The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-28
Two Letter Writers.

Two Letter Writers.
In tho art of using til" English language
so as to convey with ircr,ty IDEAS that arc
distinct in tho writer "ni We think that
even the Hon. WILL.Aa, ". EyAEIs might
study w!th profit the published uttrrances
Of the Hon. JOSEPH NJ. SHUMhrr of Texas.
Mr.. SHuMArE is n distinguished citizen OF
Round Rock and proprietor II u newspaper
named the Quid Numc. Tho course of tho
Qud Nsnc res speeding prohibition having been
criticised. Mr.. SaUMArE prints this card:
81 with it distinctly understood that the Quid Eunc
neither advocated whskey nor prohibition hut wanted
the people to vote according to their convrtiona
Any thing uttered b. parties here eiscwher. contrary
- the above arc malicious faisehoois
"JoS ". snualIx"
This Is an exccllen. specimen OF political
declaration. 1t is true that tho scvcrcr taste
OF Mr.. EvARrs might perhaps have impelled
him to put tho conjunction neither after in
stead OF before tho verb advocated in the first
sentence, and to correct tho slightly inhar-
monious relations OF substantive and verb in
the second sentence. Barring these trlling
b!emshca. doubtless results OF haste on Mr..
SHUaiATE's part, how could the letter be i'm
proved? How many words could be spared
without :mpniring the sense? How many
words cou d be added without weakening by
diluliOn the form in which tho Texas states
man originally cast his announcement, and
thus obecuring its scntiments2
Now. suppose that Mr.. JOE NJ. SHUMATE
with his habit OF terse composition. were a
candidate for United States Senator from
New York; suppose that no wanted to OK
press tho identical ideas which Mr. EvARTs
recently communicated to the public in
letter addressed to the Hon. JAMES AI:XELL;
suppose that he had nothing more to say
than Mr. EvARrs had. and nothing less.
How would SIMULATE put the case 1t will
be both ;.n Interesting and II profitable eXcr-
else for Mr.. EvAHrs to translate his letter
into Shumatese
In the first sentence OF Mr.. EvAHTs's letter
there are torty-seven words. There is only
ono idea:
III Response to many inquiries and requests nnds to
from nil part. of :he State t,ao the liberty In this
fofn Of making public readiness and desire to lie
con ier"i Among tho csniiii;es for election by the
Legislator, as Senator from this state"
Forty-two OF the words are supcrfluous.
They are devoted to tho unnecessary ampii-
flca.ion OF an idea which ShUMArE would ex-
press in five words:
=" want to he Senator"
Then tho eminent iursconsult goes on to
say. In n sentence even longer than tho first,
that he has nothing to say:
"In asking she favor and suppor, Of tho Republican
Senators and Astenblymen tor this nguished and
responsible son Of this the
nt- Of the United states have to qualify
or resats the principles o; the Republican party my
own hearty acceptance and undoubtng maintenance Of
those principles"
ShUMATE. having nothing to say on this
point. would have said nothing. thus gaining
fit y-four words. Then Mr.. EvARTs employs
ono hundred and two words to assert tho
simple fact that no is running for Office Us
Republican. SHUMATE would havo said:
81 am good square Republican"
Applying tho Same process OF reduction to
the next chapter OF tho EvARTs letter. we
should have. instead OF ffty-threo words,
these seven:
at Ia important to elect u Republican,"
Now lot us hear Mr. EvARrs again:
an the place and share that Senators of this Stat.
shall take and maintain in the increasing warfare with
the Democratic party, in which every Republican Is eli.
listed and which will be p-rsstea In until Republican
policy and Republican statesmen shall regain authority
In Congress and the fresiency-in this critical june
lure IN the hnss OF the country anu In the interests OF
the Republican party, AIN DESTROYS to fail In duty
my part toward the welfare the country aud the
prevalent authority of ths Republican party In the ma
tonsi Government. which deem nscparabls from that
welfare"
This magnificent scheme OF words
hundred and three between period and
periods built around ono very plain and
Ineligible Idea. SHUMATE would havo put
the idea sontentiously, perhaps humorously.
Ho would have said something like this:
III you want me, I'm your oyster"
Mr.. EvARrs finishes his letter with q
snapper OF forty-nino words:
II have douGt the Legislature will treat the duty
before them with entire devotion the highest aud
best nt"reRts Involved in the election Of the senator
and submit To their judgment the question whether
these interests he better served by myself by
another"
Or. as Mr.. SHUMATE would undoubtedly
| express it:
1T you don't want mo- III stay at home"
To rccapitulatc, Mr. EvARTS uscs four hun
dred and eight words 10 SLY what the Texan
would undoubtedly say in thirty-four:
| IL wsnt to he Senator I am good square Repub.
lican 1t IL Important, t. elect RopGiiGan Ii you
want me Tan your oyster II you dont want nl- III
| stay at home"
Here in n comparatively brief cpistle brief
| for Mr.. EvARTs-aro not less than three hun
! drNi and SiXty-fOur absolutely useless words
or one for almost every day in Ito year In
the Hypothetical declaration Of the Texas
statesman. nothing Is omitted which Is con
tanned in the Now Workers. invitation to his
fellow citizens to elect him to ofiice-that Is
to say nothing Is omitted except suprriluous
parts Of speech. III . .,ri1 where life IL