New Century Speaker and Writer: Being a Standard Work on Composition and Oratory

by Henry Davenport Northrop

• Benefits of Industry.
• Evils of Idleness.
• Summer Sports in the Country.
• Winter Amusements in Cities.
• Shop Windows at Christmas Time.
• Habits of Economy.
• Advantages of Travel.
• Temptations of Riches.
• Dangers of Trades Unions.
• Benefits of Application.
• Advantages of Muscular Exercise.
• Physical and Moral Perils of Muscular Exercise.
• Effects of Machinery upon Manual Labor.
• Pleasures of Literature.
• Sources of National Wealth.
• Benefits of Self-Control.
• Modern Methods of Benevolence.
• Responsibilities of Scholars.
• Causes of Commercial Decline.
• Advantages of a National Bankrupt Law.
• Peculiarities of the New England Poets.
• The Character of Wilkins Micawber.
• Claims of the Indians to Government Protection.
• Evils of Immigration.
• Characteristics of the English Novel.
• Incentives to Literary Exertion.
• Reforms Suggested in “Oliver Twist.”
• American Tendencies to Extravagance.
• Uses of Gold.
• Uses of Public Libraries.
• Infirmities of Genius.
• Excellencies of the Puritan Character.
• Miseries of Authorship.
• Blessings of Liberty.
• Pleasures in Contemplating Nature.
• Dangers that Threaten our Republic.
• Advantages of Method.
• Distinctions in Society.
• Rewards of Literary Labor.
• Struggles for Civil Freedom.
• Advantages of Competition.
• Uses of Adversity.
• Advantages of Self-Reliance.
• Evils of Prejudice.
• The Colonial Period of Our History.
• Uses of Art.
• Self-Made Men.
• Dickens’ Caricatures of English Schools.
• Irving’s Portraitures of the Dutch Settlers.
• Injuries of Stimulants.
• Evils of Centralization.
• Advantages of Modern Inventions.
• Uses of Coal.
• Sources of Corruption in Civil Offices.
• Elements of Success in Life.
• Dangers of the French Republic.
• Changes of Fashion.
• Social Dangers from Anarchists.
• Longfellow’s “Hiawatha.”
• Longfellow’s “Evangeline.”
• Oliver Wendell Holmes’s Humor.
• Character of Eugene Field’s Poetry.
• Characteristics of American Humor.
• Hardships of the New England Settlers.
• Persecution of the Jews.
• Causes of Nihilism in Russia.
• English Ideas of America.
• Methods of Reform in the Civil Service.
• Benefits of Mechanical Exhibitions.
• Strikes and Arbitrations.
• Time: its Use and Abuse.
• Employers and Men: their Rights and Relations.
• The Study of Modern Languages.
• The Study of Ancient Languages.
• Industry and Energy.
• The Duty of Cleanliness.
• Punctuality.
• Courage.
• Fortitude.
• Cruelty to Animals.
• The Law of Supply and Demand.
• “Right before Might.”
• The Telescope and Microscope.
• Manhood Suffrage.
• “The New Woman.”
• Uses and Abuses of Money.
• The Cultivation of Music.
• Amusements for Young People.
• The Great Discoverers of Queen Elizabeth’s Reign.
• Pleasures of the Imagination.
• Natural History as a Study.
• Your Favorite Female Character.
• The Cultivation of Memory.
• Mental Discipline from the Study of Mathematics.
• Knowledge the Best Kind of Wealth.
• The Position and Prospects of the United States.
• The Influence of Scenery on Character.
• Sketch of the Plot of Any One of Shakespeare’s Plays.
• How to Best Help the Poor.
• Influence of Works of Fiction.
• Description of Any One of Sir Walter Scott’s Poems and Novels.
• Changes Caused by the Invention of the Typewriter.
• The Saloon in Modern Politics.
• The Evils of Great Trusts.
• Utility of Shorthand.
• Great Poets of England.
• Dante’s Inferno.
• The Alhambra.
• The Catacombs of Rome.
• The Style of John Bunyan.
• The Consolations of Age.
• The Dangers Arising from Great Trusts.
• The Coast Guard Service.
• The Wrongs of Ireland.
• Plot of any one of Bret Harte’s Novels.
• The Lives of the Poor in Large Cities.
• On Making Music a Profession.
• The Novel Entitled “Lorna Doone.”
• The Duty of Cheerfulness.
• Cervantes, the Soldier and the Writer.
• Our American Humorists.
• Martin Luther’s Moral Courage.
• Truth the Standard of Excellence.
• The Evils of Prejudice.
• The Power of Ridicule.
• The Power of Early Impressions.
• The Exiles of Siberia.
• Politics as a Profession.

