GENERAL THEMES

Law. 
Politics. 
Woman’s Suffrage. 
Initiative and Referendum. 
A Larger Navy. 
War. 
Peace. 
Foreign Immigration. 
The Liquor Traffic. 
Labor Unions. 
Strikes. 
Socialism. 
Single Tax. 
Tariff. 
Honesty. 
Courage. 
Hope. 
Love. 
Mercy. 
Kindness. 
Justice. 
Progress. 
Machinery. 
Invention. 
Wealth. 
Poverty. 
Agriculture. 
Science. 
Surgery. 
Haste. 
Leisure. 
Happiness. 
Health. 
Business. 
America. 
The Far East. 
Mobs. 
Colleges. 
Sports. 
Matrimony. 
Divorce. 
Child Labor. 
Education. 
Books. 
The Theater. 
Literature. 
Electricity. 
Achievement. 
Failure. 
Public Speaking. 
Ideals. 
Conversation. 
The Most Dramatic Moment of My Life. 
My Happiest Days. 
Things Worth While. 
What I Hope to Achieve. 
My Greatest Desire. 
What I Would Do with a Million Dollars. 
Is Mankind Progressing? 
Our Greatest Need.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 4:  See chapter on “Increasing the Vocabulary.”]

[Footnote 5:  Money.]

CHAPTER XII

THE VOICE

    Oh, there is something in that voice that reaches
    The innermost recesses of my spirit!

—­LONGFELLOW, Christus.

The dramatic critic of The London Times once declared that acting is nine-tenths voice work.  Leaving the message aside, the same may justly be said of public speaking.  A rich, correctly-used voice is the greatest physical factor of persuasiveness and power, often over-topping the effects of reason.

But a good voice, well handled, is not only an effective possession for the professional speaker, it is a mark of personal culture as well, and even a distinct commercial asset.  Gladstone, himself the possessor of a deep, musical voice, has said:  “Ninety men in every hundred in the crowded professions will probably never rise above mediocrity because the training of the voice is entirely neglected and considered of no importance.”  These are words worth pondering.

There are three fundamental requisites for a good voice: 

1.  Ease

Signor Bonci of the Metropolitan Opera Company says that the secret of good voice is relaxation; and this is true, for relaxation is the basis of ease.  The air waves that produce voice result in a different kind of tone when striking against relaxed muscles than when striking constricted muscles.  Try this for yourself.  Contract the muscles of your face and throat as you do in hate, and flame out “I hate you!” Now relax as you do when thinking gentle, tender thoughts, and say, “I love you.”  How different the voice sounds.

In practising voice exercises, and in speaking, never force your tones.  Ease must be your watchword.  The voice is a delicate instrument, and you must not handle it with hammer and tongs.  Don’t make your voice go—­let it go.  Don’t work.  Let the yoke of speech be easy and its burden light.