The age-herald., 1897-09-10
TECHNICS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

lures InlS winter. Ine clty mas mdue such progress in all matters which tend towards the elevation and cultivation of the people, there should be no lack of interest an a. subject which has received the indorsement of a majority of south ern cities. For years southerners were taunted by citizens of other sections with their lack of appreciation of lec- lures and lecturers, and not without cause. As a people, southerners, until of very late years, cared little or noth- ing for this form of entertainment, not withstanding their refinement and intel lectual advancement alog other lines. Some of the most, distinguished lec- turers of this country have, in the past, been greeted with a depressing array of empty benches when they have come south. But that period is behind the people; another day has come when the lecture has become one of the popular entertainments in all cities of progress and cultivation.
 In Atlanta the Lycsum course last winter was especially attractive and in- structive. The splendid Grand opera house was always well filled with re- fined, appreciative audiences. drawn thither to listen to many of the notable men of the country. Such will be the case again this winter, not only in Att lanta, but in nearly every large south ern town. And Birmingham should not be less enterprising than neighboring cities.
 The effort now being made to secure the requisite number of subscribers for the proposed Lyceum course of lectures for Birmingham should be encouraged by the citizens. Already there are one hundred and fifty subscribers, but there should be three hundred. Whatever is done in this matter should be done immediately, in order that the course can be arranged as early as pos sible. Papers explaining plan and explaining agreement can be found at Newman's. Norton's and Godden's and Lyman & Stones book store and the Berney National bank.
 It would be eminently satisfactory to the people of the south If the enterpris- ing theatrical managers of the north would not attempt to stage a play until they familiarize themselves with the habits, appearance and accent of the better class of southerners. When Thomas presented his pretty drama, Alabama" several years ago, he found a large majority of this section critical and dissatisfied with the dress, manner and speech of the actors and actresses who essayed to portray certain classes of southerners. It was evident that neither manager nor company had the faintest conception of the characters they presented to the public. At the north Alabama" was accepted with enthusiasm; at the south it drew large houses, but received much harsh criti- cism, which was merited.
 Now, new and fresh agitation has been started in the columns of the press, of every section by correspondent of the New York Sun, who signs himself "Southerner," and defends the people of the south against the charge of im- proper, vicious pronuncia ton. The we'll reared, well-educated cnen and women of the south speak as thoroughly good English as can be heard anywhere in the world, and certainly with far more musical accent than that spoken in the north east or west. Not only did Thackeray and Lawrence commend our speech, but such a scholar as Canon Farrar, of England, speaks English with an accent almost identical with that of educated southernes. To longer criti- else or ridicule southern speech is to write oneself ignorant and prejudiced; to caricature the appearance of a south ern gentleman or lady, can only be the mistake of a boor, whose opportunities for observation have been confined to the cheapest grade Of northern pictorial papers. Travelled, well-informed per sons from all parts of the world consid- er-and consider rightly-the cultivated, educated southerner, as the typical American
 That there are proyincialisms of speech in all sections of the country, north and south, no one can deny. And certainly no one who has heard the mu- sical accent of the Atlantic coast; the peculiar pronuncia ton of certain letters of the alphabet by Virginians and South Carolinians and their descendants would care to alter their provincialisms. These may not be strictly correct according to the Century dictionary but they are nearer right and far sweater than the nasal twang of the critics. If any the atrical manager proposes to send a southern play out on the road this sea- son it would be advisable for him to have it directed and staged by sou h. erner, or some one familiar with the south. The time has long gone by for travesties and caricatures. BALL.
 Friendly Warning.