The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-10-25
Spelling EefOIIp.

Spelling Reform.
Editors OF the Register.
Isit not remarkably strange that,
whilst such rapid progress is being
made in nearly all the appliances Tor
making earning easy through the me
dunn OF improved states, aad black
boards, and Autographs, ard marvel
ous}y simplfied textbooks; willis:
millions Of dollars are annualIy invested
II philosophical, chemical aHl ss;ro-
nomical apparatus, and Iajor-sariag ma.
cLiqery has almost destroyed the origin
al significance OF the term manufacture +;
whilst distance has been almost aa-
nihilatei, and time left nearly tweuty-
four hours behind lime, and "O'd Pro-
Liabilities" charts out the storm-paths
end sunshine before their birth whilst
Tile Art pTeSsrrativc OF all arts," has
been so far perfected that the once
pr,Celess volumes are now sold at . tri-
/. per cord, and Ne'cs papers are thick
- autumn leaves almost; is it not re-
markabIy strange that the Crank Ne
dun, Orthcgrsphy, through which all
our accumulated knowledge ia manly
transmitted, kas been allowed 10 re-
main. not only in ia rudimentary state.
hut 10 constantly acquire new elements
Of confusion, till it is now in such q
complete tumble that 90 one burst a.
tempt its vindicstion. So ronsensical
aad sbsurdly ridiculous is il. that even
the Man in the Mooa," who is said to
hold his nose and drop q tear as he
ra,ses over disli!lery, will certainly
Ue fourd (when our telescopes are i'm
proved little) to put his thumb TO biz
nasal organ and laugh uproGriOusly on
hearing our school ma'an giving the
juveniles their first lessons in English
Orthography. But could ne realize the
draft on the temper, and nerves, OF
teacher aud pupils Tor days and months,
acd yeara. in their futile efforts to mas
ter our JGrjlrouS spelling, no; al the wa
ters OF the moon Ct there are any there
would suffice him for tears TO shed over
our wrercheiness
Lstus examine the epeliiDg OF few
Of the most simple and common words !
in the language, as dag, cay, sec, ice DC. !
viii some kind friend please give any
~sssOu .or the terminal letters being
a.lchci on to the otherwise simple or
thosraphy; thereby increasing the la-
Dor Of writing one third and destroyH:
e.! their simplicity. In such words as
board, baim, az, add, condemn, &c, We
desire to know the rs: Of the i,alic,sci |
,r,;ers, and fDally, We much desire to |
Enow the use OF any silent letter.
But silent letters are not the only |
trouble to be overcome IN learning TO
s2s.. To represent the simple vowel
sound !, We have q, ay, ey, e., ale, et, |
e-h, "a, and perhaps many more com~
b,aa0ors equally absurd, withou: a .
%iagle Inte.hglble rule to guide Us
ID our selection. Again, 10 represent
tie sound OF Q, we have o, or, o"r,
on, 90, eaw, aux. ew aud oUgh, from
which 10 draw, but wholly &, ScI as TO
rules. Nest Of the other leus-s have
various combinations TO renre.e"t
lhsm; al used without the 'cas. tys-
TEN or analogy; whilst each simple
elle. is made to do duty 10. several
thereu, sounds. A foreigner, unac.
42a;n,ed with the Je2n.iES OF oar or
biography, would very likely spell po-
,a;o thus: P-ovgh-pt-tigh.phtt.apr
he would stand fully as good chance
Of icing struck by lightning, OF
y).:ng foc aa honest man !Or Congress.
.2! much better chance OF drawing
o2s OF Mr. Bakers Ddrhams at the
.thcoming REGisTsR gilt distribution,
iaaa q s}s!.:Ug potato correctly Inc
d'st trial.
But it g rot the spelling Of the gen.
orally recognized difficult words such
as t-h-o-u'g-h-sjx letters for two
sounds. S-l-e-i-g-h-s;1 letters for
;hree souDds-but the tolal want OF
system in the more simple words that
Constitute the g7sa, mass Of our LAM
;Uage, entailIng the absolute necessity
Vt learning each word a, Srpqrats pic.
"lr. TO eDahle Us to spell correctly, e.
task no one ever sccomplished) that
calls most urgently for reform The
:'Vst step towards reform should
5e the dropping OF ali silent lc,-
,'r, and next, the incorporation Of
sufficient number OF new letters to allow
\. AND BUT ONE character for each elc-
mentary sound. Instead OF Iaborious,
.'H'ome and rerer-ending study, Ipell-
.as aud pronunciation will then be re-
lnced to mathematical certainty, aud
&cqu'rable in one hundredth the time
Usually devoted 10 them. Finally, il
''y teacher, Prot. A. NJ. or LII D,
oE any Other man knows Of sny reason
va! the Hpsl5in9 Reform should not be
SStSocssts5, let him say so, or forever
S''' &a. J.