Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-26

Professor March, the philologfst. finds fault with
the volapdk language because IL 10 almost incom-
prehensble 70 the ordinary business man, or 10
any one who has not had q German or Russian
polyTlot training. To the man OF simple English
education r Is, he says, ian old-fasniooed. long
worded, MISUNDERSTANDING affair."" its nouns
having four cases and its verbs seven modes, &C
Its SPREAD has been mostly In Germany and
Austria. the language OF the latter country itself
containing such variety OF dialects that the people
who are bred TO speak 10 have little dimcuity In
acquiring a language ike yolapuk. Professor
March therefore regards the universal language
of the present rs too unwieldy 70 be generally
acceptable. and as likely to have the efe;t OF
making employment for an army OF German and
Austrian clerks, who Will swarm over other
countries and depend upon their knowledge OF
the new tongue 10 md them places as correspond
ents In mercantile houses
II the volapuk idea had not been pushed with
the energy that it has &c Is probable that the En-
glish language would gradually-thougn perhaps
In o somewhat modified form as reyards orthog-
raphy-have taken the place as a naturally
evolved volapuk which the Latin long ago ac-
CURED and sti holds In religious and philosophi-
cal intercourse and into which the French for a
time worked its way In the mercantile world All
the peoples OF ChrstendOm have become In a
sense tributary TO the English-speaking nations,
and their business experience has taught them
that In order to deal with Englishmen and Ameri-
cans they must write and speak English. Their
struggles with the vicious spelling Of our mother
tongue have not discouraged them, and we we're in
a fair way to make our language the common
speech Of commerce when the artificial volapuk
came and threatened TO usurp Its authority.
There Is O danger TO the permanence OF this
newly made-up language which Professor March
does not touch upon. but which is vital; and that
Is that there is possible protection, by letters
tnfb a L.
Invented today rom the encroachments OF an
other language invented tomorrow. In other
words, every man may, II he WILL devise and pub
lish his own yolapuk-a contingency which would
OF itself be fatal TO any yolapuk whatever.
An amusing episode OF the recent strike among
the compositors OF the Louisville Courier-Journa.
"a thu manifest desire OF the management OF that
paper 70 give the malcontents a chance to convict
themselves Of folly II they want to. The printers
propose starting an opposition daily. and Mr..
Halderman, their late employer offers them the
full news service OF the Associated Press for six
months. free Of charge. The idea underlying this
prefer Is not wholly unselnsh. by any means Mr..
Halderman probably wants the men to have every
facility, 50 that, when their experiment has ended,
they cannot lay the blame for their failure On any
incidental deprivation due TO their lack OF capital
II does take something more than good printers
10 make a newspaper, In the sense In which that
term Is understood nowadays They contribute
their share TO the general result and merit due
recognition; but the editors and publishers have
good deal to do with the success OF the enter
prise, after ALL and the best effects are produced
where each element In the constitution OF the
ONCE bears ifs own part and deyotes all its eper-
giles 90 making its work as perfect as Its powers
will permit. IL takes restless men, sometimes, a
good while 10 ind this out but 10 is pretty to
he among the lessons OF experience which they
have TO review, either with pleasure or with re-
greet when it is too late TO direct their conduct In
accordance with their discovery.
There Is one North Carolina merchant who
doubtless wishes that he had stuck to the legiti-
mate line OF his trade instead OF trying TO get a
fortune suddenly for f1ve hundred dollars. For
that sum he was to be furnished at a large dis
count, by an unknown correspondent, with a lot
of 'sgreenbacks printed from stolen Government
plates" To meet the disburser OF crooked wealth
he travelled all the way TO Philadelphia, where
he fell into the hands OF a confidence sharper was
relieved OF two hundred and ten dollars on the
spot BY q familiar modification OF the bunco
dodge. and by that time concluded to call In the
assistance OF the police Very little sympathy
VIII be felt with Mr.. Peal in his misfortune He
set out 70 do dishonest thing, and was led into
trap on the way by q man who was smarter
though no worse, than he.
While Mr.. George W. Childs may well feel graft
ned BY the marks OF universal confidence and