The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-05-29
HOW DUMB MAY TALK.
TAUGHT TO SPEAK AND UNDER.
STAND OTHERS SPEECH.

NffHM VIZ - HfN~NHAAHf ~ WV
Plan for More General Education
In Past Ages the Deaf Were Vie
Tins Of Much Ignorant Cruelty.
Galusha A. Grow Of Pennsylvania
aas successfully fathered many worthy
causes since he entered congress in
1851 Today he Is bending his ener-
gios in the interest OF a cause than
which there could be none more
worthy from the standpoint Of human
fly.
A number Of years ago It was discov-
cred that It was possible to teach chill
dren to talk who were born without
hearing, and who we're also supposed
to be devoid Of the capability Of
speech. This discovery led to further
experiments until It was practically
demonstrated that If such afflicted
children we're taken in infancy they
could be taught not only to speak, but
also to understand the speech Of 9TH
ers simply by observing the motion Of
the lips; also that this faculty could be
developed in sufficient time to allow
such children TO enter the public
schools provided for hearing children
at the ordinary school age. It was
found by experience they succeeded
equally, and in some cases better than
children who could hear.
With this practical demonstration as
4 basis, Representative Grow, who is
chairman OF the committee on educa-
ton OF the house Of representatives,
proposes to place this new method in
all sections of the country and to this
the hands OF competent instructors in
all sections Of the country, and to this
end he has introduced a bill in the
house Of representatives, which has re-
ceiyed the unanimous Endorsement OF
his committee. This bill provides
$4,000 to defray the expenses Of
sending one competent teacher from
each state and territory to the Phila-
delphia home for teaching articulate
speech to deaf children, for a sufficient
hngth of time. not to exceed six
months, to acquire the methods which
are there so successfully practiced by
the Garrett sisters, who were the orig
inators OF the new system.
Mr.. Grow Is a mine of interesting in
formation on the subject in which he
is just now so deeply interested, and
when once started he becomes most
entertaining.
You must take these unfortunate
little tots as soon as they cut their
teeth" he began, IF they are to have
the full advantage of this new train
ing. The old idea that children are
born dumb as well as deaf has been
exploded. They do not talk when
born deaf simply because when
their parents find out that they cannot
hear they cease to talk to them. I'm
der such treatment even a child who
could hear would never learn to talk,
much less a child who has to accom-
plish that feat through the eye alone.
Another curious fact" continued
Mr.. Grow, as that children who learn
to talk by sight never talk baby talk.
Baby talk is the language Of the hear
ing baby simply because we grown
folks think it is cunning to distort our
words the minute we begin to talk to
the baby, and the baby very naturally
initiates what it hears.
"In the past ages the deaf we're the
victims of deliberate as well as igno-
rant cruelty. In the present age they
are not longer deliberately drowned, as
in ancient Rome, or exposed to die, as
under the laws of Lycurgus. But they
are still largely sufferers from a modi-
fed form of the ignorance which for
merly ranked them with the imbe-
Giles, and now fails to realize that
they are able to learn and do anything
and everything the hearing child can
If they are given precisely the same
opportunity.
when a hearing child is learning to
talk the mother does not use motions
to it because it has not commenced to
understand her language; but she re-
peats over and over again the pet
names she calls it; tells it again and
again to say papa and mamma, ETC.,
until it learns to understand and then
copy her words. She is quick to dis.
cover, encourage and correct its first
attempt at articulation. 1t has been
proven by experience that if the at
tention of the deaf child be directed
to the mouth with the same persist
ency, and if it be talked to just the
same by every one who is with it. il
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