, 1879-08-02

SPELLING REFORM.
What an Editor Says Of Spelling reform
.Tnufnn1tstn

SPELLING REFORM.
What an Editor Says Of Spelling reform in |
journalism.
At the annual Convention Of the Spe1lin8-Fse- |
form Association tn Philadelphia, on Wednes-
day, July 10, paper on "Tlsc Bneflng Reform
III Journalism" was read by 8. N. D. North, OF
the Utica N. ~ Herald. The following % m
abstract.
II language, as The satrtst ssys, was given 10
man 70 CONCEAL Ills thots, the EnRlah speinR
INK at al. Bus II, ~ ws believe, language has a
hies purpose, ,-nnd that tie ll1est purpose con-
esyabl IN . human in,entton,-; shares
aat pqtp9ha0 psh ~ TOR e vsel BY wbsn a
thut. Spelling cnn no nore be Ietcrcd than tl,e
language 1t enbodies. or the mind that speaks
thro the language. Changes both Of language
md s:ellnr arc AZ tneyttabi rs the tlevelopncns
Of the human rAco to which tieg bear wtnes.
They ar dependent upon circumstances; but
| they vii never ceso until humanity ceses 10
lnnouaae Is 1eyond the reach Of human law;
but its spelling Is machinery With a1jusabi
| parts, wholly within the controlo both of law
and reason. THIS Association aeekR to govern
t!,rso changes IN spelling; to direct anil neselrr
ntc thcm BY the application Of scicnt!ac meth
od to the evolution which neither prelude, nor
habit. nor fixed literature can permanently
'e'n, TI,erc i. now but ouu ser.ous tmp.dtncnt In
the way Of the rapid Introduction Of a reformed
| English spelling. The general ncccptsnc, among
those whose ontuion carries Ente, ot the abstract
| principles 1T the BpcfanE Rulorn Association,
| afTuruB every announcement 10 zclus uertever-
| aue. But, III spite Of It, tue spelling rcfnrHl
drugs. Tile Jlfcu'ty. like that which conFfouts
the wu1.bo swimmer, ID to take the first ttung.
No man likes to spel foneticaly, "hue nl his pa
bors are spelling with dictionary At their el6o.
No publisher carcs to dros bis books III rctormcd
spelling when his readess nr st,l welded to de-
| formed apcing The shc1lng Association nav isuc
| It's bulct!ns; the professors may rceumend: The
tiiojoqtsts nny cu,onstra the absurllty Of tits
| voluntary slavery; but st!l It continues. Whcr
| sha, beginning be Hade1 It Is lett for Anest-
| can journalism to make 1t.
Language and 1urnafsn Inv history In farg
mart cotyon 10 both. Both ut crothF, cxpalIi-
| linz and changing, absorbing AMI rejecting. N
| obcdcnc to laws which govern the worlds
progrrs. The lur1la1ist has seen bis profession
develop in Two centuries from di4I,iscd and
illicit pursutt into tilu firth estate Of tho realm.
Yupgcr than the English language, journalism
las1ot up with It mud passed II. as q sistem
regulated and controlled by scteuttf1c principles.
Our printing presses arc two hundred years iu
adyas,c Of cur spelling. Printed language Is sub
ject to tl,c game arbitrary, accidental, contra
dtctorv, and absurd rules which governed its
orthografF when EnE3and mentsned nnd just.
was senteNced 10 ]nc, the nt!osy, the los 81 big
ears, and imprisonment for lifc, bccoz be dared
to print In deijanc of the 'lcenaer; when the
| lOtsLF 0l LIE pres mas NLupfA VI pultlcAt
tircatncr.. Dut journalism, which has conquered
Its way thro' the royal itee,kcr, thEo' the pata-
mcn:ary prohibition. thso' the common law
maxim -"tt,e CRATER the truth the crater the
aueut Witness Of tile advanc ct civilization
i,suslism tttl rests uuder an intellectual bond
age as stayist mud cxa,tinE az that legal dures
from which It has escaped. Tie time has truly
from the English oEtlogrnfy OF the il'terate
| printers Of the sixteenth century.
In anr calculation Of Tie probabilities OF the
Introduction Of reformed English spelling, the
newspaper pres must hc regarded as chief
agency. While it remains hostic or Indifferent
which Ia tho most cffcctiy hoslfIit5-tle spel-
Ing reform can never tnke firm hold ether unon
the book-nakers or the school tcnchers. The
lattuy especially aF handicapped by precedent, Ii
bondage to lonC-prinscd text books, MIR! at the
mercy Q! the poouiHr prc!nu1c or ihdtiefcnee:
Not SO .he pres: u may dictate tho spelling Of
+ is not possible to oycrestimate the tni1u-
ence. direct snsl Indirect, which this endcs 10 u-
| tIpltcation and circulation OF printed pages ex-
els unpp asv afep av mornIi. a1 ~
- , 49, asoinaIr ,.r,nt,,niv fr,a inIirsrt in
hs
the public eve is vastly Ercser than tss direct
effect nnou The thot anu opinion oi the world.
The indltset iniocnc ns lasts.s eaerscu upon tie
worltis current seshaeu!ar: 4ost " .ne cn2oEss
~ ortheFats ausnis 'nc lass eSntuty ta.s eou1
about tire nc pros. a. Kteaa;hs Wnat tl!e
pres nus a'IeuJ uou !oF .t.s Eo.s !hoEuatG .t,f, T.
tt1s rcspscl -Wnetnea "l1ell or un"'sety, tnis u
NOT the tln'c 70 1uanset-Ml sais ~ aseIs l!a
tie 8pellne 1e1osil ~ - moI@ ~ mRa!u .ni eon.oas
ot It's poWsfs, hI1u tnat u - ae natuIat anssoe1
oecaus y. !Is - .rsT,t, ht .,.a. e.eA s
latsons to Tue pepie tnro' ~hleh that worn
must DC accoipplIsncu' Mncn unitco ptcs ust
atoptso tHe IeanTnGa oILuE ElnlJ, t1G lioo4sn !, 4
solEGu; lol ~ ~ uG me tsss % VI ~ Mos..
int0 1t IN se!,aGien1 ,a,a ~ & aos seaoFaotSes a
The pres VI u.e United States mas hxet
! G40tk Oh M0FIIlE q LELu 4AHkEI lAHH lAE EuG4