Informal Speeches Summary and Analysis

George Graham Vest, a lawyer in Missouri prior to his career as a U.S. Senator, presents an argument for a man suing a neighbor over the killing of a dog. The argument, titled "A Tribute to the Dog," outlines the reasons dogs are called "man's best friend." Vest points out that even a man's children may turn on him but a dog will endure any hardship without complaint, continuing to be faithful even when a man is poor and cannot provide for the dog. The argument wins the case.

Horace Porter, an American Diplomat, is called on during a dinner in New York to toast "Woman." He points out the complexities of women, saying that, given twenty minutes to make the calculations, a woman can pinpoint a particular point in space but cannot find the pocket of her...