The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-18
THE PHONETIC SYSTEM.

CINCINNATI, March 20, 1850.
To the Editor Of the National Era:
Your reviewer, in noticing Komstok's Fo-
netik Testament raises three objections to Pho
netic reform If the crowded state Of your COL
umns will admit of 1t, wish, briefly, to notice
those objections. First, it is objected, that
for ordinary use, people who read must learn the
common character at any rate for century or
two. or till all literature Of value, dictionaries,
&c. have been translated, so that they cumber
themselves with two alphabets instead Of one"
To this I would say, that numerous expert
meuts have satisfied the advocates Of Phoneti,
reform, that TO learn the old system, by far the
easiest method is, first to learn the new, after
which, the common spelling can be read without
further instruction. The Ohio State Teacher
Association, held in Columbus December 26tl
and 9th, ls49, unanimously passed the following
resolution
Whereas the subject Of Phonetic Spelling j.
attracting much attention from the general pub
lie. and whereas the friends of the Spelling Re
form claim that children can be taught to read by
the Phonetic system in one-eighh Of the time non
yequired and that after acquiring the art OF read
ing the new system, they can also, mnhom f1the'
Instruction. read the common spelling therefore,
q Resolred, That this Convention recommend
10 school teachers and school trustees the propri-
ETY. of testing for themselves, by actual expert.
ments in school, the value Of the Phonetic
system"
And IL is In this that our stronghold lies. Let
us once convince teachers and managers Of schools
that TO learn the new system Is not to "cum-
herr the mind Of the pupil with useless learning,
but that, IL no other use Is subserved, the pupil
Is enabled more easily to acquire the new and the
old systems together than he is to acquire the old
~ =. A - 4 and fha raFnr RIM
is accomplished.
The other objections are, our strong attach
ment to the old photography, through the 4" force
of association with the actual appearance OF ia
miliar words; - and "the fact that their pro-
posed system is not the written English tongue,
but device Of modern ingenuity"
IL is true that II is natural for us to love things
that have become famiarized to us by old acquant-
ance Yet, In the worlds progress we are COM
pelled sometimes to acknowledge that our old at
tachments have been misplaced ;-and learning
Judgment from the past, We look upon new things,
"a thew present themselves, as involving some
thing more than the question whether they Will
interfere with the theories, notions or formulas
of this generation, but the questions arise, what
are TO be it's effects upon the progress of the age
Are the means Of moral and intellectual improve
ment to be augmented by them7 Are men to be
made more free. and enlightened, and happy,
through its means7 Such questions are involved
in a consideration Of the merits Of this reform.
But space does not allow me to discuss them fur
ther here.
Az 10 the relative merits Of Komstoks and
Pitman,s alphsbets, ! think that, although the
former may be more pleasing TO the eye OF the
Greek scholar, yet the fact that the latter more
resembles our old spelling, is stronger argu-
meut in rs favor.
Yours, &C. r. u. ADAMS