Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-22
WRITTEN IND SPOKEN AysUAaE.

Professor o. I. Mason read q valuable paper
before the Anthropological Society OF wasliag-
ton, at its last meeting. upon a comparison b.
tween written language and one that is
spoken only, OF which the following is an alb
strace In spoken language there are two
agencies at work, the speaker and the hearer.
The former is the creative, the agyre sslve. the
progressive and the destructive force as the
case may be. The latter IS the preseryer the
uelehSlVe the conservative the protective
asthcy. me speaker, using collection OF eN-
ueTnely delicate tnStrum ents of moderate com.
pass, inclineS to follow the lines of least musrn
lar resistance, which led him 10 abhrryiata
I rnouily ana transpose his words continually.
1here would De no end 10 the changes no would
ring, Ike musical composer, were he not re-
strained by the nearer. As the chief end OF lam
guage Is TO make ones self understood. tho
nearer insists strenuously upon receiving for
given thought or idea the very sound -grou -
which he has learned by repetition 10 associate
Herewith. Speech, therefore. is constant
compromise between the voice and the ear
I his is true OF savage and civilized languages
and there would exist between them only surh
differences AS change OF condition and environ
meEt would occasion. were II not for tho fact
that the power OF memory ceases 70 b. IN
adequate conservator OF thought after certain
stage OF culture is reached.
When We combine with the speaker and
hcaitr The writer or printer. and the reader, we
a!d another progressive and another pr '>sryl-
tive agency. As The aggresSiyenesS of the writer
Is much less than that Of the speaker. while ne
Erc-crE3tiNc tendency OF written language is in
inljcIy greater than the faculty OF memory, he
liability " Il language l. immensely cuaan Il
by committing it to writing. Even the 20 shed
rl;ol~ Influence periShes with himself bat H.
ES'r bed thought. whether preserved on IRA lie
era Gotta or rapyruS on enduring stone n
hiuHIe. on quipFee string on bnIala roan or a
PINNED pages Is the voice OF the past 80 coming
G,nerationS, the ep!tomZed cndeIy0rS of the
human spirit AFTER Immortality.
he foregoing facts are NariouSy maGi,aStHt
IN the language OF a people. The power 10 90
IAN IAN before The mind a greater number ID
variety OF ideas renders possible an impTDVNrn ~
m observation, discrimination. and svnthrSis
" also leads "a readjuStmcnt of the caTeyn,t,s
OF thought, and. consequently. 10 a new c1ilAcl-
lGh and combination OF rootS--tO a new fund
ald 81 lie of compound terms.
inc spoken sentence IS but breath 'that llts
ere YOU can point It's place" The written sch
loiit, Is ilEe the painters canvas. ever on the
easel ifd may he retoughod at any lnlHl,nt
1htS fact makes logic and rhetoric n,S,ildp IL
chap.ea us to Increase the number ot S"njeutlal
functions and 10 vary the conn lsitinn Of tAs
phrases on clauses which perform those il1,-
tons. II adaptS, the instrument more uerfp,,tiv
to the ideas and thoughts of the nrls0uar AMI
uallN gives Stleng and beauty to tic IN VI N.
10y an indefinite variety Of EXPIRE sSInns IN which
language. improved by the Ingenuity Of is
agent; reciprocates the favor by coutribufing To
the advancement or al Who USE II with lntHlli-
gence. The invention OF writing. Therefore has
not only rcvolutioDiZcd the forms OF speech bat
mas been me CHIEF agency through which the
human race has wrought its way TO civilization.
THE REGISTRATION OF WOMEN VOTERS IN Mas
sachllSettS is not without its humorous side. At
Lowell the other day one woman insisted az
whispering her age in the ear OF an inIlirinr
Alderman, and was greatly startled when he
officer announced the figures In stentorlan tones
"Where were you born?" was asked Of A.
termlned looking woman OF uncertain age. IVY
birthplace sir is identical with that OF the great
statesman who subsequently resided at Marsh
field In this stated" Where was that. please"
family asked the register. With glance of
wouldn't know!" and passed on eVulting
through the petty formallties that remained.
The Ardm GGJrRe, a BonaparttSt organ.
has been fined l0oef. for reprinting from the
Mdr%iHdiSe NJ. Rochefort'S letter 10 the electors
OF Javel In support OF the candidacy OF N.
Humbert.