Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-12-07

NY JUSTLY tne tendencyAWe evidence
toward letting our thoughts and our
language run down the paths of least
resistance. We say slang saves the
trouble of thinking. 100 true. 1t
also saves the glory Of thinking.
In some circles, especially among
the young folks, the slang used in
their conversation is sometimes repul-
| lsive and even vulgar and indecent.
This is an unpleasant thing to say
and very probably one that some are
unwilling to accept. The deplorable
feature of it is that someone's
| thoughts have not been guarded, and
that which is dominant in a persons S
nature is sure to find some way Of
expressing itself. The language a
community uses is often fair index
to the thoughts it thinks.
Slang, provineialisHs, yulgarisms
and such language diseases contrib
ute to a lack of effectiveness and
exactness in expression. An idea
| that is worthy of clear thinking is
v olthy of clear expression that will
distinguish it from any other idea,
no matter how close the resemblance.
Some words are very much oyerwork-
ed in vain endeavor to express all
kinds and degrees of ideas, as for
instance, nice, splendid, awful, wild.
A simple experiment by Prof.
Judd of the University of Chicago,
| will show the Importance of words
lin expressing the exact shade of
meaning intended. If one is con-
| fronted with large number of
pieces Of gray paper ranging from
black to white, and is asked to dis
criminate as many of these different
grays as he is able to recognize with
lcertainty, it will be found that he
/ can distinguish ordinarily about five
classes Of gray shades. He can dis
| tinguish the very dark from those
(which are medium dark, the very
light from those that are medium
Hight, and he can place between the
dark and the light grays middle
shade which he is not disposed to
classify as either light or dark. Be-
I yond this fivefold discrimination he
will find that he is very uncertain Of.
Now, the individual is allowed to ex-
c.1as1 II Nf
adopt series of names or number
flor them, it will be found that he
can notably increase the range and
certainty of his discrimination when
| these slight differences have been
Disseminated and marked by the at
tachment of names, they can be re-
tanned more easily than they could
as mere unnamed sensation qualities.
The names furnish definite means of
concentrating attention upon slight
/ differences which existed from the
first but We're not noted in expert
cree. This is why we can t'ink Of
Mic green, chrome and canary as ex-
act shades of different colors.
Our language can express the mi
nutest Investigations of scientists,
the most impasiosned flights of ora
tors, and the most learned discourses
of philosophers; but it is at it's best
| in pure simplicity. Nursery words
of one syllable, when exactly used,
are much more beautiful than the
| high-sounding phrases of the "ele-
waited fashion" In former times,
fhard work makes one sweat" nova
! days, excessive labor cause profuse
perspiration" .If man thus over
heated, were to stand in draught he
might catch cold, get very sick, and
even die" But in the textbooks on
hygiene we read: "If person, whose
system is excited by vigorous exer-
tion should suddenly expose himself
to current, of air, he would probably
, check his perspiration and contract
disease which might involve the
most serious and even fatal conse-
quences.%
The eleventh fashion" is likely to
be bombastic, and young folks should
not get the idea that the test of the
usefulness of our education is the
length of the words he uses.
AS Robt. Southey says, at is with
words as with sunbeams, t. more
they are condensed the deeper they
burn
We shall love our flag as the en-
iblep our country and its high and
noble ideals. We should make it like
wise the symbol of unity in a Ian
guage thai is ennunciatcd clearly and
lis spoken artistically, pleasantly and