Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-12-19
A Step in Right Spelling.

The movement to remedy the oross
defects OF the present system-if system
is the proper term for such a chaos
of spelling the English language il
making very gratifying advance. ca.
pecially in the West. Chicago has for
some time been focus of discussion.
and, in true Western style, it proceeds
without ado to put its newly. accented
principles into practice. The Tribune
OF that city has adopted some of the
innovations recommended by the Amer.
lean Pathological Association, taking a
sort Of first step toward revolution. 1t
now fights its old political enemy under
the diminished guise OF "demigog,
throws the egis Of its protection over
the !" pedagog." abbreviates the "deca.
log to meet the requirements Of fast
age. promises to extend the " catalog "
OF its excisions in the future, and thus
takes at a step one of the highest seats
In the phonetic synagog." It COM
presses its proceedings into "pro-
gram" as some New York papers did
several years ago. Generally the effect
OF the changes it has made scarcely in.
terferes with the familiar look of our
old acquaintance. Our friends from
Havana and Turkey are not less vel
come as cigarets," nor are blue eyes
and black eyes any less fascinating as
" coquets;' and certainly the world
does not breathe less freely since the
Tribune has taken up a tuck in the
skirts of " etiquet." The finite remains
as large as ever, but the "infinit" is
diminished at one end, thing that will
please the pessimists who already take
so much delight in the discovery that
lie is not worth living. Occasionally
there is a gain in picturesqueness by
these elisions. Is there not touch Of
grit and of the fretful porcupine given
to the treacherous pretender when his
robe is clipped and he stands simply as
q "hypocrit?" And equally little
lovable quality passes from the look of
the old friends, the old books, the old
loves, when this scythe of modern timo
Tops off abruptly their tender farewells
and bundles them off unceremoniously
as ordinary "favorits." But how much
more will the poets grieve when they
find that the bright creatures of their
thought are mere "fantoms," and that
q little "fonetic " wand sufices to turn
in an instant the vast pageantry of visi-
bic things into simple fantasma-
goria." Truly the fonetic is great
leveler. Under his sway the wisest of
mortals takes his place in the same
rank with the most unwise. He is
robbed of his venerable digraph, and
henceforth "filosofer becomes as
simple as fool. Heretofore the line of
innovation has been the reverse; and
the wearer of cap and bells sought to
pass among the philosophers by adopt
ing the philosophic "digraf." But the
day OF the "phool" is ended.
OF the remaining changes made by
the Tribune, one or two, it seems to us,
are not we'll considered. The use of q
double consonant to indicate short
vowel preceding is an excellent one,
and is shared by English partially with
other cultivated languages. It cannot
be discarded advantageously until we
have distinct signs for the long and
short vowel sounds. Thus in dilemma
the short sound of is clearly indicated
even to 6 reader unfamiliar with the
word. But write it "dilema" as the
Tribune DEGREES, and there might be
doubt whether the vowel should be
long or short.
The Utica Herald, one of the chief
papers of the State, outside of New
York, and a:score of other luminaries
throughout the country, have veered
their orbits to greater or less degree
into the same path of reform. This
fact, taken in connection with the au-
thority of an imposing array of schol-
ars and authors who commend these
changes and adopt them in their own
writing, goes good way toward meet
ing the demand of the canon of good
usage. Too far, at least, for any fu-
ture step backward. In the logic OF
events the movement must go forward.
The Home Journal was not one Of the
last, as its readers are we'll aware, to
advocate the reform of which this is a
slight beginning, and it will not be be-
hind in falling in the step now when
the music begins. It adopts the prin-
ciples approved above, and hereafter
will consider any word spelled accord
ing thereto, in its columns, as rightly
spelled. It would gladly form one of
the high. class journals to adopt in con.
cert still more thorough changes.-N.
Y. Home Journal.