Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-12
MOTHER TONGUE
comparison Of English Spoken ;nr
land and in America. ny

Inc shafts launched at Mr. H..
James yesterday during a nca,ir."y
the Modern Language Aseoci,,i,5 ot
America. III session al Havcrfor9 u
i"ge, were barbcl with III, .,na ~
80 justice. They 20 not, ncyertho
w. uestroy the unfortunate vitaIi,,,
me contention that the specch
Aiicr'chhs is inferior to that nr ~
lishmcn. VI f-'iS-
II ~ h"' a matter of the cono,,,r.,.;
merits of the differing I.,u..lieb
American standards. IN Tho n.r,ta
larities 81 usage our own riIIc IL -
o",il'iS 4" not 70 be preferred. Dir,
IT from IS ~ good as different ,,.,.
III accord with as lin :,ccord TIL,
u''oF IN" circumstances as ..in a..
circumstances" "as soon a, Ire c.,,,,n,,
as directly he came" Tho L,n,,,;.,
mans failure To distinguish il, ,,,,
nunciation between the ycrb M,
Eoun prophecy" is lamout,bIn. ,'
hard genesis" ana his soft ..srbo.,,,..,
AZ 70 our car, an Inversion Of pro,ri-
ety. ana his cnInity toward the Itaf;,,,
Ill fgurc' is national horror W.
may say 'vaniller." but we couIdn.t
possibly be guilty Of "Ggger."
But the speech of Eng and is ir,
'neasurably superior to that of Arnc,ic,
gentlemen of the Modern J.ano,ao,a
Association vii! not deny tin tbie-
namely, that whereas Americans o,.o,.
educated Americans. are careless N
poth grammar ami pronunciation. sin
shod' casy-Going, and prone to every
colloquial short cut. the vast N, iorit,.
of Englishmen. speak with nrec;c;o,,
according to a wcll-established nationa,
standard.
The meat Of the matter is in the fact
that we Of America have no pride in
or care for correctness of speech. W.
never dream Of judging q mans IN.
ucation or culture from ~,
manner in which he speaks. ~. ar..
not surprised to find The same verbal
faults upon the lips of college pres-
idents. men Of letters or of affairs
that we have heard from the untaucht
There even fingers. among us a suS-
p1cIon of too great elegance Of speech.
as if heartiness and vigor could NOT
comport with refinement. And 20 W.
go on torturinS all foreign ears ana
WronSlnS our own souls with the
drawl, the slpr, the clipped syllable.
the fiattened vowel the strident voice
and slovcnly enunciation. We snub
our labiafS, we torture our midsvIlab lpS
and we massacre our vowels. until in
our homes. streets and even lecture.
halls, churches and theaters. the state
~ tongue of Shakespeare and Milton
is become inglOrious, shabby, weil-nigh
Infamous
In England how different is the case.
There his manner of speech is an IN
d"X of d mans education. of the I'm
lettercd little may be expected but in
the graduate or in the man or woman
Of respectful breeding vcrDl fanlt
is q social crime. Carels e,nge+ IL MI
excused. NigOr is not hcil II hu Il
thing opposed 10 accuItcy. MI power
to be nccc ssarily uncputh: IA TIL. con-
trary. a clear head is .>,l" 1,,d 10 "
press itself in correct sentences ci.on-
ly enunciated. II is expected T." Go 80.
and it does SOTO the pleasure If il,e
listening ear. the delight "f e." an
swnrirg mind and the I,r"1in;imn "
social understanding %imi.tsJ!!il,- S1tr
efficiency.
To establish the same happy con
ditiOns in America. il would j" ,"','-
sary only for the educated tn ior-
suadc themselves OF the dc.iT;.hii,'y
of correct utterancc. and i'll par:ic'il..r
for all such organizations As ruc Nod
ern Language Association 10 rrn,i,le
at every opportunity such rniutirsS
pcttifoGging pleas as that which form-
Cd the climax of one delegates address
yesterday, Power is more (sic) 10 ~
preferred than (sic) mere breeding"
is the estimate of the number of the
famous Rocky Ford Cantal"ups shipped
from the Rocky Ford district. in Colo