The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-10-05
10. R. V. J.T.

My friend Of bridgeport, in his discus
sion Of the spelling reform Sept 3OIh,
pledges undying loyalty, not only to the
profound learning and grand literary
achievements Of our worthy ancestors,
but pleads for unchanging devotion even
to the NntiQuated mediums through
which II knowledge Of their elOQuence,
wit, and wisdom have been transmitted.
According to his logic, the dilapidated
goose quill with which Milton penned
his immortal verse, and the greasy parch-
ment on which Bacon wrote his treatise
on physics, should b, the REGULATION"
stationary for all future time because,
fOrsOOth, men had discovered no better
material for the work two centuries ago.
Does not the gentlemen think those
heroes Of English literature have long ere
this turned unCasily in their narrow
houses, and rent their CcrGments in dis.
gust at the mrrciiyiOus chHgtM hustle
above them, rs the locomotives thun:
der past "lhe cities Of the dead,' or
the Iighlnings clad in British post
al harness, llash the latest news
athwart the realm, when the good old
pOstChaic, Nt 10 miles II day, was fast
enough in their day. The gentleman is
doubtless III favor oil Improvement in
arts, science ana commerce! but on tue
subject OF Orthography he Is most rev
crently 0rtl tlOdoX, ndc0nseFvatiye to the
core. Shakespeare used il, md 80 did
IIutlcr; henrcforwnrd let no impious hand
dare TO mar its SYMMETRY. True, u stu
dent in our public schools now could
about aS easily read the sign manual oI
wall Lee, rs TO deGipher the 0riEIh0l
manuscript oi the "nard OF Avoni nut
though II does entail years OI lrkSolnG
drvidgery on every chlld OF America, ana
wiring millions Ol money from honeSt III;
dustry, ana carry ulSilny 10 the hGArt OIL
every foreigner %Eo wishes To acquire our
",VernaC,nlar, syn Us 700 sacred 70 NC
cnaHgeu' . US renI opJyc'tonsI cn1esHi,
rlcalIy considered, "re' tIrSI, III wOnIM
create an ehtlre new moderh language
I'm INC contrary phOhe'icS wouI" neither
introduce @SihRIe new w"ru mo 'le Iah'
gnage, abolish one now III use, chailSe
their PRONUNCIATION, nor alter inc
phraseoIogy "l our mother Tongue IN the
most remote degree; 'he single oolec9
sought Is more ""IlHe anu Ger."m repre-
senlaiion ol inc sPoReh wOru 70 Ihe eye
III rhohoiypy Ihe present nlp,'apet IS
used, nut eacu lG''er % y Co'''lIeu ,, 10 snc NC
representation .! u slng'G eleIllcht"ry
SOUND, ana seventeen I, new cii"r"c!crT ., mre
adopted TO compete IUe oTlgihaI, phl'o
S9phlG"l anu aeSolu'ely perleci system oi
alphnbetlc writing Vl1'' one letter, ana
bnl one, lOr C"ch sO'lnu. ne use o. tie
oId letters gives sucIl a familiar cI'aTac, rae,
tef 10 ihe l'No"e'lc ortIogt"pny l'a' Du'
n lew hol'rS are re.iulreu lot any one Gu
pane OF reAulng lhe pteSent system 10
rehuer 'lc iihpFoN'a S'yic W''l' , EuSe u'''i
ll9ennG,yi therefore ~. Al, AZ J3IIy school ,
oil oIu DacheIors "'G MINUS, n"u No.u''i.m'
Ous tran'lallohS ol hnS'y TONES, are
wholly visionary. .
VplectlOh ~. nuch SyNein ol nom'
chclatnrc wOniu rehuer our "iplaOet III
arrangement oi gtun'S anu lIl, MISSES. ,, ler,
nap: II wo'in, Dut II thS ytu"" IN" nt"'S I,t.'s
are IN our NcrIlucLl!"T i' the new sy'tru,
only more clearly ueVeIoPeS tne iact pu'
IS certainty h't c'l"TRrnplc WIN thc'r l'l'
trodnctiOn., IL you nave any ueslre ior
contest on tllat question, reler you TO Tue
C@sar', the sanscrl', or 70 AIam, Dut Pray
10 not impllte the origin o, ihe eyll 10
phonography. ODlecuoh "rH. Every
teacher knows the amount OF tHNatioh on
tlle memory OF young pupts ~ acquiring
the names OF tie ~ le'Iers' we uo hEt a
deny that II will take longer to learn 40
than ~ letters; bnt Dy inc new system,
when the pupil does learn ne ~ letters,
the whole diilicuItyol spelling and pro-
nunciation Ia completely mastered lie
can spell or pronounce any and every
word in the Language, accurately and win
promptness and mathematical certainty
an acquisition whlch nel.I'er - ,.l,i N. nor
nor "nny other man ever viii obtain ny
the present method. The difference i'
fairly stated thus: In photography you