The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-04
THE SIGN LANGUAGE
A Statement of tho Points Over Whfc1
Two Schools Are wrangling.

Two Schools Are wrangling.
During the convention of deaf mutes IL
this city, clear and weighty statements a
to the use Of the sign language were madt
at considerable length by President T.. NJ.
Gallaudet and Professor j. b. Hotchkiss,
of the National College for Deaf Mutes,
and by DR., Peet, of the New York school,
Shorter but no less emphatic declarations
came from the Rev. DIR. Thomas Gallaudet,
Principal job Williams and other speakers.
All united in approval of the sign method.
With no thought of adding to what has
been so well said by some of the highest
authorities In the country, The Courant
will try to explain to those who are moi
familiar with the subject what the ques
tion at issue really Is, and why it has made
so much stir among teachers of the deaf
and dumb. Designating the early, tenta
tive attempts Mt instruction, and coming
down to the time when deaf mute school.
were established in some numbers in this
country and in Europe, we find two sys
TENS in use-that which employs signs and
the finger alphabet, and that which at.
tempts to teach speech and lip reading
Not many years ago the former was in
almost undisputed possession of this field
in this country. More recently the Other
has become prominent, largely through
the enthusiasm OF DR.. Graham Bell over
his system of visible speech. The dispute
between the schools is really whether this
latter system shall be taught alone, signs
being disregarded. or shall be an adjunct
to instruction based on the sign method
the latter being used by all in the school,
and instruction in articulation and lip
reading given to all who show that they
profit by it in a degree commensurate tc
the time and labor required.
| The American asylum, for instance, like
most schools of its class, gives instruction
based on the sign language toevery scholar
But whenever a new pupil arrives he Is
also put in charge of a teacher of articula
ton. A moderate percentage, chiefly
those who have lost their hearing through
sickness, make such progress as to justify
continuance of the instruction. Those who
do not are after time relieved of the work
at articulation.
| Practically, then, one system rejects and
| forbids signs, which are natural means
of communication between deaf mutes
the other uses and develops this natura
4 language, unites it with the use of the fin
ger alphabet and adds instruction in artic
ulation for all who can profit by it.
i 1t is worth bearing in mind that Presi
\ dent +. NJ. Gallaudet DR.. Thomas Gallau
Diet and DIR. Peet grew up among dea
mutes, learned their language as readily
and perfectly as that of their own fathers
are familiar from childhood and through
mature life with the feelings, mental op
] erations, limitations and capacities of dea
mutes, and probably are as competent tt
give a final Judgment in the matter as any
three men in the world. Professor HOtch
kiss, as highly educated man, deaf from
childhood, but possessing the power o
i speech, is another authority who sees TIL
y question from a slightly different stand
point. All these are agreed as to the gTea
advantages offered by the sign language a
q means of instruction.
I 1t is probably safe to say that few o
those who oppose it have this entire famil
\ iarity with it. 1t is language of wonder
full resource, rapid and capable of precis
1 expression to degree not dreamed of b,
: those who have not thoroughly studied it
! As to the result of the present dispute
time will show, but there are indication
! that the schools which forbid signs ant
!. trust to articulation have already seel
!, their best days. The method which mos
RI easily and perfectly opens the mind, pre-
notes general education, establishes re
e lation with the outside world and facili
) tates rapid and accurate intercourse unde
:, all conditions is the one that must prevail
il-Hartforl Courant