The Portland daily press., 1879-02-15
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.

/
demn the "slpshod English of the re-
porters," and take exceptions to the styl-
is1c pecullarties of journalists. This
they do because others do it. It is another
case OF following the leader over the WALL the
| bell wether in this instance being Mr. Rich
ard Grant White. Yoriek contends that, put
ling the masters of style aside, Newspaper
English' will compare favorably with most
written English, and that in many cases it Is
better than the English of books. Ii is usually
quite as concise as the language of a majority
OF the bookmen, and certainly eminently
readable. This last is TO Yorick's mind the
| crucial test. Things written were meant to
De read. That is the object of their being,
and II they are not readable they are failures.
We all know of books-Yorick has some ON
bis shelVes-that are wearisome to read. Few
do in fact, read them through. Their authors
had vital ideas to express, but almost smoth.
cred those ideas in verbiage. Some one. re.
viewer, commentator. biographer, has taken
the Ideas and set them in clear, perspicuous,
perhaps elegant English; and so we 20 to the
commentary when we want to know what
so-and-so, distinguished author, philosopher,
theologan, thought. We may buy his books
because it is rather neat thing TO be able to
refer to the original authorities, and their
presence gives dignity to our book cases, as the
presence OF an ex-Presdent, or an ex-Govern-
or who was failure during his term of SER
vice gives importance to public meeting
ne is good thing for the orators to point
to when they refer to the past, biz of
realism, as 1t were. Like tiilobite, age gives
MIN Importance. These books are read, like
legislative bills to which there is 70 obiec-
tlon, by title only. Occasionally some youth,
who judges OF books as he would of the height
OF buildings, by the shadows they cast, pushes
wearily through the volumes, wondering why
they were ever written. The shrewd man con-
tents himself with commentary or abstract.
He isn't going to hunt in the dust hours for
pins when he can buy whole paper of them
for trife, at the nearest shop. He gladly
dismisses the man of cumbrous and confused
speech and awkward circumlecutions and
listens to the bright talker who CONVEYS the
substance of the others thought In sen
tence.
The books that are failures because they
are faultily written cannot be counted on the
fingers of the people of Portland. Yet we
are asked to believe that faulty Engllsh Is
peculiar to the newspapers. Let Us apply
the test. How often are we compelled to
read newspaper article twice to get its
meaning? "Oh yes" some will say as manv
have said, "it is easy enough to see the bot
tom ola shallow stream" That Is true;
but it is we'll to remember that mud-puddle
is as turbid as the Missouri; muddiness Is
not an indication of depth. However, pellu-
cldity Is not the end of streams being.
while the expression of thought is the object of
language. Unless we hold Talleyrand's view
that the proper use of words to conceal Is
thought, we must admit that obscurisy OF
expression Is the greatest fault of language.
From that chief fault Newspaper English'
is noticeably free. 1t fulfils then, the chief
object of words-to convey the meaning of
the speaker or writer.
No doubt the language of newspapers has
great faults. But few of these faults are pe-
culiar to it. 1t is commonplace, some say,
So are many things of brief existence; the
ives OF most of US for example. That is
fault in book meant for generations. as
would be in monument or other great pub
lie work meant tor all time. 1t is not. happi-
ly, fault in bread which only answers our
daily needs. The journalist is not an artist
it is said, but journeyman in the use or
words, he constantly makes use of trite ex-
presslons; economies time by using over and
over again sentences like sswe regret 70
learn'" ut becomes our painful duty' &c.
we might as well object to the scroIl-saw be-
cause 1t does so many things that were once
carved by hand; to the sewing machine be-
cause it destroys the individuality of the work
OF seamstresses; to the stamping machine at
the mint because the die is not broken as
soon as the first medal is struck. Let us
take the Journalist for what he claims to be;
he does not pretend to be an artist; he is only
ajourneyman. He does not pretend to write
for the future, only for readers to-day. Here
in he differs from the writers of common
places that get put between muslin or leath-
er covers. As for repetition of expression he
holds that sentence is not like an excursion
ticket "good for this time only" And so far
as repetition is concerned how many of our
writers, save the greatest, are free from that
sin? We can identify most of them by their
tricks of expression, by their use of fayorits
eplthets, as easily as zoologist can identity
an animal by the number of teeth found In
his skull.
Yet another objection brought against
journalism is the haste with which it is done.
Were it not done in haste it would not be
journalism. 1t might be nebdomadalism or
lunacy. With as much reason we may COM
plain that buckwheat cakes are not good whey
they are cold. that quail on toast Is s-Ved
hot, that soda'water is fiat unles- quickly
drawn and drank. A New Je-ey paper not
long since suggested that lsntning might do
good deal more if IL "asn't in such an al
mighty hurry. R the way, how many books
are readable = year after publication? Last
years yaper of this date is pretty sure to be
amusing if nothing else. Can we say as much
for lo,s years. h,aIs
Again it is said that newspapers misuse
words. That is true, and true OF books also.
Richard Grant White will pick you out
hundred examples from the authors he hates.
It. il complained too that reporters describe
matters of triaing Importance or brief dura-
ton ia high.fown language. We might as
well object to the gaudy colors upon the
wings Of some of the ephemero. Journalists
are also accused of coming unnecessary or OBJ
jectionable words. That complaint has been
made by the conservatives ever since the
English language was recognized as vehicle
of literary expression. Words objected to IN
Queen Anue's time as tastelsss or fantastic
are choice English now. Words used by
Shakespeare are no longer in use. The need
less words will serve their turn like a cigar
and pass into oblivion. But they do good
service while they last. The necessary ones
will live. As br the much-abused slang,
why have we not as good a right TO use
n, man a cnnturv had To