SUBJECTS FOR ARGUMENT.

• Should a Polygamist be Admitted to Congress?
• Should Eight Hours Constitute a Day’s Labor?
• Should Political Spoils Belong to the Victors?
• Is a National Debt a Benefit?
• Is Poverty an Incentive to Crime?
• Should the United States Maintain a Large Standing Army?
• Should Office Holders be Assessed for Party Expenses?
• Is Drunkenness any Excuse for Murder?
• Would Harmony in Human Beliefs be Desirable?
• Should There be a Uniform Divorce Law in All Our States?
• Can a Country be Free Without Free Trade?
• Should Church Property be Exempt from Taxation?
• Should Capital Punishment be Abolished?
• Do Luxuries Become Necessities?
• Should a Man Vote Who Cannot Read?
• Was Thackeray a Cynic?
• Should Public School Money be Given to Religious Sects?
• Should Writers Adopt Phonetic Spelling?
• Is a Man of Business Benefited by a Classical Education?
• Is Literature Indicative of National Progress?
• Is Electricity Destined to Become the Greatest Motive Power?
• Should the Inventor Monopolize His Invention?
• Should Cremation Supersede Burial?
• Was the Execution of André Unjust?
• Is Crime in Our Country on the Increase?
• Does the Press in Our Country have too much Freedom?

SUBJECTS FOR COMPARISON.

• Falsehood and Truth.
• Practice and Habit.
• Wit and Humor.
• Extravagance and Thrift.
• Confusion and Order.
• The Democrats and Whigs.
• Natural and Acquired Ability.
• The Comparative Value of Iron and Gold.
• Foreign and Domestic Commerce.
• The Cavalier and the Puritan.
• Waterloo and Sedan.
• The Stage Coach and the Locomotive.
• The Uses and Abuses of Fashion.
• Capital and Labor.
• Genius and Talent.
• Romance and Reality.
• “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword.”
• Notoriety and Reputation.
• Resolution and Action.
• Working and Dreaming.
• Leo X and Martin Luther.
• The Statesmanship of Hamilton and Jefferson.
• War and Arbitration.
• Helen and Andromache.
• “When the Law Ends, Tyranny Begins.”
• “Deep Versed in Books, and Shallow in Himself.”
• The Victories of Peace and of War.
• Hypocrisy and Sincerity.
• Solitude and Society.
• Affection and Naturalness.
• Brusque People and Fawning People.

MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS FOR COMPOSITIONS.

• Looking on the Bright Side.
• The Character of Busybodies.
• Benevolence and Greed.
• Character of the Pilgrims.
• Painting and Sculpture.
• The Head and the Heart.
• Party Spirit and Good Government.
• The Responsibility of Our Country to Mankind.
• The Obligation of Treaties.
• Great Men the Glory of their Country.
• Ancient and Modern Eloquence.
• Conscience and the Will.
• The Heroism of the Indian.
• Religion and Pleasure.
• Spiritual Freedom.
• The Present Age.
• The Humorousness of Love Matches.
• The Influence of Woman.
• The Mission of Reformers.
• The True Aristocracy.
• The Expansion of the Republic.
• The Bible and the Iliad.
• The Huguenots in Carolina.
• Puritan Intolerance.
• The Compensations of Calamity.
• Stateliness and Courtesy.
• Truth and Tenderness.
• Loungers in Corner Groceries.
• A Defense of Enthusiasm.
• The Ancient Mound Builders.
• The Power of Words.
• The Advantages of Playing Golf.
• College Athletics.
• The Physique of Americans.
• The Influence of Climate on Physical Characteristics.
• “Home is Where the Heart is.”
• Coral Treasures of the Sea.
• Sublimity of the Ocean.
• The Beauty of Sea Waves.
• The Power of Maternal Love.
• The Beauty of Heroic Deeds.
• The Ravages of War.
• Children and Flowers.
• Earning Capital.
• The Sacredness of Work.
• “The Boy is the Father of the Man.”
• The Last Hours of Socrates.
• The Discoveries of Astronomy.
• Luck and Labor.
• The Achievements of Earnestness.
• The Ideal Citizen.

Synonyms and Antonyms.