New-York tribune., 1908-06-15
1rTERS TO THE EDITOR
,pJrONS AND ENGLISH.
'..bndgs Man Takes Issue s0ith
" Professor Brandt.
r.,a Tribune

r,s,.or Of The tribune
ne tas.s.ssor h Brandt is. Of course. entitled TO
s. ioninion as to the purity tne oorrectness
| - ovn op, Of the English spoken by the
= rco11r American as against that
,rsrsse - ..axeraee educated Enslishman."
.,gsn n ,ay-,v being that the superiority lies
i o7in0. The alleged fnferiority he at
sd me .ns had educational system in Eng
rtu'es =, &c devoted almost exclusively TO the
s-i Nhs--r,sees" NhS. The learned gentleman is
ssssicsi --.ocouainted with the real conditions
sa'enu as.an in the two countries. The average
tos Fnrlishman. by whom presume ne
.:ucsseo r-rI,shrnan Of the lower middle class
-.sns %, 0-o-responding 10 that whose mem
~sss 60 .he American public schools-attends
Sr sue, end the board schools. where he
y HsN $50 Latin nor Greek. but is thoroughly
sS-1s n.'s :. the elements Of a commercial or
less educstior
lrsn :. .sa- of the average educated Amert-
fo English as she is spoke" by him is
@ ,-,nsfical as IL can be You Will not hear
aa - hovs ana men out Of every thousand
~. % done it" II amt got nothin'." Il seen
fn y loved t." He come home yesterday"
IE ror. and the like. II is the exception
y she rule 10 hear such errors in the
~ ..s average EnEiish schoo1boy or Eng
- ,,,,ess he IS Of a very low grade. that Of
--...-snfpe the street gauin or the poor
2 t-tsr or farm laborer. II IS the exception
rns -, the rule not TO hear IT from Amcri-
- and men Of q much higher walk IN life
.ts English boy and man TO whom / have
-.--.6. Once more; The American boy punctu-
80 language with the lowest possible slang.
- - sns senseless as 70 be utterly unfntel-
- ssult that sticks 10 him in after life,
s.r h;s accent forever marks him unn1is-
r.h1r an American
: .s- m that count Of the indictment Pro-
= srandi objects that education IN England
---,sss only the classical languages. He for
= ,ossIhly he does not know. that at every
h a ,bs endowed public schools. and the better
- n zrtvate schools. the boys. when they have
,-scssI studies IN English literature and gram
= Iss they have. and have always had. in every
h - 18th which I was ever acquainted) are
4 =, how 10 render the classical authors into
s,r@ snd elegant English. every mistake in syn
Il cyrpsy expression being carefully corrected
:. 80 reason for that correction dena nded or
-, n addition. he writes at least one English
&.-,os,,ion weekly on some subject given by his
.rs- or tutor. and that is subjected to the same
,,-,sut Prizes for the best essays are also
-,-5ss and by way OF improving the boys style
4 , A.srns By heart and publicly recites In class
,stc-e the whole assembled school choice selec-
4 --s .-on the poets and orators Of his country.
=. sane course. somewhat modified, Is pursued
: Z lie university, where, also, ne mas the advan-
,- rs Ire union OF historical literary society,
=. rs library, reading room and weekly de-
.ss by means Of which he becomes, IL he
4 s-zS finished English scholar and rhetori-
~ Is finished as IL he had attended all the
s-u-ss Of the most learned pundit. and certainly
- --lor 10 the best men OF Harvard, Yale or
4 --,so- and who have yet 10 turn out men su-
r~ 70 the products Of the English public schools
ii Universities. men Of the type represented by
n Gamers, Dr.. Guthrie. Macaulay, Gladstone,
q lis Bsssbery, Lord Derby, Cardinals Newman
q r Mining Bishop HflberSorce (of Winchester
8 Il Trount Morley. OF comparatively modern
sabssy nothing Of the glorious company that
81 r-sxsE fheTn-each and every one Of whom had
~, E-scted 70 the had educational system IN
3 E-Irl rhich IS devoted almost exclusively to
3 haxzl languages" A CAMBRIDGE MAN
4 ETLrk June z 1e9