The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-23
IN A SILENT CONGRESS.
AN INFERNA TIoNAL CONVENTION
WHERE NO WORD IS SPOKEN,

! Yet Much Important Business Is 10
be Disposed Of and Animated De-
bates will be Held-The Deaf Mutes
Meet at Par in July-The Delegates
from the United States and the Sub
jects to be Discussed.
Copyright 1892
NEW YoRK, June 22.-Should deaf mutes
intermarryl
That is one of the most important ques-
tons to be discussed at the International
! Congress of Deaf Mutes which meets in
Paris, July 10. 1t has been asserted that
such intermarriages tend to perpetuate
deafness, and the leading thinkers among
these unfortunate people will attempt to
prove to the world that the claim Is false.
This gathering Of silent men from all
parts of the globe will enjoy at least one
advantage over other interna ional bodies,
| Their language is, in measure, universal
the language of signs.
| New York city and various states Of the
union will send delegates across the Allan
tic to repre- sent the new world in the dis
cussions which will be held at Paris in or
der that the exposition may be enjoyed at
| the same tlme. To the speaking and hear
| ing world very natural question presents
itself:
Are the deaf mutes SO numerous that it
is deemed important to hold special con-
| ventions, and if 50, what can be the object
of such congressp
There are in the civilized world an aver
age of one deaf mute to every 1890 of the
population; in other words, there are at
least / 900 900 of this afflicted class. In the
United States there are $4,000; in Great
Britain 10000; in Germany, 25, 900; in
France, 10000; in Sweden, 1900; II Nor
way, 100; in Denmark, 1000; in Holland,
1890; and in Switzerland the country above
all others where deafness is prevalent)
10000
These figures may seem unreliable to
many because they have seldom or never
met with deaf mute. The explanation is
| easy. Deafness, like most other Attic
tions, is only discovered either by accident
or inquiry. tie deaf mute mingles with
the crowd, noting with keen perceptive
powe every trifing gesture or motion
around him; so that nine times out of ten,
if asked a question he devin5S through the
direction of the ewes or the aim )st imper-
ceptible motion of the head or hand what
Is wanted. For instance, let anyone meet
stranger and ask him ''what TINA is it?n 1t
will be found that the eyes of the questioner
are involuntarily dIrec ed to the watch
DOCG6l, El6l 10 Tue SLFd gers lace, EQoQ
| back again to the watch pocket. To 10
deaf mute this explains everything. He
will take out his watch, present It's face,
incline his head in acknowledgment of the
| uroffered tina ks, pass Oh, giving no indica-
| ton that he has not heard Even if he does
| not understand the question addressed to
| him, a snake of the head will convey to the
| queshoner the impression that he does not
know what has been asked of him, ami not
| that he did not hear it,
The congress in Paris has dual object
gratitude and inquiry 1t is intended to
eulogize the Able de PEpee, the inventor
| of the sign language and the manual alpha
bet, and to place upon the house that was
his school, and in which he died in 1889, a
memorial tablet. A bronze statue to his
memory now stands in the grounds of the
| Pars Institution for educating deaf mu les.
1t was placed there on MAY "A. 1879, a d is
| the work of deaf mute sculptor named
| Felix Martin. 1t represents de pEpee
| teaching deaf mute boy the word God {"
| The sacred name is ms ribed on SCROLL
held in the left hand of the teacher, whose
| ewes are bent tenderly upon the boy, who is
| irving to initiate the letter 'Dn which the
able is forming with his right hand.
| The business of the congress centers upon
an inquiry into the condition of the deaf
mutes in different countries. Under this
| head the delegates will read papers upon
three topics, namely: Tine Deaf Mute in
Society,"" "The Deaf Mute at Work." and
1.-The Deaf Mute in the Family.n The first
| topic will illustrate his dsad vantages and the
freedom with VIII, Oh he mingles in society
and will no doubt be replete with sugges-
lions to facilitate the general social inter-
course with those who hear, and the ex-
| amples of the benefits to be derived
lii discussing the deaf mute at work, the
various professions, trades and occupations
that are followed by deaf mutes will be
enumerated and their adaptability or draw
backs explained 50 That t g experience of
| the present generation may be rendered
valuable to poste ity.
From full discussion of the above topics
by the represen ativeS from different coun-
tries, a wide range of information and a
valuable opportunity for comparison and
Improvement will be offered to those who
attend, and the results will be disseminated
through the medium of deaf mute news
papers and lectures in the sign la guage to
many thousands OF the children of sIlence'
scattered over the globe.
Are the deaf mutes a race of polyglots
that they can meet and commune with
others from SO many different countries!
Certainly they are not. Although, i
America, it is by no means rare to find
deaf mutes who can understand two or
three modern languages, yet it will not be
! necessary 10 exc Cts5 GHlo knOWlSuge DUR
ing the proceedings of the Paris congress.
The reason is simply this. The sign Ian
guage is not a language of words, but OF
ideas. In fact, it is to certain extent q
universal language. and although there are
slight differences of gesture among the deaf
mutes of different countries, still in the
main the signs bear a strong resemblance,
and educated deaf mutes will fad no diff.
Guilty in mako 6 themselves understood by
Sin lar of a N q
The United states will be we'll represented
at the congress. New York city will have
three representatives present-Messrs. E.
A. Hodgson, Thomas F. Fox, and Francis
w. Nuber.
The first named is one of the best known
among deaf mutes in this country; his pub
lie work as editor of the Deaf Mates Jour.
nal, the national newspa or of the deaf
mutes, making him familiar with all mat
tiers pertaining to the interests of de If
mutes. He is president of the Nationa
Association of Deaf Mutes, which meets III
Washington, d. c., June 26, and at which
will be unveiled bronze statue of heroic
size of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the
founder of the first American institution
for instructing deaf mutes The statu,
and pedestal cost $4,000, which sum wa
raised by the deaf mutes themselves
Thomas +. Fox, who is Secretary of tht
National Association, is a teacher at tat
New York Institution for the Instruction
of the Deaf and Dumb He is 8 scholarly
and accomplished gentleman, and mos