The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1908. CANNED SPEECHES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2036, 26 September 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1908. CANNED SPEECHES.

Now that- the election campaign is fairly commenced, it may not, bo out. of place to suggest to some of our political aspirants a few of the latest ideas in campaigning. The great trouble, of course, is lor the candidate to get into personal touch with the electors throughout the electorate. In city constituencies this is not, difficult, but in scattered districts the shy or otherwise unwilling elector can easily elude the persistent vote-seeker by retiring to the bush. However, modern invention is quite equal to this disadvantage in electioneering. Just at the present timeji vigorous campaign is being fought ill the United States over the Presidential contest, and it is, of course, impossible for Measr Taft and Bryan to meet more than a small proportion of the huge population which comprises their constituency. Hence it is that we are informed that pictures of Mr. Taft, who will probably succeed President Roosevelt at the White House, and of the Democratic candidate, Mr. W. J. Bryan, as well as “canned" speeches, will he an important feature of tlio Presidential campaign, which may be compared, as regards excitement, noise and hustle, to half-a-dozen general elections in this country rolled into one. The New York correspondent of the lanuloii “Daily Telegraph” sent a message on August 14 stating that Mr. Taft had posed for the cinematograph, and so had Mr. Bryan. Moving pictures accompanied by “potted” speeches will soon find their way all over the country, thus adding fresh horrors to the period of national turmoil. Tho Republican candidate is tremendously stout, and is not so business-like in his canvass os Bryan, whoso gesticulations and mannerisms are most successfully reproduced by means of the phonograph. Mr. Bryan has “canned” speeches to tho number of thirty, and Mr. Taft, who began rather late, now has a score of replies for broadcast distribution within the month. A citizen, whether in the Atlantic or Pacific States, will ho able to call for a record of his favorite oration at a village just as easily as lie calls for his soap or blacking. It is a new development, oven for America, to cinematograph Presidential candidates and to “can” their speeches, hut a triumph already seems assured. President Roosevelt did not care for tho idea last election, hut compromised; by posing for a cinematographer, who caught the President riding a six-barred fence, sailing over, and landing successfully. Mr. Taft plays golf and baseball, and Mr. Bryan occasionally indulges in ninepins ,but neither could compete with Mr. Roosevelt’s horse-jumping pictures as a vote-catcher. As regards “canned” speeches, the two candidates arc happily limited to records of 300 and 500 words. Both arc generous in their abuse of the opposition, and both are eloquent, declaring that tho United States is the grandest, greatest, and richest country the world has ever scon, and that tho office of President is the most exalted post on earth. Whether one agrees with the speeches or otherwise, not an American elector will be able to plead that ho is unfamiliar with the voice, gestures, and appearances of his political champion.