The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-02-08
Spelling Reform Memorial.

= Spelling Reform Memorial
7 To tie Hono,abic, the Senate 0pd Hons, Of Rcpr
Mntdti,cS IF TIE EHitei States, N Congress dSM5,
\ bied:
Here let there be inserted full statement of the cOnSt
Il eratEons requiring the Resolutions
\ From these considerations We, citizens of tho
state Of -, pray your Honorable body t
adopt, substantially, the following joint resolu
! tons:
RcSolocd by the senate, the house coucurring
! that it is hereby approved Of, and SO far rs i
I may be practicable, it is authorized, in all til,
! typic and script records and CORES ondcncc o
all departments of the government: LIST, Use
for "a when equal to short c, as hclth, wclth; ID
! Omit silent after vowel sound as hav, civ
! liv: Sd, Use I for phi, as hlosotcr, fantum; 4th
Omit one letter of final double, as vii, shall
9Th. Use instead FOR ri when it represents to thu
sound, as visit, lusht.
RtSot,ed, ID. That it shall be the duty of the
Secretary of the Interior to have the above reso.
luton printed in the form Of posters and to for.
ward copy for posting to every office belong.
ing to the governments and it shall be the duty
Of the chief officer of the same to have and to
keep it conspicuously posted in The office.
And your mcmorialsts, rs in duty bound, will
ever pray
Without such JOINT resolutions or law by con
grcss these amendments, recommended by the
Spelling Reform Association, and all similar
amendments in spelling, will not be allowed to
be taught in the schools, for these reasons: There
will always be number of parents in every
school district having a design that some of their
children shall become clerks teachers, or shall
obtain some positions in the service of the state
or national government, FROM which an inability
to spell in the authorized system would ctIcctu-
ally exclude them. Thus it is seen that the new
spelling can now only come into the public
schools incidentally, or rs n supplement to the
present spelling. If the generation now begin
ming to attend school can he taught the new
spelling without an Interference with the usual
proficiency in the present spelling, when they rs
parents come to educate the next generation,
they, understanding both systems, can put the
new system into the public schools. The Spell
ing Reform Association in now recommending
the new spelling to be put into the public schools
to the exclusion of the present spelling are one
generation ahead Of time 1t is obviously true,
first, that to reform spelling some generation mot
a few sporadic Individually must learn both sys-
tens; second, that generation that has learned
to spell in the present system will never learn
few rare exceptions may but they do
not constitute the generation. The letter heads
that have been put in circulation by the Spelling
Reform Association with the hope that the pres
ent generation may learn another system Of
spelling will not be adopted by one person in u
thousand. Third, that the generation that is to
learn the two systems is one that is yet to be
fought to SPELL or, perhaps, is yet TO be born.
In what is this supplementary cducaton-the
new spelling-to consist? How is it to be given
that it shall not interfere with the usual prof
cheney in the present system of spelling? Let
The school law of every state be amended rs fol.
lows:
ARTICLE
SEC |. I'm addition to what is now being
taught in the public schools, the analysis of
words shall be taught,-thGt is, the cnuncatiOn
Of the elementary sounds OF words, in the order
in Which they occur in their pronunciation; also,
The writing of sign for each sound, in either
short or long hand photography.
SEC >. One set of sheet lessons or charts for
each school room for the aforesaid purpose shall
be provided by the school directors, or school
board, as the case may be, which may be altcredl
lr changed for others their pleasure, To be paid
or out Of the public school fund
SEC. 3 There shall be exercises or an cNcr-
Use, daily, Of twenty minutes, rs set forth in
section one; ut first, in lessons of five minutes
vice in the forenoon and twice in the afternoon;
men niue ADVANCED, ltH minutes III LHt
loOn aud once IN the afternoon; finally, in les
sons of twenty minutes once day; or substan-
tally rs described above, that IL lessons I0Hd bel
matted at any time duHiOHd' OD,S Stt be gttet Sd6-
tfgucHtiy. Provided, that children vA" shall have
attended school for two or three wears previous
o the time of taking effect or this act may be
'Xcuscd.
SEC. 4. II shall be the duty OF teachers to do.
Is set forth in sections one and three, and 10 GER
lily to the fact on their school schedule; and il
hall be the duty of the trca-urcro of school
unds to have evidence that sections one aud
hrce have been complied with, such rs VIII peI
afforded 10y said certificates being on the SEIZED
Hes before public money shall be paid upon
hem, or orders of school boards.
SEC. ,. All acts or parts Of acts in conflict
herewith ard hereby repealed.
SIC. q. The time Of taking effect Of this act
hall bc four years from and after it, passage
This legislation carried out for a generation
would make the spelling reform a success. At
he end of that time people may be sufficiently
ducated To legislatc rightly and with unanimity
This plan would endorse particularly no persons
IDEAS or system; for this reason all could co-opc-
ate IN 1t except those who had not confidence in
heir own ideas or system and would expect, I'M
uch an open field aud equal contest to go IN
Ter.
.ietioa of ice Schooi Bodri n Hc.dota on he
subjod;
An experiment on the above plan has been
made in the Blackstone public school Of this
place. To relate IL In detail would bc tedious
L will be sufficient Ia state the result There H.
rot (known) one person who hhs witnessed the
experiment. that does not cOnccdr Il a success
md eminenily 10. That g., they are convinced
hat II the children aud youth receive instruction
Is above proposed they will become proficient
md that these short lessons would be no infringe