Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-08-09
r,rr WHEELING REGISTER TUESDAY >1NG, AUGUST 1881
rhs Idsal Alphabet

The spelling reformers took heart Oh
grace and review Of the national or
biographical situation in their meeting
at Atlanta, Georgia. few days ago. Inc
association, which was formed at an IN
Ia national convention in the Centennial
year, reports the year 1877 as one oil gen
eral awakening On the part OF The pupi1c
TO the badness the old spelling; in 1870
a new "alfsbet'' and a method oil prog
ress toward its use was agreed upon; In
1879 periodical literature vas very gen
eraliy opened to the discussion ana Illus
trstion OF the reform; in 1884, al lar
Cb.u,suoua I've notice that the spelling
,sformsrs have done nothing for C"au
tauaus), there Was great congra'uia',o''
r,on the number of newspapers That
xsre adopting the reform, and the au-
charities in lett rs and science who had
sanctioned it
The progress OF the WORK thus year,
,b.. Secretary reports, has been quiet
rather than effulgent. The reform 10
now pushed on two lines; the gradual
amending OF the present spelling Dy
dropping silent letters and other simple
IMPROVEMENT, and the adoption At once
of pure fonetic spelling. The fhiioiosica,
Society OF London has lately made rel
mort on the subject, entitled "fartla
Corrections OF English spelling. recon
mended by the English Pathological 30
ciety for Immediate Adoption" Most
| Of the amendments proposed are the
| dropping of silent letters. Silent Is
heavy offender; no less than twenty
| counts appear in the indictment brought
aosinst il. 1t il advised to change re to
| - in such words as theatre. The I'M
historical OF Parliament s be dsQqlPi
u are to be restored where they be-
long. We shall hereafter "wunder
instead of wondering. The orig
inal i is to be restored in wi.
men," The modern on is to be re-
duced to in long list of such words
as enough" Words ending in double
b, d, O, u, and are to drop the final
letter. The many words derived from
old French and Anglo.SaXon, which
have been spelled incorrectly with dou.
BILE consonants to make them look like
Latin, are TO be restored to their primary
simplicity. The silent is to be elimi-
mated, as in "doubt" and debt" These
words, spelled As above, are declared
unhistoric, which means that it pre-
tends, by its form, to come from Ian
guage with which it really has nothing
ID do.
Our language, according to the philo-
loyis,s, is fairly honey-combed with
these unhistoric words. They have
been originated and multiplied by Greek
lings and Latinists who drank from
other than "wells OF English undefiled."
In Germany there has been much pro.
gress, and an official reform there is still
a matter OF continual discussion. In
England it is noted that the more they
experiment the nearer they draw to the
IDEAL alphabet proposed by the American
Pathological Association. 1t is unani.
mously agreed that the great work is to
be done in the schools. Not, however,
by spelling lessons, and the everlasting
drill of eye and ear to which pupils have
been subjected. Under new dispense.
ton, spelling as a distinctive study will
be banished from the course OF study,
and will be taught only incidentally in
connection with reading and other
studies. Washington Post.