New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-30

certain extent; and have governed 10 very
great extent The typefounder and the printer
and the counting house in great puplishhg es-
tahl,shments have had far to do with
settling questions of spelling than Or. whitney
and Dr. March and DR.. Funk. l do not mean
with reference to dictionaries only or mainly.
But the printer and stereotyper and publisher
VOC and the editor of the newspapers OF Ncb-
raska and Mssssppi-have made their con-
,r,but,ons also 10 scientific spelling. Trade
interests have come in. and, As salu' the
narrow prejudices OF localities where both knowl-
edge and wisdom linger The notion that De-
cause thing happened to exist IN America II
was. therefore American, is an accepted nouoh
in those parts Every novelty Is welcomed.
The coinage of the most hideous vocab4es Is 40
claimed as a proof OF American independence
exactly as the counterfeiter asserts MS SUPERIOR
,tv 70 the mint by producing and circulating
spurious dollars. The rufanly slang IN the
mouth Of the most ignorant loafer is to become
on integral mart Of this new american speech
II is reproduced in the local paper and g!ee-
fn,Iv transformed from the local paper to the
newest new dictionary as one more addition TO
that vocabulary which must-such IS the com
notition Of the market-exceed in number all
nreyious vocabuaries. Is this part OF the scien-
fife system? Is It an evidence Of patriotism on
which the true American, imbued with American
ideas from his youth upward Ideas inherited
from generations Of American ancestors. can look
with pride?
Whether he can or not, what wish to sug-
gest 10 the American photographer Is. that II ne
will widen his view little. he VIII see the
advantage Of rejecting much which ne now ad-
mits. and Of reverting to some OF those Old
usages which have-for the moment and Tor the
moment only-gone out Of fashion In the leXco-
graphical world on the western side OF the
Atlantic. He or his publisher VIII by and by
become aware. If they are not now, thAI he
limits the sale Of his book in England ana III
English colonies II ne wants a practical PROOF
of Il his London agents can. II they will, sup
plv him with many. But he need not 80 u
them. Let him consider a fact OF n different
order The American dictionary has. as SAID
great vogue in England. where It's many
superior!ties over any existing English dictionary
for daily use are fully recognized. The stan
dard" imagine. will be sold here very largely.
and Is when every deduction has been made.
nr,hablv the most convenient Of all for general
use and ready reference Webster. the fons 81
oriro ~ the worst barbarisms which have. since
| Noah Websters day. embedded themselves not
/ I'm dictionaries only but I'm the minds ~ many
Americans who use th-n. has long been estap-
ushed in England and has It's own English pub
| lie.
What effect has T., or the Century mere
! thought to be too expensive to be popular or all
| the American dictionaries together and all the
! American books printed in America with "Amen-
can" spelling and sold here-what eject nave
all these had on English spelling? Absolutely
none Not an English newspaper or periodict
! or book that | ever saw or heard ~ is printed
in Webstcrcsc or in anything approaching j.
! Throughout the English criticisms ana reviews
| OF American books there runs q constant ripple
% nro,esi against american spelling Tn" pro-
tests are pcrhaps less frequent. but not Jess enor-
eetic against barharlsins " speech imported from
| across the Atlantic. These last perhaps. 10 gam
! a foothold here. IN English newspapers and Eng
| u.h thrcc-volume novels turned out hy measure
for the English circulating library and cui mo
| lengths as wanted Ike the schooners thrj
used 10 build and perhaps SIN DO. on tn" Ken
nebec River in Maine. But. on the whole, there
| "a not the least Indication TINT those pscularues
| IN American dictionaries which are commended
| To us az dlstnctivoly American are affecting tho
use Of tho English language IN England. That
IS what | would ask DR. Funk TO think over
he and his publisher together. II strikes mo az
ire, possible that when they melt down their
present dictionary and recast It. and reissue y
In a new form. they might ind Il worth Will"
to renew their allegiance 70 what are here
thought the true and sound principles u leNIcoS-
raphy. Vs. ~ .