East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-09-22
BOISE PAPER FOR
PLAIN SPELLING
sTATEMAN INDoRsEs
sIMPMFTED METHODS.
Oldest Paper in Idaho Reprints Fa-
vorable Editorial From London
Truth and Warmly Commends the
Utteranccs OF the Great English
Paper-American Children Held
Back by senseless Style of Spelling.

r'"ck ny ceniseieSs style OF Spelling.
The East Oregonian is delighted to
find the Boise Statesman, one of the
Oldest and most conservative papers
In the inland empire arrayed on the
side of simplified spelling.
In recent issue the Statesman re-
printed an editorial from London
Truth, warmly commencing the SIM
plified method of spelling. and in
commenting on the article from Truth
the Statesman gave Its personal in
dorsment of the system. The article
from the Statesman, including the ex-
tract from Truth. is as follows:
There has been wide discussion in
England OF the action OF President
Roosevelt In adopting the simplified
spelling of long list of words rec
commended by the New York commit
tee. Expressions for and against the
program have appeared on every
hand. but those favoring It seem to
be most vigorous and pointed in their
comment. In London Truth, for in
stance, Henry Labouchere comments
In this manner:
From my individual point of view,
the thing Is not very important one
way or the other. But there is one
point Of view from which II is very
important indeed, namely. that of the
rising generation.
The great practical evil OF the con-
dition into which the spelling of the
English language has drifted is that
IL takes boys and girls years and years
OF constant application to master its
inscrutable eccentricities, and that
countless hours are thus wasted, Of
ten in vain, which might be applied
to the acquizition Of some knowledge
OF practical value.
81 have read somewhere that an
Italian child cin be taught to read
and to spell correctly I'm less than a
year from the time It begins to learn,
and there IL no reason why it should
not bo 80, for, when once the child
has learned to appreciate at a glance
the vocal significance OF each letter,
IL hns nothing further to learn.
Compare with this the years OF
tedious drudgery which the English
child spends In committing to memory
there Is no other method Of MASTER
Ing 1.-THE Inconsistent and bewilder-
Ing 'orthography' OF tens OF thous-
ands OF words in his own language, B.,
and then think OF the educational
handicap which is thus laid upon him
In competition with the italian or
German child.
I'm the prezent day this Is n con-
sideration which we cannot afford to
lose sight of not only becauze our
children have to compete in educa-
tion with the children OF all other ma
tions, but also becauZe public educa-
ton is very heavy charge upon all
Of us In our capacity OF rate-payers
and taxpayers. and we do not want to
keep a child at school for seven years
learning. and even then only learn
Ing imperfectly. what. under more
rational system, he might learn in
seven months. I believe I am right
In saying that this was the consider
alton which chiefly moved the Ger
man government in instituting simpli-
fication of German spelling"
Germans Are Progressive.
The statement that Germany has
simplifled her spelling in the interest
OF educational progress will be news
to most readers. Mr.. Labouchere gives
rs his understanding that this was
done to enable the child to master
the spelling more quickly and thus
add to the success OF educational sys-
tenn of the country.
That is most important point.
The talented Englishman who has
been quoted in the foregoing calls at
tention to the fact that proficiency in
the spelling OF words Is n labor OF
memory. The child must become ia
miliar with each word and know all
Its peculiarities of pronunciation. This
must become indel'bly fotograft upon
his memory before he can be relied
upon to spell II correctly.
American Child Handicapt.
There can be no doubt that this is
n great burden to the young and re-
tards their Advancement. Consequent
ly II curtails the educational progress
OF n great majority. Most all our
people have to begin earning their
oWh lNllik At carry hE'' lnty ktb
n few years in school. but must then
take up the tasks OF life.
Therefore. II they be delayed some
months at the very outset, they must
fail to go so far as they otherwise
could In the limited time which they
can devote to acquiring knowledge,
and they are more or less handicapt
thruout their lives.
This constitutes powerful argu-
ment In favor OF simplifcation. 1t is
notorious that children taught the
purely fonetic system. which is very
little known to the general public,
master the language far more quickly
than others. They learn to read at
once. and their young minds easily
grasp that to which their attention is
called by their reading. They get a
start quickly. while children laboring
with the incongruities of our orthog-
rafy are held back.