The sun., 1891-07-11
The Ban,shment OF tho les.


The first official step toward reform in
the nomenclature of that always interest
| ing and usually beautiful genus technically
known as Plelia Americana was taken by the
Board OF Education on Wednesday:
"The use Of nicknames pet names by teachers and
in the records of this Board and rusteea
says this report, lis undgnifed and improper. 1t ia
necessary in all proceedings to follow the
corded in the trustees certificates Of appointment and
on the teachers licenses.
at therefore recommended that the City Supern-
tendent summon to his oice or correspond with all
teachers In the service whose names as recorded
to be other than actual and ascertain from
such teachers their actual names and amend tneir
licenses accordingly. That he report to the trustees
the several ards tho changes found necessary who
shall thereupon by resolution make the corresponding
changes in the ward records and thereafter pay
rolls and In all to this Board of
its committees officers No appointment hereafter
made OF teacher under other than his or her proper
name shall be valid"
We congratulate the Board OF Educa-
tion and the women teachers upon the
adoption Of this sensible rule. 1twas time
to check an insensate fashion. There Is no
more reason for the CHARLOTTES and
SARAHs and MATILDAs who teach in the pub
lie schools to be designated in the records as
LoTTIEs and SADIEs and TITLES than for
President ELIOT to figure in the Harvard
catalogue as CHARLIE. or for the head OF the
illustrious institution founded by Mr.. ELIHU
YALE and Mr.. ROBERT j. Cook to call him
self TIMMIE DWIGHT. These sugary dim!nu-
tives In ie may properly be employed by near
relatives and ntimate and particular friends,
but are not for public use. They have an
infantne sound that Is not appropriate to
grown-up persons in their public capacity,
and they imply IN intimacy and affection
purely domestic and personal. They seem to
take tho public into a confidence which is an
indscretion, and they CRATE upon good taste
like a caress In a street car. These wise young
women of the public schools are teachers
whose instructions are more important than
those OF the greatest pundits in tho univer-
stiles, and their names must not fall below
the dignity of their function. Tho Board of
Education has earned its summer vacation
by prohibiting the official use of baby names.
We wonder If HERB SPENCER, Tom HUX-
LEY, or ALE WALLACE could throw any light
upon the causes OF the present widespread
use OF female names ending In ie? 1t seems
to be no case OF natural selection, for these
names are the unittest for public use. Nor
is sexual selection involved, for there is no
evidence that men prefer NELLIE to ELIZA
NOR or JENNIE to JANE. Can BILL WHITNEY
or MAKE MULLER discover that some law
OF language applies to these dimnutives
Has candy or some other subtle influence Of
environment SO modified the organs Of
speech in American young women that 1t is
easier for them to say SADIE or SALLIE than
SARAH? Why does Miss BIRDIE possess the
land, especially the Southern States, and
carol from the commencement platform OF
every school for young women? There are
fashions in names as in everything else, but,
as OLLIE HOLMES asks:
-where are the MARYs and AIMS and ELxAs"
Or, as he would have to put the question
now:
.whsrs are the NAMES and ANsrHs and LrIziEsr
But 1t is not the fashion In Christian
names Of women that Is In question. Lot
anybody give his progeny what name he
will, SHEARJAsHUB or SHosHANNrMKDUTH.
HopAp or HADAp. or what larynx-lacerat-
ing compound left over from tho time OF
BARRBoNEs he will. Tastes are strange In
names as in other matters. We once knew
a youth whose thoughtful parents let him
grow up nameess until he was old enough
to pick out n name for himself. Ihoy
wanted him to be suited. Hs was n roman
tic boy, OF great beauty, and he chose tho
name PELATIAH. and wears it yet. Every
body to his taste, and the taste OF parents in
names is not always approved by tho
ripe judgment OF tho offspring. But when
young woman has Q name. she should