make you not an orator but an
automaton.

The temperamental differences in successful speakers have been very
great. One eminent speaker used practically no gesture; another was in
almost constant action. One was quiet, modest, and conversational in his
speaking style; another was impulsive and resistless as a mountain
torrent.

It is safe to say that almost any man, however unpretentious his
language, will command a hearing in Congress, Parliament, or elsewhere,
if he gives accurate information upon a subject of importance and in a
manner of unquestioned sincerity.

You will observe in the historical accounts of great orators, that
without a single exception they studied, read, practised, conversed, and
meditated, not occasionally, but with daily regularity. Many of them
were endowed with natural gifts, but they supplemented these with
indefatigable work.

Well-known Speakers and Their Methods

_Chalmers_

There is a rugged type of speaker who transcends and seemingly defies
all rules of oratory. Such a man was the great Scottish preacher
Chalmers, who was without polished elocution, grace, or manner, but who
through his intellectual power and moral earnestness thrilled all who
heard him.

He read his sermons entirely from manuscripts, but it is evident from
the effects of his preaching that he was not a slave to the written word
as many such speakers have been. While he read, he retained much of his
freedom of gesture and physical expression, doubtless due to familiarity
with his subject and thorough preparation of his message.

_John Bright_

You can profitably study the speeches of John Bright. They are
noteworthy for their simplicity of diction and uniform quality of
directness. His method was to make a plain statement of facts, enunciate
certain fundamental principles, then follow with his argument and
application.

His choice of words and style of delivery were most carefully studied,
and his sonorous voice was under such complete control that he could
speak at great length without the slightest fatigue. Many of his
illustrations were drawn from the Bible, which he is said to have known
better than any other book.

_Lord Brougham_

Lord Brougham wrote nine times the concluding parts of his speech for
the defense of Queen Caroline. He once told a young man that if he
wanted to speak well he must first learn to talk well. He recognized
that good talking was the basis of effective public spe