Last night a speaker said: "The curse of this country is not a lack of education. It's politics." He emphasized _curse, lack, education,politics_. The other words were hurried over and thus given no comparative importance at all. The word _politics_ was flamed out with great feeling as he slapped his hands together indignantly. His emphasis was both correct and powerful. He concentrated all our attention on the words that meant something, instead of holding it up on such words as_of this_, _a_, _of_, _It's_.
What would you think of a guide who agreed to show New York to a stranger and then took up his time by visiting Chinese laundries and boot-blacking "parlors" on the side streets? There is only one excuse for a speaker's asking the attention of his audience : He must have either truth or entertainment for them. If he wearies their attention with trifles they will have neither vivacity nor desire left when here aches words of Wall-Street and skyscraper importance. You do not dwell on these small words in your everyday conversation, because you are not a conversational bore. Apply the correct method of everyday speech to the platform. As we have noted elsewhere, public speaking is very much like conversation enlarged.
