, 1880-04-25

| of st. Johns College.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, February, 1sso.-l am glad ! to Q
see The movnent for spelling reform practically
| begun by the Home Journal. Such minor changes
| rs YOU huye made are the best 70 peR1l VIII.
| As-wc get accustomed to the new forms, we Gun
% on t9 ercater improvements III the same dlrec~
fion.
| From william W. Goodwin, Ph. d. Profe'-
| sor of Greek Language and Literature @'
| Harvard EnlverAIty. ~,
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, Dec: "a, 1sse-l agree Witn
al who kno anyth1nE otn on fae u sp A to plans
| fur reform, think nobody's opinion ls wortq 2
| much until the experiment h4s ocen taaed' to hau
am sure those whO like the Homo Jo4ftat, uaSe
the curage to lead the way are entitled 20 tne
| cordial thanks Of every one Interested III 1ae
| subject
From II. l., Gf1dcr.1eevc, Ph. D., IL. D., Pro-
| fessor OF Greek Mt Johns Hopkins uniSes"
atty. -
JOHNS HOPKINS Us1vEns1ry, Dec. 20, 1s19.-
| The changes which the Horne Journal adyocates
| SO powerfully by its example are certainty oes-
tined to increasingly wider adoption
From Barry Gray, 1Iumor1st and Poet; Au~
thor Of "My Married Life ut lIiilsfde.'
FoRpnAM VI March, 1884, III aPn1,na aP21r,eeeaoSf of
English. The reforms proposed in tho Home
Journal seem to rue well directed. anu a1no e
too old bird perhaps to t4kc up new . r!es, 9Gi
trust NV children who are chickens, Will follo
them, and get the benefit.
Author OF ssOutdoor Pnpers."
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, February, 1851 am gen
orally n couscrvatlv in 1nnttcrs Of HtGrntnre,
keeping my radic,llism from practical affairs, as
they arc called. But have long been convinced
of tho practtcabilty Of reform In Englisn
spelling, provided that tho beginning s,,1 DC maze
with wise moderation and under the guidance
of experts. This is precisely what the Home
Journal seems now to be doing.
From Prof b. j. Hawthorne, Of Corvallis
College.
.conyAL11s, Oregon, February, 1ssq;wThe s.,rht
Home Journal bra'ely says aeono on 1nstgap hEit1er
spelling receives my hearty appreciation. IN the
recitation Of my class in Anglo Saxon to-day oc-
ours the word Il" now why should we change
this to "foe?''
From Ernstus Otis Haven, D. D., Chancellor
orSyrncuxc University
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. March, l8S0.-As long
ago lis 1854 when iecturing OIL English literature
in tho University OF Michigan. earnestly adyo-
cated reform In English spelling. l corlially
approx tho practice OF the Home Journal
From DR.. Charlie. j. IIlnkeI, Professor Of
Ancient Languages at Vnssar College.
VAssAn COLLEGE. March, 1851 consider your
mov1nent fur IL more correct and 1udfclons mode
of spelling very timely anu deserving OF snecGSs.
changes to begin with, and not whole system
Of sweeping innovations.
In England even more than in America,
developed ameng the scholars and thinkers.
Some of the most distinguished men in the
Kingdom have expressed themselves in favor
Of a reform.
Tho Rt. Hon. ". E. Gladstone, Ex-Pr1me
Minister OF England; author Of - Studios
Homer" *Juventus Auudi," 'The
State and the Church, etc. says:
often think that il I we're foreigner and |
had to set about learning English l should go |
mad. honestly can say, cannot conceive how
it is that he lenrn3 to pronounce English when |
te M e Gf
people usually get when they have to mcguire
Something ditfcult OF attainment There is |
reform Of spelling our language. 1t IS not ia my
power under present circumstances to offer to |
Ese tine to the %Rch end
myself able to Join.
The Ear1 Of: a1nlmeabury. Ex-seeretnry of
Of the Privy 8etti,
recognizes the need of reforming English
orthografy which is 50 n Irregular that M It Is never
He SAYS: No Prime Minister, from Lord Butte
to Lord Pnlmerston, could pass an examina ton
In spelling.
Max Muller, LID, Professor of sauakr1t
and Comparative FlIolo9y Mt Oxford Uni
versity, England; author Of - 1ffator.y OF -1n-
Client SunAkrlt Ltterature,'' "The Science
OF Language" etc.
An objection often made to spelling reform Is
e5tsT ST f6e
suppose 1t did; whnt then? Language Is not
made for scholars and etymologists; and If tho
'wept away by the introduction Of spelling re-
'orm, hope they would be the first to rejoice In
ncrifcing themselves in SO good cause. But
it reilly the case that the historical continuity
# the English language would be broken by tho
'doptton OF fonotic spelling. and that the profess
RI F,3fj len n hnf |
3ecuus the Italians write faosofo. are they less
ware than the English, who write philosopher,
nd the Greek tuosofos : Ii we write + in fancu, |
'hy not in ptanton,7 If in frenzy and frantic,
shy not In phnsno1ogy3 \ language which tol:
What people call the chronological conscious
ess Of the SPEAKER Is strictly matter Of ora
t what dute genealogical spelling is to begin,
'hether ut 1900 A. d., or at 1000 4. D.. or ut sui
!. D., ain willing to discuss the question. TIL
'olld plny greater havoc in Englisl, th,n
onctic spelling, even If we are to draw d line
OF more than five hundred years ago.
'ohn D. Norel1. Lib. Koynl Inspector or
Schools In ENGLAND; Author Of "Thc Ft-
lo.o'y n9.o y oI , Aslas,on, "Filo"one"i " Tenden-
sys: The main difficulty Of reading English
rises s from the intrinsic jrre$llarty nf the En-
,e nn Of the child OF the ,ey sets
le letters, which is very slowly and very pain
lily eicared up by chance, habit, or experience, .
I'd his capacity to know words is gained by an
immense series Of tentative efforts. 1t is
'rtain that the ear is no guide in the spelling Of
nglish, rather the reverse, and that 1t is almost
,cessary to form personal acquaintance with ,
sch Individual word. It would in fact REQUIRE
study Of Latin, French, and Anglo-Saxon to
liable person to spell with faultess accuracy, Z
1t this, IN most cases, is impossible.
he Poet Tennyson, and the Naturalist
Darwin,
lve publicly shown their favor for the mov- ,
ent to improve the English lunguagc by scry- l
n;rbeso as yes Presidents of the English society for
TO THE STARS. !
being asked to shotp a certain lts ofrl the ,rn,, IN
thk stuTs.' S ~
Hush. SWeet-ask me not! since the yav