robert M. La Follette twenty-five years ago at the State University of Iowa on the occasion of an Interstate Oratorical Contest...
...There could be no doubt about the result...
...We were permitted to ride in the cab, two at a time, between stations...
...It was not competitive, nevertheless we thought it quite an event...
...It was late when we arrived at the depot, but there was a crowd of welcoming students with a band...
...AVhen the train arrived Saturday, the crowd was there, so was the brass band and the committee and all the accompanying demonstration of enthusiasm and joy that the occa.ion called for...
...Walter Field for the Alumni...
...I remember when he first r«ad "Iago" to me...
...Congratulated on His "Cheek" OUR dignified young instructor, John M. 0!in, had to laugh with the rest of us at the episode, but when he made his customary criticism at the close of the exercises, he sarcastically congratulated La Follette on his "cheek...
...Puis says that when Bob finished his oration everyone knew he had won the contest...
...Then his fine brow, keen eyes, mobile face and that something we call magnetism, arrested the attention...
...He also sought Olin's criticism...
...We were much excited...
...In looking over the local papers of that time, I notice the Madison Democrat said: "He placed the drama as an art above painting and sculpture in power and influence...
...David Frankenburger...
...Bob gladly agreed...
...Nevertheless a large gathering was at the four o'clock train that day, much disappointed...
...The prompter, as often happens, had lost the place and took no end of time to find it...
...Received Suggestions From Others AFTER he had satisfied himself that the oration was as good as he could make it, he conferred with every person he believed might help him with suggestions and criticism...
...It was a real adventure...
...He stayed over night in Beloit...
...When Bob told me afterwards that he was deeply humiliated by the incident, and by Olin's reference to his "cheek," I could hardly take him seriously...
...He was modest about it, but he rejoiced in the achievement and got his share of pleasure out of the ceremonies and recognition that went with such a college victory...
...Finally the judges announced their verdict...
...Reception in Madison BOB had succeeded ,in reaching the goal he had set himself to win...
...He remembers—47 years afterwards—of how wonderfully Bob reached his climax, starting with a low voice and gradually working up to dramatic heights that ht Id the audience spellbound...
...Harry Martin, our class-mate, on behalf of the orauor-iea...
...Personally, I was not obliged to remember La Follette of Wisconsin or his oration, but the singular fact remains that out of all those speakers who appeared before us that night, La Follette of Wisconsin, as we called him then, remains alone and absolutely distinct...
...This was thought to be ambiguous, and Bob was suspected of planning a slip into town unobserved...
...The State Contest was held at Beloit May 2d, A few girls, mostly class-mates as I remember, were among the crowd of students who went to Beloit...
...We were following with intense interest the speaker's portrayal of the comedy and tragedy of a tramp's vagabond life, when suddenly in the midst of an impassionate sentence and fitting gesture, the orator "forgot...
...He had the audience...
...He rehearsed again and again with Prof...
...I>a Follette had won the contest in his own state, and was now to meet the chosen speakers of the surrounding states...
...then apparently unconscious of any break, unmindful that his audience was convulsed with laughter, he went on and finished in splendid form...
...He studied to make them interpretive, just as he tried to have always the right word...
...It was decided to watch the trains...
...Twenty years later, after much reading and thought that afforded delightful recreation in the midst of a life of strain, he finally completed to bis satisfaction his lecture on Hamlet...
...He gave himself entirely to one purpose...
...He consulted his fellow students...
...The winner ot the State Contest was carried from the station to the small house where he lived on Gilman Street and there the climax of the day of triumph awaited him—the happiness and pride mi" his spirited little mother...
...Professor Frankenburger, for whom Bob had a deep affection, spoke of the untiring work that La Follette had done...
...He would even take the time and spend the money to go to Milwaukee or Chicago to hear a good play although it might cost him a "condition...
...One was found at the Players' Club in New York among Edwin Booth's papers in his room now kept as a memorial of the great actor...
...In 1878 Bob represented Athenae, I represented Laurea...
...It was so different from my own way of meeting a like circumstance—but never mind about that...
