New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-17
pPNJTFNCJ SPELLING.

How would it do to introduce the SpelllnS
Match as O part of prison discipline or prison
dversion7 There is reason to believe that the
inmates of our penal institutions are frequently
deficient in the Orthographical accomplish
ment. There is indisputably character In
the Erie County (Pa.) Penitentiary who II he
were let out to attend the combats now gong
on, would create amusement even II he did
not afford exemplary instruction. A report IL
appears had gained currency that the keeper
of this Bastile allowed whisky to be brought
Unto the prisoners" and these captiyes beng
Informed of the scandal deputed one Oh their
number to contradict it in letter to the
Judge of the Criminal Court. This mlSsive
begins by assuring his Honor that the War
den has always " Fought aganste any Spertule
flicker What Ever to be brot to any Pursons
Gin the Jail" Notwithstanding this vigilance
of the Warden and "Scheriei," one Michael
Ryan, who was in for dammadges," feloni-
ously and with malice aforethought "got a
"Bottle of whisky By the aid of Sum Out
"sider thrO' the winder which the Warden
"and Scherief was Perfectly Innosent Of"
Upon the contents of this illicit flask, Michael
Evan "became So dsOrdly that the Scherrief
chad to lock him in his CELL when he also
"abused the Scherief in the most Shameful
manner; then to git his Revenge ho makes
ga charge against the Warden for allowing
"Whisky to come into the PRISONERS, Which
"he knew nothing about" We submit that
"a prisoner" who smuggles in whisky, gets
drunk, and then vilifes the Warden, is fully
entitled to at least sixty days additional.
Another languishing captive. Lewis Bower
by name, was visited by a friend who, being
asked by the warden if he had any whisky
concealed in his clothes, sterniy repudlated
the ungenerous imputaton, and all the time
(as the letter informs us) had Botel in his
Boot leg" Well may the indignant writer
exclaim: 81 schOuld think thoes parties
Would be ashamed of themselves after
"being treated kindness as they haive while
"they wos here" 1t Is MT Gas he remarks)
"half way deasont," when those parties have
"ben granted all the privylidges that could
be Expected in a Jail" This letter, the
handiwork of one man, was signed by twelve
inmates of the dungeon, and as they thus
made themselves responsible for the document,
it is fair presumption that none Of them
spell any better than their secretary.
Whoever desires to draw an inference from
these facts is at liberty to do so. Would these
DOOR fellows have been In this trouble if they
had studied their book, attended school reg
ularly, and secured what is called "a good
English education ~ present the facts to be
wrestlcd with by the votaries of induction and of
deduction, each according to the method dearest
to his philosophical soul. Is a man who spells
"Scheriefn in a manner so wildly independ-
ent more likely than another to fall into the
captivating hands of that functionary9 Would
Mr.. Charles Yelowplush have been more
virtuous and exemplary person ii he had
better compreheDded tho orthodox way of
writing his mother tonguef We are not pre-
pared to answer the question. We know,
however, that not long ago no writer was
thought to have the least pretension to humOr
who did not mangle and maltreat honest
words-who did not appeal to our sense of
fun by degrading the personal pronoun to an
"i,r and make words out of letters with
lunatic irregularity. This kind of drollery has
at last become a little tedious, and it Is a
consolation to know that it promises to 90 out
of fashion altogether. Since the National
mind has suddenly awakened to the beauty
and virtue of correct spelling, we fear that
large number of American humorists will find
their occupation "done gone" Ii is to be
hoped that when they come back to Christian
methods they will not discover that they have
forgotten how to spell correctly altogether.