“What is Colonel Howell’s style of oratory?” said one newspaper man to another.
“Well,” said he, “you have heard Grady? you know how he speaks?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Grady makes you feel like you want to be an angel and with the angels stand, and Howell makes you feel as if he were the commander of an army, waving his sword and saying, ‘Follow me,’ and you would follow him to the death.”
Both of these speakers will raise enthusiasm at the start. As Grady ascends the platform the band will play “Dixie” and the audience will be almost in a frenzy of delight. As Colonel Howard comes forward the band will be likely to play the “Marsellaise Hymn,”—some air that stirs the sterner nature—and he will be received with thunders of applause.
With infinite jest and with subtle humor Mr. Grady will lead his audience by the still waters where pleasant pastures lie; and there he will “take the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea.”
Howell will march his audience, like an army, through flood and fire and fell; he will cross the sea, like a Norseman, to conquer Britain. In Grady’s flights you only hear the cherubim’s wing; in Howell’s march the drum-beat never ceases. Grady’s eloquence is like a cumulus cloud that rises invisible as mist till it unfolds its white banners in the sky; Howell’s is like a rushing mountain stream that tears every rock and crag from its path, gathering volume as it goes.
Mr. Howell will doubtless deal in statistics; Mr. Grady will have figures, but they will not smell of the census. They will take on the pleasing shape that induced one of his reporters to plant a crop of Irish potatoes on a speculation. To-night Atlanta will be treated to a hopeful view of prohibition by the most eloquent optimist in the country. The contrast will be drawn with all the ruggedness of a strong, blunt man.
The day after the election, when 1100 majority had been announced against prohibition, Captain Howell and Mr. Grady printed characteristic cards. Captain Howell, from the standpoint of victory, gave in a few words his reasons for his course, and closed by saying:
A word about my partners. I have differed from them on this question, and I know that they have been prompted by the same consciousness of duty which caused me to so differ. I love Henry Grady as a brother, and no one appreciates more highly than I his noble and unselfish devotion to our city; no one knows better than I his earnestness and faithful attachment to her welfare. Mr. Hemphill and Mr. Inman are as true and tried citizens as Atlanta has, and are among my warmest personal friends. Nothing that has occurred during this campaign could mar the relations existing between us. The only regret I have about the campaign is that I found it necessary to differ with them, but I am confident that they will now join hands with me in carrying out the purposes (uniting the people) as expressed above.