The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-01-01
IRON OTHER PENS
GOOD SLANG AND BAD.

by Wu8G RUE pE1uClQI9 Snail 0k1O
discriminate between good and bad
slang? Between the admissible and
the inadmissible? Between the allow
able and the forbidden? According u
the dictionary. slang II "A popular, but
unauthorized word. phrase or mode e
expression" But we are not informed
who has authority to authorize. Anoth-
er definition Of slang = "Words q
phrases which have acquired capr1ciouo
or extravagantly metaphorical mean-
fngs." A western college, professor has
just issued certificates Of good char
acter to several phrases that do not
bear the best Of regulations In some
circles. He likes Mot on your life"
He thinks ION the level ana "A good
sport" are admirable and he sees
nothing wrong In She's a peach" and
Hes a pippin.'' He regards TAX.
ing to the tall timber az nne and
picturesque. He puts. however. ON
his lingual index expurgatorius such
expressions as On the square,"
the last named being synonymous
with Coping the COIN" How shall
the average person, who Ia not q COLI
lege professor, know where to draw the
line? Perhaps there Is no line, or at
best only a shadowy one. like the line
between good taste and poor taste in
dress. All may depend upon the In
dividual. the time. the circumstance.
Even the most reprehenaible expression
may be justifiable on certain occa-
sions. Slang IL the soil from which the
tree Of language draws its life. II It
were not continually replenished from
the inexhaustible reservoir Of slang.
our noble English speech would lose
Its freshness and virility, Just as ariS-
tocracies would die out unless there
was a steady infusion Of democratic
blood into their veins.-Boston GlobG
sPo1L1Na THE ROD.
The revival Of Dickens story. ''Da-
vid Copperfield." in the form Of NOV
ing pictures. in q local theater, brinxD
out graphically the brutal methods Of
!. the old-time schoolmaster, which
aroused the indignation Of tho novel;
list. Few IL any members of the pres-
ent generation have an adequate ap.
probation Of the punishment which
was once regarded as necessary
part OF boys education. The nog.
ging Of tender children, on tho least
provocation. and frequently ON mo
prOvOcatf0n, was based upon the the
DRY that child was born depraved. A
certain wise man whose writings are
still extants had handed down to pos
terity a precept to the effect that ''he
that spareth his rod hateth his child -
The nineteenth century schoolmasteF,
assuming to take the place of the par
ent Of the child while the latter was at
school. construed the precept ~ q basio
educational principle, not realizing that
it's author, although regarded a. q
fount Of wisdom. was ''in spots'"- the
reverse OF sapient, judged by moderG
standards. It is to the credit Of mod
ern lawmakers that they have abro.
gated the rule laid down by So1omow
and have, In civilized stateDS 0tfAof
absolutely abolished the rod in tn
schools. or permitted its use only under
carefully considered conditions. II u
the opinion of the wisest educators Of
/ the day. who have carefully studied the
child mind, that under normal condt.
lions of heredity the child's instincts
impe1 him to good instead Of to evjl
Hence the idea Of breaking the spirit
Of child in lieu Of training Il RATIONAL
~. as wise horsemen train spirited
colts instead Of "breahng'I them with
the lash. has happily been delegated 10
the myths Of the dark gesARocheoter
Democrat-Chronicle.