New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-22
THE TRIBUNE,S PREMIrM

The selection Of Wcbster's Unabridged Dictionary
as n premium for subscribers 10 THE WEEKLY and
sEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, together with the fact
that We have distributed within few months a
very large number OF copies, seems to have oc-
casioncd considerable uneasiness on the part Of
some people. 1t Is intensified. too, in some dlrcc-
tions because Of casual statement Of compare
tively recent date that we had adopted the orthog
raphy Of another dictionary rs the standard IN IHE
TRIBUNE Office. The commercial use made OF this
in itself trtng Circumstance-was, perhaps, quite
natural considering the active competition between
two great publishing houses but 1t Is fair for The
TRIBUNE to say that too sweeping an Inference has
been drawn from the slight change thus made IN
the practise OF our composing and proof rooms.
We do not regard any dictionary of the English
language as n final standard in photography and
recommendations There can be standard when
good usage allows more forms than one. We have
preference IN the matter Of orthography for the
old ways-that IA all and it is merely because on
a few words another dictionary adheres TO these
old forms where Webster docs not, that we use 1t rs
a puide and are thus said TO have Endorsed It,
Many other authorities. equally as good as our
selves hold TO Websters spelling of theatre, tray-
eIer syrup ETC., and it is by no means certain that
he il not enthusiastically correct Here at any rate
he Is consistent he adhcres to ms rules 10 the ehd
and they are gradually coming to be more ana more
accented. When Webster began his Innovations pub
lie almanac, etc. were spelt with final 4. honor
with n after the final vowel and soon. Now perhaps
but dozen or two Of words separate him from the
forms accepted by what we still regard as the best
because the conservative usage; and who shall say
how long these shall be left to us There certainly
does seem to be no philosophical or pathological
reason for spelling metre, a measure, with ire ana
diameter, a measure across, ter The French words
ohambro cidre, entire, and others, in uniformity
with their English pronunciation, have become
chamber cider. enter. etc; why should the few re-
naming words Of this class continue to present the
anomaly of the French orthographyi But it is n
case where usage sanctions two. gives both
forms, putting his own first.
Respecting tho pronunciation Of the English Ian
euage, 1t would be even more difficult to fix upon
a standard for il, than for orthography. A Yankee
from Yale, an Engishman from Cambridge, an
freshman from Trinity, and Scotchman from st.
Andrews-all may speak and write the language
with absolute accuracy, but their pronunciation
will DO widely divergent There can be no doubt
that Webster on this score is as safe guide as can
be had. The principles as laid down in the work
are thoroughly and carefully elaborated in their APP
plicatIon to each individual word, and the best
usage of both hemispheres. the result of wide OBJ
servatOn, correspondence and comparison with the
labors Of leading current English photographers
have combined 10 fix upon q rule which can
hardly DO improved.
After all, the vital things about dictionary are