Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-17

world to talk ana hear others talk
the great and hopeless rout of bah
blers, of everything that PIRATES, bawls
and perorates and, after all. finds that
there isn't talking enough. They all
forget that those who make the least
noise do the most work. An engine
that eXpends all its steam in whistling
has nothing left with which TO turn
wheels. Then let us cultivate silence.
All that we can save in noise we gain
In power.
These reflections lead us to consider
n similar subject, also very worthy OF
attention. l mean what has been cali
ed the Vice of the superlative." If
we study the inhabitants of country
we notice differences of temperament,
of which the language shows signs.
Here the people are calm and phleG
matte. Their speech is iejune, lacks
color. Elsewhere temperaments are
more evenly balanced. One finds pre-
cision, the word exactly fitted to the
thing. But farther On-effect of the
sun. the air, the wine perhaps-hot
blood courses in the veins, temperS are
eXcitable language is eXtravagant, and
the simplest things are said in the
strongest terms.
If the type of speech varies with eli
mate. it differs also with epochs. Com
pare the language. written or spoken,
of our own times with that of certain
other periods of our history. Under
the old regime people spoke differently
than ut the time of the Revolution, and
we have not the same language as the
,f1 ttnn on frn
In general. language is now charac-
teriZcd by greater simplicity. We no
longer wear perukes, we no longer
write in lace frills. but there is one
significant difference between us and
almost all OF our ancestors, and it Is
the source of our eXagSerations-our
nervousness. Upon OvereXcited nerv-
Gus systems-and heaven knows that
to have nerves is no longer an aristo-
cratic privilege-words do not produce
the same impression as under normal
conditions: and quite as truly simple
language does not suffice the man of
overweight sensibilities when he tries
to express what he feels. In private
life in public, i'll books, on the stage,
calm and temperate speech has given
place to excess. The means that novel
lists and playwrights employ to galva-
uiZe the public mind and compel its at
tention are TO be found again i'll their
rudiments in our most commonplace
conversations. in orr letter writing
and. above all. in public speaking. Our
performances in language compared to
those of u man well balanced and Sc
rene are whSs our handwriting is COM
80. g., rhn 70,
is laid to- steel pens If only the truth |
were acknowledged. Geese. then, could |
save us. But the evil goes deeper; it |
is in ourselves. we write like men /
possessed. The pen of our ancestors |
was more restful. more sure. Here we |
face one of the results of our modern |
life. so complicated and so terribly eX- |
haustive of energy. 1t leaves us impa- /
tient. breathless, in perpetual trepida- |
ton. Our handwriting. like our speech, |
suffers thereby and betrays us. Let US
20 back from the effect to the cause |
and understand well the warning il 1
brings us.
What good can come from this habit n
of exaggerated speech: False inter 4
prefers OF our own impressions, we
cannot but warp the minds of our fell
low men as well rs our own. Between
people who eXaGgeTate. good under
standing alIses. Ruiiied tempers, yio-
lent and useless disputes, hasty judg-
ments devoid OF all moderation. the
utmost extravaganza in education and
social life-these things are the result
OF intemperance of speech.
May l be permitted In this appeal for
of speech TO frame wish
whose fulfillment would have the hap
piest results: / ask for simplicity in