The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-22
VERTICAL HANDWRITING

Vertical handwriting has been in
PRODUCED into the public schools of
Wichita and into the public schools of
every state and territory in the Union.
The small head, emerging into intelli-
gence, cannot understand it. Why the
crime in the old slanted letter? What
great wrong have the fingers of hui
mainly been committing all these years
in fitting the written script? How
| comes it that at this late day the great,
damnable error has been discovered
and by pedagogic edict and blackboard
ukase the world must face about. shake
the slime of its trespass in the slanting
line off and battle itself in the pure
light of virtuous verticality.
Let the small head, perplexed, cease
to be puzzled. The larger head can
not solve it.
Authority said that manuscript
should slant once, and the manuscript
of the world slanted. Authority now
says that the letters must be straight
up-and- down, and the world must
write neutrality-suspicious., nor ask
the reason why"
This change from slanting to vertical
lines has been going on these thousands
of years. 1t is the tyranny of fashion,
the rule Of King Conventionality.
Time WAS when the world slanted.
The naked nymph in Arcadian wilds
danced naked before the fascinated
faun, unmindful of her nakedness.
They ran naked together after the deer
and the hare. They lived and died
together without clothes. without mar
riage ceremony, without occupation,
without laws, without home other than
the velvet couch OF moss by the side
Of whispering brook. They were
not wholly bad. these nymphs and
fauns. But the day came when out
of the mysterious depths of invisible
authority the voice of fashion rebuk-
ed the nymph into bluShing. and jeered
the faun into shame, and they both put
on clothes, and the line was vertical
again. And then in the treachery OF
sartorial concealment jealousy was
born In the mind of the nymph, and
the faur was suspected. and the
nymphS ragged war, and Authority. to
mend it all. made laws and decreed
marriage. and the line was slanting
again. But laws without enforcement
We're Intellectual and Il king was chosen
To enforce those laws, and the line
was vertical once more. Governments
grew and fought for supremacy. one
conquered the world. and the line
slanred again. That government tell
and the dark ages came with rapine
and judicial murder and church in
diligence in crime, and the line was
vertical again.
Columbus. in a three cornered hat.
with his heels hanging over the gun
wales, discovered America, and the
night of the dark ages was dispelled.
and the line sianted again. much Ia
the satisfaction Of humanity.
In the old world the people existed
under kingdoms ruled 10y men born 10
their high station. ana the line was
Sianting. Men courted ana women
loved. Children were born and eener-
alton succeeded generation. There
was love for home and love for coun-
try and love Of little children. The
world was not - bad that births were
not the signal of rejoicing and life
was not 50 oppressive that death was
not moGrned. But the lire SI9nted.
For long time the people or this side.
OF the ocean did rot Notice thar ii did
slant But one day 1t was discovered.
and the people were disguised. They
wanted i vertical lire. They fought
for il and got it. TIE Republic WIS
born
So we fuctuate from slanfinc N
vertical lines. This Is fashion Thera