...When Lawrence Barrett was playing a one-night stand in Madison soon after our graduation, he wandered into Moseley's book store, where he chanced to pick up a copy of the oration...
...The U. W. boys took him on their shoulders from the church, cheering, hurrahing, singing, keeping up the noise all the way back to Madison...
...Bod arrived the day before in, company with his friend, Arthur Puis, Wisconsin delegate to the Interstate Association, it had been arranged that Bob should stay with the President of the Iowa University and Puis with one of the professors, but Bob managed to have Puis go to the President's while he slipped away and kept to himself until it was time for him to appear on the platform the next night...
...His natural grace, the moving quality of his voice, fine enunciation, dramatic gesture bespoke the orator...
...Before he took part in the home contest he had worked out the delivery as definitely as the thought and composition—the three standards by which the orations were judged...
...It was on one of these days that I recall my earliest impression of Bob La Follette as he appeared on the platform...
...The day was lovely...
...He had earned his way...
...Oration ttnpHE STAGE" as the subject of Bob's A Junior Ex...
...who had been made head of the Department of Rhetoric when Mr...
...Now he must win for the University as well as for himself...
...Short and slight, there was nothing striking in his appearance as he walked up the aisle with long strides until he stood upon the rostrum and faced the audience...
...They took him from the train to the campus for a jubilation, and held a reception for him in the evening...
...The Tramp" was his theme...
...He regretted his low standings...
...The program\vas made up of representatives from the literary societies...
...Colonel Keyes of the Board of Regents (famous political boss) presided...
...With characteristic determination he concentrated on winning the contest...
...sentinels were placed at all points where trains stopped to prevent his escape...
...Olin had resigned to go into the practice of law...
...Finally a telegram was received: "Beloit, May 9, 10-10 P. M. Mr...
...Emil Baensch for the Sophomores and Freshmen...
...This brought him into Madison a day later than at first expected...
...Bob had so many requests for copies of "Iago" that he had some printed in pamphlet form...
...Puis paid little attention to the story...
...and, by historical illustration, he showed the drama to be a medium of arousing people to an appreciation of the state of political affairs causing them to find a remedy...
...Junior Ex...
...My own deduction is that Bob wanted to be by himself to rehearse and to make sure that every detail was right in so far as he could make it so...
...some of them were accidentally destroyed in moving, others by fire...
...He knew that Bob sometimes had mdigestion, but suspended he was planning a good stage entrance...
...This does not mean that his gestures were mechanical...
...The Junior Ex.—short for exhibition—was held once a year in the Assembly Chamber at the Capitol...
...Will reach Madison tomorrow (Saturday) at 4 P. M. La Follette...
...I admired the cool self-mastery with which- he turned the loss of a word into a joke, recovered his ground, and closed his oration triumphant...
...There had been many distractions...
...We walked out a ways on University Drive and sat down on a knoll under a big tree...
...I remember my impression of its seriousness, polish, and excellence...
...A great throng of people gathered on the Hill in front of Main Hall to listen to the exercises...
...I had no knowledge by which to judge his conception of the character of Iago, but I knew how he had read and studied and thought, and how carefully every word had been chosen, every phrase considered...
...Praised by Barrett IN THE evening...
...The character of Iago seemed more sinister, the effect of the oration more somber than at the Assembly Chamber at Madison...
...La Follette, without the slightest change of countenance, held his arm upraised, body upstretched from toe to fingertip until he got the cue...
...C. F. Lamb...
...University students and townspeople began filling the Assembly Chamber very early...
...Captured Beloit Audience THE church where the contest was held was long and narrow and not very well lighted...
...He would not miss a good lecture or a trial in court for the sake of his lessons next day...
...The engineer and conductor must have (shared our enthusiasm...
...Bob was deeply gratified at being awarded first place...
...It was in May, 1879, that Bob won the Interstate Oratorical Contest...
...There was always a good audience of students and townspeople...
...When the program was finished there was a call for "Iago," and Bob delivered his oration with superb effect...
...We listened to a program of orations prepared by fellow students with care befitting these important occasions...
Vol. 19 • October 1927 • No. 10
