Evening star., 1896-09-22

Pcnmnnshfp fn Our Public Schools.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
There Is considerable controversy going
on upon the subject of penmanship In the
public schools and the preference given by
the trustees to the vertical system
1t has never been my privilege to air my
opinion upon any subject in which our peo-
pie are interested, and / do not do so now
for the purpose of seeing how such an
opinion will look In print or to advance
any ideas for the changing OF the stand
taken upon the subject by the board of
school trustees.
1 know the members of the board per-
sonally. and have high regard for the Wis
dom and honesty OF each one, for his ef-
forts looking 10 the best interests of the
rising generation. which, for the time being,
may be very rightfuily regarded as their
wards in chancery. / have my doubts Il
any one of them has any knowledge what
ever practically of penmanship a
science, of the principles of writing. /
have seen many of them write, and the
writing is what / suppose they would term
the natural nand,' If such thing can be.
My eXpei ience in the matter, with cspe-
cial observation Of the art in the public
schools, extends over nearly a quarter of a
century, and have no hesitation in saying
that the Introduction of the vertical sys-
TEN will have tendency TO disturb and re-
tard its better cultivation, rather than to
advance IL.
The history OF the public schools will
snow mat the era OF perfect andwriIing
among the scholars after the Spence
ran system was introduced, and the rec
ords of the schools in the District of Co.
| lumbia are proofs CT this as a fact not TO
| he disputed.
The author of this system expended long
Years OF study in perfecting IL, and il COM
bines simplicity, case, grace and beauty,
and has all due regard fer that hygiene"
a word used in connection with the pres
q Me-
and physique of the body while engaged in
| writing. Founded. ii is, upon three
simple lines the straigh; lire, right curve
and lett curve, set by respective number
OF degrees slant, il is not beyond the COM
| prehenslon OF any scholar, from the young
est to the Oldest.
| SO well was Ii cCnprehended that al one
| time, in proportion to its size, the District
| OF Columbia pfeserted In several contests
| In our country ana abroad the greatest
| number OF uniformly well-executea specl-
| menS OF penmansnip of any state Ia the
| Union.
1t was well known that Mr. ]. 8tlnond
| Wilson, former much houore,i superfn-
| tehdent, though he could not write hitnself
| became an enthusiast upon the subject
| and encouraged attention to il SO that
skilled examiners OF he work done IN our
| pubilc schools Were loud in their praises
| at the marvellous perfection attained
| During i've or six years, when it was
| customary TO award scholarships in the
| Business College, to the most u. r:ert
| writer's, | was hoHored with the difficult
TASK of deciding on the awards upon the
merits OF the copy books presented 1t
! was customary 10 select many as 900
| DOCKS from the entire District: a general
| examination reduced the number of lu.ri-
torious ones TO loo. wherein the work was
| so uniform and so perfect that general
comparison had 10 be succeeded by the
| speclnc comparison OF words and finally
| Oh letters, In order 10 decide upon the
| prizes.
| Many of these writers became the prac-
| ical bookkeepers and clerks that have
given in business houses and government
departments a proficiency that has met
| with favor.
Ease of position at the desk and in hold
| ing the pen have always been matters that
| have received the closest regard so that
| the ENCOURAGEMENT of a crampei position
and cramped writing has never been a
| part of the instruction.
| The vertical system has not only dis
| turbed the uniformity of work, and guided
| the hand from the simplest principles pos
| sible, but IL has not, substitute, given
one advantageous thing in the place OF
| the Spencerian.
Nine-tenths of the scholars, If they
could be questioned, would make most
| unfavorable comments, and the examina-
| ton OF their work at the present time
shows handwriting that is Irregular, unde-
| hned and uncertain. so that while the in
tention is to guide the hand in vertical
or round handwriting, it is now neither
| vertical. forward or backward in its slant.
The teachers themselves, among whom
are number of excellent penmen. do not
| understand ii, and instruct the children to
| follow the set copies. simply because they
| have 10 do so, preferring TO hold to that
old system, in which they had their hands
| trained.
| The object in public schools should
be TO give the greatest good TO the great
est number, and if our trustees will but
look about them and inquire among those
| 10 whom tais penmanship comes The near
est they will find little commendation of
| themselves for adopting a system that
will meet with little favor
F. r. HAY