The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-11-07
BETTER ENGLISH URGED
CONTINUED From Page one.)

burning words of Lowell when he
said, in response to Carlyles critic
ism of America: where was there
q country before in the history OF
the world That went forth not in the
quest of, gold but OF Cod
Principles of True Anlericanism.
Those principles o. true American
inn, the speaker declared, are to Be
attained by people Of this country
reading the works of the best
american authors, studying the
speeches of the great statesmen o.
this land ard lby knowing and recoe
niZins the principles embodied il
the Declaration of Independence and
n the American c9rsi,utien
How csn we better attain t,ac--
principles than through the gateway
OF human speech he asked.
Speaking of the foreign born ele-
ment in this country Dr.. Burton de-
clared that in this small far western
city, people realized nothing Of The
pplys'ot population # New York.
The. city he described 'only as 2
vast. roundup 81 foreignerG." TO hea-
lhc rcreign tongues spoken there. &c
sec the foreign newspapers and t.
realize, the number OF people That
die not speak word of English. n
declared, pictured ~ actual menace
3i'nis IS no Nayi;tF i2laginat ion
he declared elnphGticaIiy. a wanl
70 tell VOC English is-on trial It has
20 work for It's very life"
Turning 10 the opportunities o.
Tered for hot'er speech Dr.. Burton
said: we have a glorious tongue
10 handle"
TO speak better English, ne sale
Il was necessary TO read the best
authors, hear the hest speakers an,
10 practice better speech in every
day conyel sation Awerica, he point
ed Ont, offeres such great opportuni-
lies that all should regard as a pri-
sledee the opporuni.v - ssn ~
perfect the mother tongue of this
land.
This Country Is Superior.
Our schools, our institutions, our
cities and our country as a whole
are superior TO anything abroad" he
declared. Il sometimes think this
government could almost afford TO
send US all abroad and bring u
homo again that we might better ap.
preeiate what we have here"
Il would have the Declaration OF
independence SO widely known that
whenever it is mentioned it would
strikes a responsive chord in every
student. / think that the constitution
of these United States should be-
come a part OF the educational sys
tenn of the nation" he declared.
DR.. Burton called attention to the
fine examples of good speech con-
tanned IN the speeches, writings and
addresses of President Wilson and OF
Theodore Roosevelt. He strongly
condemned present day methods of
teaching English in many schools
End universities, Professors lie as
study of the English language the
study of science when it should be
The study of q great. live human sub
ject. Speaking of his own experience
IN furtherins his studies in English
he said: Il chased the 'umlaut
around foreign corners for four
years"
An Encouraging Sign.
DIR. Burton declared that the OBJ
servance OF a coed speech week was
10 his mind very ENCOURAGING sign
He called the atteni ion of the audi
ence to the great need for good
speech in every calling. TIE actor
the lawyer, the teacher, the clergy
1900
practical standpoint the saiesmar
and the businessman oF evcrv line
he said, need and wii1-hettc- success
IN their life work if they know an
use the lest English
Make every word a winged him
roing home TO its mark the human
heart" he said.
Training OF children to modulate
their voices and to. use tho best
speech, he declared Was necessary
Because Americans live in q temp
crate climate where the natura,
tendency is to hurry and rash, DR.
Burton stated that people here had
developed the habit OF allowing their
voices raise to a high, keen pitch
which was not found among the peo-
pie of other lands. He declared that
the human voice was the means OF
Judging the character of many peo-
pie and urged that Americans take
more pains to speak correctly and &c
control their voices. %
A large audience greeted DR.. Bur-
ton at the Mankato theatre, nearly
every seat being filled. President G
H. Cooper of the state normal school
introduced the speaker.