The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1901-05-17
Neglect Of English.

Several months since, the writer
IN an article written for the
Telegram stated English Is
the only language that should oe
taught in our publlcschools; other Ian
0uages ought to be prohibited by
statute law. as absorbing the time
that should be devoted to, and occu-
pied entirely by the study Of English.
or course, this applies only TO the
Public Schools, for the Seminaries and
Colleges may teach what fad they
please; for il the children gain a sub
stantIal foundation in English in the
Public Schools, they will be enabled
to Express themselves effectively in
their own language, which the Pres
ident OF Harvard College, truly says,
"is the object Of education.
II the foundation Of their education
is builded on the rock Of English, then
the superstructure may be of paper,
straw or other light material, or OF
heavier metal, and the foundation will
uphold the superstructure.
The etymology Of English words
may be learned without technical
study Of the dead languages, which
are disslmilar in structure and idiom
TO the English, and so in that
regard are really hindrance,-
rather than a help, in the study OF the
latter. The writer is not alone in his
belief.
Mr.. Edmund Clarence stedman, the
Banker-Poe OF Wall street, proclaim
ed before the assembled teachers Of
New York-The Hoi Scholastikoi So
clety-who had him as their guest Of
honor at the banquet at the Savoy
Hotel last Saturday. Mr.. steadman
said in part:
But surely the first thing
TODD In a limited term of study is to
give the youth the one equipment, the
one instrument. through which, as lie
grows older, he can for himself make
sure that all these things may be adj
ned-side fads. arts, 'ologies etc.sl
s That equipment, that instrument,
Of this make no doubt, is the correct
knowledge, practical mastery of Ian
guage, and this means in America,
first last and always, Of our own peer
less, inclusive, world-prevailing En-
gllsh tongue. This gives your pupil
his own master-key TO the entrances
by which all kinds of knowledge can
be obtained in maturer life.
But for my part, If were-not King
but with power to determine the bent
of our public school instruction, l
would pay extreme respect to the an
cestral doctrine OF the three RS,
reading, writing and arithmetic, and
would add to them an ''S'', the prac-
tice of correct speaking, for there is
truth in rare Ben Johnson's opening
definition OF EnSlish grammar, ut
is the art and practice OF speaking the
English language correctly" He had
previously complained that the boys
from the Public Schools, whom he
had employed, scarcely one OF them
has had clearly formed handwriting.
Few OF them have been even tolerable
spoilers. Lastly, and surely most i'm
portant, only those from the incest
households have shown any consc ious-
ness of their extra ordinary proficiency
10 wrong pronunciation, bad gram
mar and command of slang" 5,
The art Of speaking, and that OF
spelling and writing correctly, must
be acquired like any other technical
focnlty', In IN, the il' growing years; g 10 ~
hard at oxford as Columbia"
This Is the testimony of an accom-
pliShed writer, whose name is familiar
to all students of American literature.
John G. Cuttings.