, 1880-07-25

7 agreement upon dictionary f. az
assumption. The difficulty Of s1ai ioaessee|hss
ment with a system Of ratIo,sss sa: agta> aslee-
would would be NO greater than with ths a;psilak s:;lt
system rot heterogeneous spelling ~ Steseas'
: past1'res from the new standard -: ~ g:
FEWER and less important than f1or, ;sala !. D
for the variations from the standsra y i! oa'
ent are nearly all in the direction -. = ptes
pier spelling. t''5 y sffai::
Uniformity in spelling would h 49,. ....:.
IN the new. system by the action Of .is;se sa' 8
missions OF learned men appointsd4 : ean7
Goye1Hments Of the United States anS 4 ~ e
Britain; and their rccommenlatim~ ss.!s .a.eas
would, have the sanction of hotbsrnn y nne
ments- Such aweightof authority :, sy!esa, ~:
never been brought to bear on anv aa,::a:s a:snaa
Of. orthografy: Il would tend ttssss7a to-
most Of the inconsistencies that now s1x;sesE ss'a
Uniformity in spelling: being o1ca 1 :
uniformity in pronunciation ,yonld sr'ea. IN.
The perpetuation OF senseless orfKssa. fKhsa9*.
has done more than all other scs.a0 scsaa
combined, to produce variety r n s';ses ::
nunciation. There may well. !. w
doubt In tue minds ,ot. intsllI:ssssts
persons as to the best way: Of nrsse9
cling many combinations Of useless ;s:a- fss..a
which now inc,unbar the Language ssssta n:s.
ences Of pronunciation are, for the fu1t a;:t;
due to accents Or to the:yarying quaa,itie. y
vowel sounds. Orthografy does n"t sV
ternine accent, and the marking Of tl,a or..ss =
titles of yoYels would not create t,ftTsras.sc
Of pronunciation, but Indicate thosa ss Wh;.r
already exist. -. ~.
The chief object Of spelling reform ish
make the language easier for, ,jeasrSs::
Nothing can tend to this end SO mlncb ~.
substantial correspondence between a,nnG, :
and letters, which should be: always tle ",
resentatiyes of sounds. The learner 1t IL Is,
ent has to master, first, m IRRATIONAL arhi,,r.
spelling, aud, secondly, an arbitrary ptonaa,,
citation. A system of sound spelling nnn1d
involve 4 rational pronunciation. III ino..t
OF the dictionaries now; in use great NM.
Der OF words are followed b. fonetic vorl,
in parenthescs to show the :pfolnuneiatffoos'
The coulpilers have. no other Of showing
it. By taking few words at Random froa.
tie number OF the Dispatcl. that we hav>
been critlcissng the difference betwa1eena,hi-
trary spelling. and soundspelling m5y;bs
shown, thus: ~.=:'sss ;Sis
.Arhttrur,t. : :: -~.So,tnd
business re: ,: hizues ...:
though - 80: tho :-;ss*
enough euuf .*@
=. knowledge :. ndal ~,
Under the present system, the learner mud mud
% through two distinct operations; ianudtt
he fonetic system there ;wontd be bit das:
The child now has to be taught, first i,
aake the comhinatLans Of letters IS t6esyi III IL
nd then TO- discard the useless parts Of xhat
e has learned. II fonctics were adoptd
here would be no useless letters to discard.
nd consequently no need Of "a second
1oceSs-7i sH .: -; ~:
The Dispatch writer IS confronted aths
ntset of his argument by these, quesna,;
rfll spelling words as they are pronounced
md to destroy. uniformity. of prnnnueia, :
on? VIII spelling words as they 10
ot pronounceu tend to produce .anIform.
J. of. pronunciation ? Is the quantity
vowels more accurately marked sbY abt
ay spelling than BY ysoand-spelling ,ShoaM
uniform logical pronunciation, BIZ noa
Hiclllt of- attainment than uniform ilhss
nj pronunciation Unless ,the Dlsp1ta
prepared;to answer these questioaa iahs
1rruatiye; it must abandon the postaaaeit
. assumed; and admit that fhe.a1gumans
ainst a reformed Spelling must ,b,Asn
I'm some other source than the supposed
cessities of pronunciation. r..