Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-20
lEr Us usn ENellsA.
A Very Interesting Discussion over
worid's Fair inscrIpiioD,

worid's rair Inscription,
The narrowing Influence Of mcrc pednn. I
try has been illustrated with fresh force In |
rulntion 20 the Latin inscribed on pcdi-
ments and monuments OF tho Worlds fair, |
Professor Hatfield of the scholastic insti.
tuition at Evanston Published In The Dial !
OF this city "a letter declaring that he had
copied the Inscription on the Egyptian
obollsk at Jackson park, and thu. h-'hopcd
the fires rpertcd there had carried tho
obcilsk on, 10 that SIS illitcrnoy should not
longer cucumber the earth, or words IN
this effect. Professor Hatfield reproduced
the offending Inscription Ms he read II and
added TINT II o freshman student In ono Of
his classes should write such jargon he
would send him out OF the room for grosa
ignornnce. Professor Hatfield thought tho
fair commissioners should "hnvc not thcm-
selves oditcdn before they sot mp monu.
mont OF their Ignorance 60 he read by the
nations Of tho earth, F."
II would srom that inasmuch as the fair
was over and the Inscription on tho obolisk
Ind been fond by the nations Of the earth
without protest rs 10 its l4ntinity Professor
hatfield might have had patriotism enough
TO lot the inscription go unrulmkcd, but
the dosiro 10 advertise the fact that he was
Engaged In pcdantry doubtless oyOrcame
Il was noted at the time OF pfuicssor Hat.
fields publication that no did not vonturc
TO substitute correct Latin for tho iarRun
against which he protested. II Is known
oven among good readers of Latin that 10
write II ~ uuite hnotlur matter, and tho
professors discretion IN rcfminlng from
correcting the bad Latin was ont OF all
proportion To his rashness In donouncing
its badness Int comes along ono OF the
commissioners whom tho professor rcRrct.
tJd had not not himsclt edited aud he
shows that Professor Hatfield Instead VI
reproducing the obclisk inscription cor-
roctly, ~ he claimed, committed II orrors
In tho transcription.
The real question remains, however.
Tho commissioners who aro supposed 10 be-
responsible for the inscription were not
chosen because OF their pathological attain.
monts, but for reasons totally detached
FROM scholarship may na we'll DO
| frank II wna dnubtlcssintcnded rs roltr.
, tcsy TO the assumed culturr OF other por-
| lions OF the race that Latin was used ON
| the architectural supports or Incidental
sculpture Of The fair. II was understood
| that counsel Ind been Ind with distin.
Rulshud experts in famous Institution OF
learning near Boston before the Latin IN
serpiions wcrc approved for jackson pnrk,
and II IL candid 70 Md that the ontiro
geography nj jackson park was carefully
| examined by mon than ono trained scholar
boforc q line VIVA adopted. In faot, Ia the
| English Of Professor Hatfield tho fair
got itself edited "
Without censnrlng those literary cinbol-
lishmonts which wcr0 morc or loss unin-
telligiblo on account OF distance md some
1 what Irrelevant, nothing, " will be admit
tod, was mom evident during the fair Than
| thnt tho use Of words not rooted IN our
/ own speech was Intellectual and thcNforc
lnjudiclous, Tho fair WIS for tho people.
| Its language should have been Of the pco-
| pie. IL was huinlliatinp, II laughabc, to
| hear tho questions necessarily asked about
the lagoon" 10 DO sure, the word Ia
English but It's Significance IL not com
monty familiar Some people thought IL
an animal IL IL true that applications
were ofton made to tho guards for 'admis-
| sion 60 the lagoon and for the privilege
OF sccing tho lagoon fed. Lake" would
have been quite Ms beautiful word and
would have been universally understood.
Even Boston itself docs not lagoon its
pond, and we do not attempt 10 lagoon"
| the iittiD waters In our parks when not
associated with Worlds fair. There woro
other terms equally affected. ono OF them
nnt,dntos and survives the fair but MD
way plnisnncer has acquired new char
acter, q distinct pnrticolored and multi
form robe, and It's verbal bravery We shall
tolerate without hardness Of heart or mind
hereafter.
II has come to bo chief glory OF tho
modern age 70 use English well. Long ~
tho polished French held preeminonco ~
the Language Of diplomacy, supplanting
Latin 10 courts a. Endiph supplantod Lat
In 10 our common literature. lntrenehed
az French Is etil IN cvpn the official publ
cation OF tho German empire, Almanac do
Gotha - monument w tho influence OF
Voltnirc; rich ~ II Gcrinan and mover
mightior than today, for music Ia bearing
Ia sonorous yeFHe 10 all lands that lOv0
grandloss song---thc progress OF English
alone IA keeping pace with advancement of
frontiers Of civilization. In the far north,
10 tho south Pacific, at Tho equator II Is
becoming the paramount tongue. In Aus
trnlia II - taking the place Of old held by
Gcrman In PORTIONS Of what were orig.
nally Dutch settlements II has succeeded
Dutch 10 large degree. In Russia and ia
Germany u d second only 10 tho yernacu-
lar. and The next International oonfoNncs
Will doubtless adopt it ns the most cSpcdi'
ent medium.
What legislation cannot do commerce
has done. An artificial efforts 10 preserve
old " ~ propagate now vocabnlarioa have
proved and must continue 70 DO futile.
Ancient languages have their own impor.
ishable and reserved place ia the love and
learning Of mankind. All modern tongues,
many Of them surviving civil prescription.
should BE- eheri4hod Wy those 10 whom they
are cradle speech and studied By MI who
can. English Is tbs Language u destiny.
They 10 whom Il Is cradle speech can well
| 49,, -. .t,tax a. solfI, xrnrahiu II eAould
bo their care 10 protect II against violation
or lntruslonE For noble sentiment, pro-
found truth, broad wisdom or cloquenco
or Tenderness. It NEEDLESS tpwnDder from
It into other tongues, be their True accents
lost Ia tho din music 'Df antiquity o. 10
their organic fof1na plastic IN the pottery
of contarn poIAneous life. Chicago Herald