Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-04-20
TEACHING THE DEAF MUTES
An Explanation Of the Latest
Methods in Use.
THE RECORDS BILL CRITICIZED
An Address to the Members
of the Legislature.
A Protest Against the Records Bill in Re-
latIon to the Instruction OF Deaf Mutes
---Some Interesting Suggestions Set
Forth.


To ne General dSsem5ty2f D'iaWdte-SiRs:
have learned with regret that the Deaf
mute bill has passed our Legislature and
do not think IL isbcst for the children.
The statement that all Of the Delaware
benetiCiaries are taught by the sign method
at the Columbia Institution for the Deaf
at Washington is misleading one, on the
ground OF which senator Records bill
providing private oral instruction to these
unfortunates in Delaware, has no doubt
been offered and passed. The institution
in which the Delaware pupils are now
educated, is pursuing what is termed the
combined system. This system consists
Of two methods one called the manual
and the other the oral. The manual
method employs pantomime, spelling on
the fingers ana writing IN winch all the
branches Of useful knowledge are taught
and the great object is ta secure the benefit
OF a true education winch Will render the
deaf competent Tor the battle OF HE. The
institution makes provision for the teach
Ing, OF speech and llp reading % the pupils
and affords all possible facilities AZ com,
mand for the advancement OF this oral
misunderstanding it with the other
branches of knowledge. Great caution
must be taken IN regard TO making the oral
method the basis OF the deaf mute's in
| struction On account OF me tlme and
| money expended upon 1t with uncertainty
OF its success ia the end.
The claims set UP by the advocates Of
| pure oralism III this country for this
method rs the best way to educate the deaf
are here met by the uuviGes FROM Europe
that reaction has set in III Germany, where
| the oral method has been pursued 100
| years and there Is demand for reform i'll
| the oral schools there. One OF the pruni-
nent teachers there has declared that the
oral method as practiced there has proved
/ TAI l,lt ft1n Ittt S5
| Indispensable TO the elevation OF deaf
children. Aud petition signed by, 500
| graduates OF the different oral schools i'll
| Germany has been presented to the En-
| peror Of Germany praying him to make a
change in the method Of teaching the deaf
| by Introducing the manual method into
the deaf schools.
The private school Of any system is
shown by experience i'll deaf mute in
struction to he principally a means Of
glorltylnE its particular system. In all
oral private school the great aim is &c
teach merely speech To give the pupil
the power OF making the proper mouth
motions i'll more or less imperfect degree
is the principal end. The genuine educa
ton OF the child Is lost sight OF IN the ell
thusiasm for speech and experimenting
This gift OF speech to the dumb, no mattel
how Imperfect IT may be, Is what makes
the greatest impression on the public
Therefore the teacher Of the private schoo
gives II undue prominence. The ora
school essays to give speech to all Al
cannot attain speech in degree sufficient
TO make it worth while for the child tt
spend its whole school life in the effort tt
attain 1t. The pubic institution feCOg
nizes these limitations and accommodate
its method to the capacity Of the child
To the child that can profit by it, speech
is given to the extent Of its ability; TO TIL
child that cannot possibly attain sttticien
command of speech to make it wortE
while, more time IS given to the thing
that VIII most benefit,
Pupils in private school would no
nave as good advantages as in the schoo
at Washington. 1t Is evidently schem
70 begin State school, which would sool
, involve the state in unnecessary expense
. The deaf mutes of Delaware can b
provided for fully at Washington 70
years 10 come at much less than It woul'
, cost the State to have school. The Wash
, ington school gives ample instruction il