Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-08-22
CLEANLINESS OF SPEECH.


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Some time ago the proposition was
made in all seriousness by a news
paper Of high standing that grammar
should be abolished in the schools
and the time spent in that study
given to something of greater prac-
teal value. The proposition was ill
advised to begin with because with
all restraints removed II c prevailing
slovenlincss of speech that is tho
bane Of American conversation would
grow beyond all bounds and lingual
anarchy would result. Our people
are Enthusiastically impatient of
rules and restrictions, every Amer
lean citizen claiming the right to be
"a law unto himself and taking even
la little pride in overriding rules as
"a sign of his Independence; yet all
of us unconsciously do bow TO some
sort of system, fundamentally at
least, and a language without any
recognized rules would be verbal
chaos and take MS back to the con-
fusion of tongues at Babel. Every
thing must have some kind of rules
to go by, whether they are well OBJ
served or not, for the time comes in
every line of human endeavor when
we are glad to go back to first prin-
ciples and take stock of our prog
rcss just as a surveyor goes back to
an established corner to verify and
correct the lines he has laid out. Wo
cannot afford to do without gram
mar.
Yet if grammar is so hard for pu-
pills to master and still harder to put
in practice, why not, instead of abol-
ishing the science just simplify it
and put the learning of clean speech |
on a basis that will be readily under
standable and effectively inc1rpor-
ated into habit? Boys and girls go
to school TO be prepared to properly |
fill their stations in life proftably |
both to themselves and to the race. |
They cannot do their full duty nor |
meet their full opportunities as long |
as their speech is left to happen |
so" The school curriculum is loaded |
down with many things that could be |
better spared than that science which |
teaches how to speak understand |
ingly and with an approximation Of
correctness. The trouble with gram |
mar is that it has been numbered |
things the pupil is expected to alb
sorb whether they are understood or
not Primarily the important thing |
in teaching speech T. the force of
example That does not mean for
malism that borders on affectation,
but a conscientious endeavor that the
pupil shall hear as little as possible
of incorrect and slovenly speaking.
The best efforts of the textbook can
not have as much effect on the
learner as the influence of environ
ment This endeavor must rest
mainly with the teacher, for there is
no way to regulate the manner Of
speech of parents and friends of the
pupil and no way to quarantine him
away from those who murder the
isAil - AtA1' tls' a AtAlAg bN'Al ltiN's llti
must be a fountain of purity some
where from which nc can drink to
his fiji and learn that it pays to be
conscientious g. the use Of language
as well as TO be neat in person or
circumspect in conduct.
Nobody can prescribe a panacea
for the evils OF slovenly language.
No two persons respond alike to
teaching, no two have uniformity Of
environment. and no two have the
same regard for precision. To top
it all off, no two are gifted with the
same talents, and while one may
learn grammar readily and take a
delight in IT, it will be n thorn in
tho flesh for another Yet the use
OF words and the building OF intel
ligiblC sentences is necessary in some
degree to all OF us and 1t is rank
folly TO suggest that people would
get along just as well without any
knowledge OF or desire for clean and
correct methods OF expressing their
thoughts. order is heavens first
law. and order is desirable in Ian
guage as well as in other things.