River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-01-10
Educa,ina the Deaf Mute.

Professor Alexander Graham Bell,
inventor of the Bell telephone. recent
ly read a paper in New Haven before
the National Academy of Science, on
'The Formation of a Deaf Varlt ty Of
the Human Race in which he said
that, if congenital deaf mutes were to
marry eongenital deaf mutes for sew
eral generations, the result would be
the formati, n of deaf-mnte variety of
the human race. He alluded to the
fact there are now deaf mutes in our
schools whose parents and grandpar-
ents were both congenitally deaf. He
contended that our system or teaching
deaf mutes is wrong. BY separating
them from hearing people and quarter
ing them together they are led to mar
ry among themselves. and by a system
of evolution the result is a formation
of deaf mute variety of the human
race, with a language peculiarly its
own.
These views of P1of Bells, being
highly plausible, should command Sc
rious attention. In establishing an
asylum or Institution like that at Del
avian, in which deaf mutes are gather
ed by themselves and generally ex-
cluded from association with people
who hear and speak, Wisconsin is un.
Willingly directing its efforts slowly,
but none the less surely, toward the
formation of deaf variety of the hui
man race.
AS preventive of such result the
establishment of small day schools for
deaf-mute children of different parts
of the State has been recommended.
These classes are proposed in connec-
ton with schools for children that
hear, with whom deaf mutes may free
ly mingle and prepare the way for in
innate association. These ties be-
tween the two will then result in bus
mess, social and marital relations.
IL these schools deaf mutes should be
taught to speak and discern by MOTTO
ing the movements OF the lips of 9TH
ers, thus learning TO converse freely
in oral language instead of using the
old sign language, which few except
deaf mutes educated therein under
stand. If schools OF this kind were
provided for by law not only would
| the wrong tendencies and evils of the
present system of the State in dealing
| WIFI uCdl luubto NO ClCShOus puO buC
result would intimately be to bring
| these children upon footing of equal
| ity with hearing and speaking child.
rem, and to save much needless ex-
| pense. A larger number might be
| reached and educated, and the inhu-
mainly of forcing such children away
| from their homes would be in a great
measure avoided with grateful relief
| to the feelings both of children and
| parents.
The advocates of this method of ed.
ucating deaf mutes desire that law
be enacted which will produce much
needed reforms in their education.
| Nothing here said is intended to re.
| feet in the slightest on the manage
ment of the State Asylum for Deaf
| and Dumb at Delavan, which is doubt
| less as we'll conducted as such institu-
| tions can be. The fault is with the
| system, for which the people are pri-
marily responsible. They are now
| becoming enlightened on the subject,
and 1t is suggested by the friends of
| this system that the next legislature
| take such action as may be necessary
| to enable school boards in incOrporat-
ed cities and villages to establish and
| sustain small and suitable day schools
| for deaf-mute children with limited
| State aid--such schools to be part of
| the public-school system of tie State.
| The Mitwdukee Sentinel