The morning journal-courier., 1908-06-04

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 Prof Lounsbury has rendered the literary world another real service In his new book in which he adds to his reputation as one of the ablest and leading critics of the English language While the setting he gives to his views and interpretation as to the proper standard in the use of words Is admir- able, making his book both very Inter esting and altogether a charming pro- duction, He makes it pretty plain from his standpoint-a attempt to contro- vert which will be found, If not a rash or presumptuous very difficult un- dertaking-that the English language is not degenerating through corrupt usage as some of our pedants claim, though corrupt usage Is admitted, and he pre- sents suggestions as to how the best standards of usage shall finally be de- termined Any who arc sitting up nights over fear that our language Is going to the bad, will be amply reas- sured by reading Prof Lounsbury's H. luminating and scholarly pages. He makes it clear moreover. that language not only does change, but should change The arguments all point to the authors conclusion that usage is the only standard of speech, and that this usage cannot be determined by sin gle man or single principle, but must be discovered 'by association in life with the best speakers. and in litera- lure with the best writer's" One of the mos, useful points in the book is tho mention of number of forms that are questioned today such as gotten and got. the passive proven, while the use of the split infnitive gets attention to the discontinue of many who have looked upon this split as most hein- ous literary crime and have thrown up their hands in holy horror regarding it. Prof. Lounsbury's logic Is keen, his at- tacks are trenchant, his deductions convincing. He throws down tho gaunt- let at the very outset in the statement that his purpose Is "the maintenance of the doctrine that f11e best and in deed the only proper. usage is tho best" and asserts our dependence up on "the authority of the great writer, of our speech" Prof, Luonshury with sommendable vigor and rapier-like di- yectness argues that a fixed" lan- guage is a. dead one and that the in- fusion of new blood so to speak. into a language Is an evidence that 1t is liv- ing and growing and that such growth is both useful and legitimate. New words are constantly being coined and no matter if they come from 'the street. many of them are by common usage or final adoption by the bes writers welcome addition. All who give any attention to the subject mus be aware that new words are constant ly creeping into our language and be. come recognized because they are ex- pressive and--if not "a long felt want fill a gap that needed filling and give greater scope to adequate expressive ness in writing or speaking. Prof I,ounshury agrees with enthusiasm with the view of an old Yale professor that language cannot be "schoolmas tered" Prof. Lounsbury quotes witl appreciation a passage in Scott's diary MlltIt Hf ldhfS lHHhF NlAi iii' tbii ih law. Lockhart
 J. c. L. points out some selections II my style, as amid for amidst. scare, for scarcely. Whose. he says, is tn proper genltive of which only at suci times as which retains its quality U impersoniflcation We'll | will try tt remember all this, but, after all,
 write grammar IS l speak to make m! eaning known, and solecism In potr of composition, like Scotch word i speaking, Is indifferent 10 me. |. . l be ieve the Railift In the GoodNature, Man Is not far wrong when he says One man has one way of expressinj himself, and another another, and tha is all the difference between them"
 Prof. Lounsburys book meets with response from the reviewers tha should be gratifying to this modest an unassuming literary connoisseur, Sam ples follow
 Charleston (S. @ Sunday Courier Prof. Lounsbury discusses the stand ard of usage in q very practical man ner, arguing that any word or an phrase used consistently in any certain definite sense by any considerabl number of great writers may safely b duDPlttl illlb hilS iallto uoSN bo 6Dpi ifli q fish, no matter how much 1t may decred by the hypercrltlcal He de clares that the newspapers so far fror having impaired the language, hay safeguarded it and invigorated | maintaining this opinion n very con vncing manner"
 Boston Transcript; 'If, however, W look upon Prof. Lounsbury's essays a mere historical excursions through tn allurng fields of English philolog. and overlook their polemic and advis ory element they will be certain to al tract and to charm us."
 New York Evening Sun: Pro Thomas E. Lounsourys purpose The Standard of Usage in English
 to make clear the only rational an safe grounds upon which to base an trustworthy conclusions as to the pro priety or improprlety of words an phrases and constructions, independel of the personal likes and dislikes which all of us share It Is a treatis which may be heartily recommended the whole race of schoolmasters an pedants who are for fixing the lal guage with rules of grammar and wht not for If anything is clearly demol strated by the many instances hel produced it is this, that rules al worthless except in so far as they a, founded upon the practice of the be- writers--'apd that the grammaria who does not make such practice h guide proclaims by that one fact h own incompetence and the worthles ness of the results he reaches,
 New York Globe; Prof. Lounsbul says present good usage Is the on safe standard of English and one mu read his book to learn how, by appl. ing this standard, we cannot u
 some In the sense of somewhat n
 lly' at all but how We may, If V