ON ARGUMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 12 October 1907, Page 3

ON ARGUMENT.

Argument is like wine. A little is exhilarating. Much makes one heady or confuses the wits. The world is made up of argumentative persons and ourselves. Strength of conviction is directly proportioned to weight of contradiction. Any man would die for his opinions—in the heat of argument. There is a vast difference between a:i argument we have heard and the same argument when we have uttered it.

We never know how intersted we | uc in men, causes, and events, till we j iigue about them. In arguing, the main thing is to kc"p n.iir bead clear. JWt ci.nfu<c voiir-Hf l.v attending to what the other fellow .ay-. .Jn»t" <ay, "That's begging the question," or "That's beside the point,' or "That's a non-sequitur," or something that will apply to anything. Smile confidently. That will distract

your opponent with a longing to kill you. He forgets his point, and you score.

If you can neatly imply—without aa jing so—that your opponent is most narrow-minded, badly educated, pitifully illiterate, childishly illogical, lirery tempered, and with It nil cowardly, it will help you greatly in putting your case in a clear light. Lower your voice as your opponent raises his. When he notes the contrast he will utterly collapse. This rule has no exceptions.