It has been the practise at the Cheshire Cheese Inn in the trans-Styx London, where post-mortem encyclopedists have their "clubs," to make light of the modern verbal reformers and "simplifiers." It was immediately seen, however, that Andrew's addition to the reformer's fold put a very different complexion on the case.
"Sir," said the doctor to Boswell, in his best "bow-wow" manner, "I have never slept an hour less nor eat an ounce less meat on account of these caitiffs, but now that the Scotch barbarian, that futile Highland Cherokee, has supplied them with money, they may ruin the language in a twelvemonth."
"I don't see, sir," replied Boswell, "why my countryman did not confine his charities to libraries and hero funds."
"Because, sir," thundered the doctor, "he is insane on the subject of charity; he could not make a worse use of his money than thus to threaten the integrity and purity of the great vehicle of expression."
"There is, however, sir," replied Boswell, "something to be said in their favor; thru saves three letters over through, catalog saves two, becaws one; they take less ink, and less room on a page; think of----"
"Well, sir," said the doctor, "suppose they do; what of that? A man with his arms and legs off would take up less room. You take up less room than I. Does that make you any more valuable to the world?"
"I can see no logical objection, sir," replied Boswell, "to the omission of silent letters. They do no good----"
"No good, sir!" snarled the doctor. "There are some letters, sir, as there are some men, who do themselves more credit, sir, when they are silent."
Samuel J. Barrows Gives Reasons For Favoring the Indeterminate Sentence For Convicted Criminals.
Times and conditions have changed since Dickens and Charles Reade aroused the English-speaking world by revealing the inhuman abuses of the English prison system. To-day humane treatment is taken as a matter of course. The chief aim of the modern criminologist is not to punish the criminal but to cure him; and in curing him the first agency is fair treatment. Therefore is urged the necessity of making the penalty more nearly fit the crime.
According to Samuel J. Barrows, president of the International Prison Congress, "it is still more difficult to make the penalty fit the offender." In a recent article in the _Outlook_, he enters a plea for safeguarding the "indeterminate sentence" for convicted criminals. The best criminal code, he says, is an arbitrary instrument, and it is impossible, on any principle, so to construct one that the penalty and crime are commensurate. After making this assertion, he continues: