, 1879-02-15
SPELLING REFORM.

AHe k%u ETelL ulllleAitlt3 LllAL confront 1f8 IN
attempting this reform ar: ~ To oycrcomo
the feeling tint tEcr Is something akin to sacrcd-
ness in our present mo1a Of suclling, aud tas
It Gun only he toucht with sacrileEtus hands j;
and (2) tn ngre upon Hhat system slal be the
successor to our present ,tnsystcn,. For Tho ac-
compllshment OF the first, II seems to
mo to be the duly Of spelling -retormcrs 10 correct
some Of the snost obvtus btunlers In our present
ortnograty In all their writing, whether for tic
press or IN privato corrosnondence. In tllis WY
t!le rcading public wuh aoon get accustomed to
tho Idea Of stmolilied spelling. Prof. whitney
saYs, II We cau teach peopl not to shutl1cr when
they son, word mfsspclld. something good vii
COME OF 1t.
The public must bo educated to feel TINT SPELL
ing is our servant, and not oNr mnstcr. When
this feeling becomes prevalent, VIC vii not fall
10 10 tnsh has3 nomi 70 So 10" 1t ea1 be nade to scrv
rhe III a'nsrisan Fiiolor1cal Association ba,
recommended the following reformed spelling
Us q beginning:
II Tne ,a, THU ssta, essa1og. ar CIV liz, ay dea.
II We can gct these spellinrs alopted,-anll
surely. no pcrsun living eall gtv my rceson wlsr
they stlld not Gs,-we might icel tat tile spell
Ing refur1n WAS vel under way.
As to The accuua difficulty, but llttl can be
accomplish by nowspapur-d discussion. This il
very sal!laf,i, however, ny way Of attracting at
tentton to the subeet, exciting tlIo't, md etl,l-
cutting the fonetic sense OF tho pcop!. But VIC
can never reach OIL agreement In this way. This
can only 20 done III onc ol two Ways: ~ Byn
commission OF scholars, appointed either BY
Goyernncnt or BY educational Institutions; or
~ W moro or less gradual growth. Such .
Commission shnd be raised as crfy as PRACTICABLE
and our Board Of Education u.,tl others ar uYw
petittoning Congress for Its appointment. lts
oce!siutis Wau, ul course. not % o1naing. but
WIN posssss sueu wy. as 70 create substantial
i1,cr ia M nrc'' i,o,vrvor In ,,. H..
appointment nud decisions Of such cnn,tniss o
before making beginning. It may never bo
appointed, In Which case Tie sccoi,l method wll
W.. w. our .1,,,9 9g ~ aaseaae. her Is no reason why
aliv mn,,y ynrste IN ~, ~ ts.t ~ spG ioaete
no splttc, uI ,en nj To lin list na faat ~ n,,r.
thing Hike IN agreement can DO rearht,. Ger
.atniy 70 spelling-folofler ca!i iatl to cndorse
tnr Rrfor Assnr.tio,, ~ W .c spell
Thev vii simplify Tic smelling OF vnry MANI @
words:
!. Omit from The dIarat "a when pronounst ~
aoss etsar .art ~ ~ H msd nstl' &C. OMIT silent
{ Tor m IL such words a. ajfnbet fantnm. c,c my
When word cnds with doub1e letter, omit tho
wharo M y hns n S s,,;; ss, cse M ., Ea sa anal ~
e,c. ' 1''N y '' 'A''t' '''p'es''
AS to details OF the comjuE syatem, It's aavo-
eatSs saSs snnu i'o!u thetr personal preferences
wmcnrycr 4 s,c'ns "a ,>se,,an r a. ~ E nsin Up
UrGlCrGtiCis la ll0f1 1kt4r tn nrfnp aFH Err
one, am willing to susrcnder every peraonai
preierGuce md accept my consistent system
TINT the PUBLIC vii Adppt.
ltaVinE satd So much, vii, with yur perms-
Sion, gsy my Views OF tho coming systcm iu tu-
ture communication. g. D. D.
TWO MORE OBJECTIONS TO THE srzL11xo-nz.
FORM coNs1pEltgp,
IA ,bs Edttor of TAe rrih,,r.
Curctoo, Fef, ia wrttcr IN r1r .r,,,,,>,,
W ua's "anes LIZ ooJcctoh 10 reform
systetn Which would Grcatly esscn tile tfne re-
g1,Ecd to learn spelling, that 1ong time Il IT,
seufiai; that those years of nnr1Jt,atton ors =
nr,, r,nu,.;,a u.ui,,,se - ~. 49,
os"e"s'4' "'o 'ea"'''A' o'sc'p''ao u t1e young
Hino'
DIscfnlne Is good; but there are WAYS and
ways Of taking np the time Of children. wo
~ .l.1,s, T.. e,'".' W ny '"e hs.e're
ot enlla ~ a.olasses nt rive 1t lew fcatlIerst
anil Its mind would be absorbed for hours In
picking thu feathers of those }pcers. Doubt
lrss thare Ia u,,tv /, th1s t,ntl ~ - 1.,r1,,, u
n,,t .,,n .,t,n ,..,,,, ,,,..,. "'sp''I'
uot '"e ea'sa "o"tu l'ae!5 oeeoHe wiser oy
spending fsact!onof tho time with tic feathers,
anu us!uc The b4tapco tp crucpfnr about md be.
coming fan,,liar with o,lrr thIn~s. ''' 0''>' ~
G.. s,.t.s....,- .',"...., .''''ro. .... 49,.
ao. a.aoosn aut'ltua. 'hat catld's me'nofy
mn! u!aeta,a'o'ne arc ulse'p!lncd ansl hcnceted
n rhI1 cn,, NJ, a, m cn,n, o,,.tsnn" H., ." ,
-, VII. u" oIuA4 e,"e'e"es III spe'
y .nG II T. e,,.R.'.gm sys.ehl N ohe year, nmI
~, ~ luz e Fes"ag ~ s tnsSe or ioar years
~ ,i ~ - ~; H., ,,s " ,s Willis taa learned 10
p,. ~ W. ~ a,"t 'Gss oa.ela! q sle mum"
@ 'casu'aoS "1oFa 'a1'uolo 10 the hn
oe.sta.uln3. ...'
,s.,,t'ia, s,nIsr ol'ettoh anvacea7or, father, .
see'n.1s't paalslo'o arsus.lent ~ favor u our
nrcsont tor'uous ortl'9sra,,t'y-ts !luat It's lt-
Hefs,ty ,a essehtsa1 70 koWietl'.e OF Thy mean
''E w !a'a: "oIas RoE instance, ~. and sow'
INV sew, uto nceessarlf safaea III tl,elf SPELL
hlEt uecaHse, Wh'ie pronounced nllket they Aafo
Varied hisnlllcalsons.-tns spcllt'l. being our
man eflterlon 10 determine ater meaning.
!! tsils he 10. wl'en you read s'o'w how DO
you aetrrhinu whether 1t !nenns 70 scatter seed,
or i isin'nlh1 porclne,-tAe exclusive brlst!e.
bearer. tlat Is renowned for setl!s, a'sd 'tos&
etl1agh to get a. tile root ot thiigs!
Mheh you come 10 o-e.a'r, Aow 10 you know
Whct!cr y n'ea's to prnalsec or to carry along,