The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-22
The proEre.. orspeIIInr neror,n

The ~ y. Independent publishes the adj
drea' with which DR.. Francis A. March, OF
Lafayette College, the President Of the
Spelling Reform Association, opened The
recent convention Of that body in PhiIa-
dclphIa. 1t ian review OF the 'prcscnt
state Of the spelling reform in America"
and gives with some detail those signs OF
tho times by which DR.. March is able to
register u positive progress which will sur.
prise some people who have sneered at the
movement rs impractiCable or thrown
cold water upon thy declaring it impos-
sible. Dr. March recalls the fact that the
vigorous society Of which he is the distin.
mishel president, was only organized in
1879, 50 that whatever progress has already
been made in this country Is the work oithe
Intervening three years. lie notes rs one
great source Of encouragement, the gen.
eral admission, on the part OF the great
authorities in p~hiloIogY, in education, and
in craftsmanship, that the present orthog-
rnphy Of the English language Is unhis-
toriC, %unscientifc, and capable OF vast i'm
%prOvement, He quotes, among those who
have loaned their influence to the reform,
tho nance Of Prof. Max Muller, Of the
University Of Oxford; Prof. Whitney, Of
Yale, Dr.. Thomas, Of Kings College, Lon.
don, Bishop Thirwall, the author Of the
History Of Greece" Lord Lytton, the
late Prof. Hadley, DR.. j. Hammond Trum-
bull, the late John Stuart Mill, Charles
Sumner, Hon. William +. Gladstone, Sir
g, E. Trevelyan, and others. 1t Is cvi.
dent that those who believe in tile re.
form have plenty Of the best company.
But Dr.. March gees further aud asserts:
Il DO not know Of RsingIe scholar or en-.
inent educator Of the now generation who
bus como out In favor Of the old spelIinp."
Ii there are any such, this declaration
will doubtless bring them to the front.
Speaking Of the natural prejudice Which
many Of the older scholars especially leeI
against radical change Of English or.
biography, DR.. March says.
Oar illustrious and venerable chief
Hon. George I. Marsh, the American
Minister 70 Italy, says that in his carly
life, he, like most literary men Of that
time, was p~EeiudiCei against this re.
form, but the weight OF the arguments in
It's favor haH convinced him Of lis uecessi.
y. A similar declaration is made by DR..
Morris, and by Others Of orr elderB' And
sometimes, II it must he confessed. these
venerable authorities, who play their nm
as relUrlnerS with brave faces 10 the nub.
tic, wear II lngubriouS look in private and
hope the rei1rm may not ON in their
time"
But the movement "ts the product Of
the spirit Of the age, a true birth Of time.
as Bacon likes to call his flosoly;" and
the older biologists, in yielding TO II, yield
TO that which their mature judgment tells
them Is inevitable.
DR.. March Is able to report a remarkable
movement among educators in favor OF the
spelling reform. lie gives a list Of fifty
leading American colleges, whose protes.
sors have indicated their approval q the
movement. The teachers associations OF
Massachusetts,, Connecticut, Illinois, Mich.
tgan, Indiana, New York, PENNSYLVANIA,
New Jersey, Missouri, Virginia and wis.
consin have considered tic subject, aud
many OF them have appointed committees
10 report upon the most feasible methods
NJ introducing reformed photography in.
to The public schools. State commissIOns,to
inquire Into tho subject in connection with
public education, have been appointed in