New-York tribune., 1894-04-08

view of errors Of surplusage. IT may prcbaNv
take an equally lenent view Of the one sreat
error of method which has obviously been adopted
in Difference to it's supposed wishes.-I mean tn.
order Of definition, TO which | referred ahoy.
The Judgment Of the editors who resolved on thi,
order is entitled TO respect but they seem TO stand
alamo 7 have seen no review, and no expression
of nersonal opinion among the many quoted from
competent sources which approves this peculiar.
itv "If word has two or more meanings" say
tho editors .'the most common meaning has been
given first: that is preference is given to thu
order Of usage over the historical order" Tns
con onience of the average man has been con.
suited. or is meant to be consulted. Who is Ia
determine the order Of usage; "the most obvious
or important current meaning?" The editor mut
determine It. That is to say. he is 10 choose out
of multitude of usages and Specifications the
one which is. in his judgment that Of the aver.
age man; the one which the average man viii
look for first when he consults this dictionary
He cannot do It, and he has not done it. Turn
to what page you like and you will find your
Judgment on this point in conflict with the edi-
tors He is probably more often right than
wrong but the percentage Of error is 50 large az
IN prove the essential faLlt Of the method Il
is the deliberate adoption of an empirical method
when the scientific method, sanctioned by the
whole world of lexicogrlphy. lay ready TO hid
hand He would not deny that ii Is unscent.hc
confusing. misleading and totally indefensible on
anv other ground than that Of a concession to
demand which he thinks popular or general and
which almost everybody else thinks imaginary
y cannot be that the dlctionaryuslng portion 0
the American public is in too great hurry to
choose for itself the definition it wants. or desires
the right order of things to be reversed for its
convenience.
Well. no dictionary is free from error and
all dictionaries are useful,-ail lists OF words are
usef,Il--ard the standard Is useful II has
the great advantage of being the latest. Il
profts by the accumulations OF its predecessor
7, profts by the unreasonable ability ard in.
dustrv of its makers. both Of which must be eyi-
dent TO every student and even 20 that average
man" for whom such needless sacrifices have
been made. The tendency Of the modern lex.
cographer is to ,he encyclopaedia, ana this
dictionary abounds in information of the encyclo-
paedic kind. That again will recommend II to
the average man. In matters which are more
strictly raphical-etymologies, definitions,
quotations synonymes. and many more II strives
to justify its name, and often strives success
| fully II is printed with admirable clearness On
good paper from we'll cut type and In black ink
These are no light merits in a book meant 10 be
consulted quickly The adoption Of the patented
index. with its marginal letters and queer little
beehive indentations. Is mistake. Il is neither
convenient nor slightly. But as began with the
unfulfilled intention Of giving brief account
Of English opinion, I will end with the ending
sentence cf a long review in The Chronicle
which ia no mean authority:
The standard is most cieditable 70 American
enterprise and scholarship and it will take an
honored and useful place on handy shell Dy the
busy mans desk. 1t is a distinctive ana inde
pendent work. and will be frankly welcomed
in England as well as in America
The notice from which that is an extract Is
! critical ore and many others are CRITICAL ou'
I that only enhances the value Of their tes'linoh!
TO the merit Of the Standard Dictionary as
! whole To say that scholars Will accept ID
authority on all points would he absurd IL
! sufficient II they recognize It's general uuily
! Criticism whether general or special, does no
call is utility in question, and II 1t did the puDn
I might be trusted to discover that this Is ple
emnently dictionary for the public. q. W. 4"