Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-04
Platu writing.

Although the schoolmasier has long
been abroad in orr midst, there is still q
vast number of men and women in these
islands whose handwriting Is an issult TO
the correspondents whom they address
Occasionally letter il received by some
ovcrtasked public man, whose core
spondeuce already lar exceeds hls
powers of graphing with 1t, to which
Il totally illcgihle signature Is affixed.
The writer. who IS Of course IA
miliar with his own autograph,
supposcs that every stranger can
dccipher it automatically or in
tuitivey. Correspondents OF this kind
are rightly served when no notice IS
taken Of their letters. and It would he
we'll IL all who treat with disrospcct the
man or woman whom they address were
made to understand that they aye guilty
of an objectionable offence again good
manners. As regards public men, there
can re no doubt that GEOGRAPHY and IL
leglblity should lie regarded and treated
~ disqualification for high Office OF aOy
lind. Tbe late sir Francis Ioy.e, 10 re-
CARDS whom j, would have been difficult,
in his own phraseolOgy, 10 oeter-
mine whether hc ought 10 have gwen
weight 10 Oh received weight from Dean
Stanley IN the photographic Handicap,
used to declare that his letters to the
heads Of public departments from whom
lac wanted something were go tOrmenting
70 their recipients that in the end he was
sure to win the day by mis- importunlty.
Many scholarship, fellowship. and place
of trust has been competed Tor and lost
by men who would have won 1t but for
their laZiness III never taking the pains
to perfect themselves In the most neces-
sary OF "the three rs which lie at the
basis of al education.
1t cannot be said that the statesmen OF
the Victorian era are open, on the Whole,
to the accusation of plying the pen nal
adroitly. Thus the handwriting of four
OF our recent Prime Ministers Sir Robert
Peel, Lord Palmerston, Lord Derby, and
Lord BeaconSfeld- may be studied with
admiration bv every visitor to the British
Museum. MIR. Gladstone's written text,
on the other hand. slightly resembles
that of the late Lord Westbury, IN that
both are small and neat to the eye, but
not easily read by those unaccustomed
to them. ii Is doubtful, indeed,
whether any statesman ever pro-
duced so much manuscript IN n long life
as h as flowed from Mr.. Gladstone's pro-
life pen during the last sixty years
There are said TO be in existence ninety
two folio volumes of the manuscript let
tiers and dispatches of Cardinal ticne-
lieu, most Of them unpublished, but Of
which Dr. Arnold took a rapid survey in
1888. The great French Minister would
Weld, however. in fesundity OF produc-
tion to Mr. Gladstone, who writes with
extraordinary rapidity and facility, and
has been busy with his pen since he WAS
an Elton boy down to the present day.
The laDors which await his blogra-
pher or biogrOphers-let us hope
&c some distant day - will be Of
no ordinary kind. Among viceroys Of
India and colonial governors none nave
surpassed il calhgrsphy the late Lord
Canning and the still liying Sir Her
cn!es Robinson. Ii is generally al
mitted to be fault ia tine masters OF
the greet English public schools that
they do not attend sufficiently to the
penmansbip OF their alumni. In this
respect Elton, Harrow, Winchester,
Rugby, and Westminster are far in
ferior to the high schools and col
leges OF Scotland. IL was lately re-
marked by an eminent English states
man, to whom letter written by Mat
thew Dawson, the famous trainer Of
race-borses at Newmarket, was sub
united. that he heartily wished that, like
Matthew Dawson. he had himself been
taught penmaDship in Scotland. OF the
value of this elegant and useful accom-
plishment il is not necessary that We
should say another word in commenda-
ton.
al will have nothing TO do with your
son. His handwriting would drive me
mad in a week" Thus wrote Lord Pal
ruerston in 1913 TO an old friend, who,
having been with him ut Harrow, I'M
plored the Secretary OF State for sor-
eign Affairs 10 take his son Is oneof his