Mr. George Riddle '74, spoke last evening in Sanders Theatre, under the auspices of the University Debating Club, on "The Decadence of English Speech." Although, he said, the English language is, when spoken by the best speakers, a most vigorous as well as an exceedingly sweet and poetical language, it is in its usual utterance even among educated people, and especially in the United States, the most abused language in the world. For the last twenty years there has been manifest in the professions and in society a carelessness in speech and in manner of delivery which makes one ask: What is to be the end of this decadence?

Mr. Riddle gave many illustrations of the common errors in pronunciation and enunciation and in oratorical and the atrical delivery. While in subject-matter public speakers have broken loose from the conventional, in manner of speaking there has been very little progress. In the desire to be colloquial, speakers have become too familiar with their audiences and have failed to realize that careful training is requisite for simple, and convincingly effective public speaking.

It is probable, he said, that the revival of debating by the universities, accompanied as it is by coaching both on matter and form, may restore the vogue of the orator. The best speaking of today is that which is heard on university platforms.