The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-18
Methods az DeJf Mute Teaching.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
In it's issue Of last Sunday the Journal
contained an interview with DR.. Philip G..
Gillett, president of the American Associa-
ton 10 Promote the Teaching OF Speech TO
the Deaf. Permit me. a deaf mute, a little
space in your columns to present the other
side, the deaf mute side, of the case. DR..
Giilett is represented in the interview as
saying that the deaf in this country fear
that the oral system will not
what it's promoters claim for it." There is
abundant cause to fear that it will not. The
oral system has had full sway for over a
hundred years in Germany. and for lesser
periods in England, Austria, Italy, Spain
and France. In those countries no other
method of educating the deaf is tolerated.
The result is that the deaf of those coun-
tries are reduced to a condition. moral and
Intellectual. that compels commiseration
They are fully alive to their condition now,
and are striving by every means in their
power to throw off the yoke of oraliSm as
advocated by DIR. Gillett. They fully realize
that speech is not everything-that the abil-
ity to repeat. orally, a few set phrases Is
not an education. They are addressing pc
titions, memorials and demands, couchcd in
the most pleading and heart-rending terms,
asking for a change in the methods oil ed
ucation as regards themselves.
The method pursued in this country, which
the society represented by Dr. Giliett seeks
to overthrow, is what is called the com
bined method" a combination of all known
methods that will alleviate the condition OF
the deaf-signs, speech, fnger-spelling au-
ralism, writing. etc. This Is the method at
present followed at our institution i'm this
city and i'm the great majority OF State and
private schools for the deaf throughout TINS
country and Canada The results are that
the deaf of America outrank those OF the
world in social. moral, intellectual and sci
entific attainment, a fact so well recognized
that, at the late worlds congress of the
deaf. held during the Exposition
at Chicago. to which / was a delegate. in
which representatives from this country,
France. England. ireland, Sweden, Norway
and Germany participated, resolutions con-
demning the oral method and commenting
the combined method were unanimously
adopted amid great enthusiasm.
The oral method. as advocated by DR.. Gill
lett. is essentially exclusive. being adapted
to a comparatively small percentage OF the
whole number of the deaf. and should it
ever gain control in this country as IL has
in Europe 1t will exclude everything else,
and the deaf of this country will be dragged
from the present proud position which they
occupy IN the enlightened deaf mute world
and grovel in the dust with their foreign
brethren.
The society represented by DIR. Gillett
claims that all the deaf can be ducated
by speech. The experience of hundreds of
years in Europe and our experience now
adays prove that the majority of them
cannot attain speech and education at the
same time. The combined method, adapting
itself TO the varying conditions and ~intellec-
tual capacity of each pupil, elevates and
uplifts all and gives eacn one an education
Oralism gives speech and education to q
favored few, and leaves the rest to struggle
along through life with imperfect speech
and no education.
IL is the unanimous opinion Of the deaf
over the world that oralism, used to the
exclusion of all other methods. is a failure,
and that the combined method is the meth
oil that reaches all and benefits every one
among them.
Is their opinion unworthy of considera-
ton? Are a few hearing men, banded to-
gether in an association bent only ON car
rying out their pet theories as TO the best
methods of teaching the deaf. regardless
of what the experiment. will cost the deaf
themselves, to be accorded more considera-
ton than the hundreds of thousands of the
deaf themselves? ALBER BERG.
Indianapolis, Feb. IL.