The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-11-01

IeRMs: Six Months. so cents.
thirty or forty years-for it would take
more than generation to systematic
ally develop the matter-it has been
found that the majority Of people have
adopted phonetic spelling, then it will
be time to change the words in the
dictionary accordingly. Before that.
no publisher would take hold of the
matter, and any phonetic dictionary
issued nOw,. would not be worth the
paper it was printed on. Were it
otherwise, it would constitute great
business proposition, and our large
publishing firms would vie with each
other in quickly securing the services
of our best scholars for the compila-
tion of new phonetic dictionary.
Webster, Worcester, ETC., were merely
compilers of existing words, which
they spelled strictly in accordance with
popular custom, just like Blackstone
was compiler and teacher of existing
laws, not lawgiver.
We have no space to now treat the
matter from the pathological stand
point; but we burst not leave senti-
ment out of the question, as the people
of all nations are anxiously guarding
against mutilation the language they
have learned on the knees of their
mothers. The spelling of English has
but little changed in the last five hum
dred years, and our beautiful classical
literature of the Elizabethan Era can
today be read and enjoyed with the
greatest ease. Future generations will
be able to read our classical literature
only with great difficulty, if sweep
ing spelling reform should have be-
come an accomplished fact. We must
also take into consideration that we
are proud, and derive great advantages,
of being participants in a language
which is spoken and written alike in so
many parts of the world. What guar
antee do we have, that other English
speaking nations will follow us in the
matter of phonetic spelling? None at
all! On the contrary, the chances are
that they will not do so, and then we
can produce only new american
language, which would not be English
any more. AS to the theory that pho
netic spelling would greatly assist our
immigrants in the learning of our lam
gusge, we beg to answer that it is not
so much the spelling, as the pronun-
citation of the letters of the English
alphabet, which occasions difficulty,
and which Is rarely mastered by our
, foreign immigrants, unless they have
come here when very young.
In RESUME:
| We fully acknowledge the advan-
: tages which would accrue to English
; speakers from a universally intro
| duced and accepted spelling reform;
but we are also mindful of the almOst
unsurmountabIe difficulties which
!, stand in it's way, and of the confusion
r which would be created by the estab-
' lishment of such reform; and we believe
: that the advantages to be gained are
r not sufficient recompensation for the
: disorder which would be occasioned by
! the introduction. So far, very small
Q percentage of our educated fellow
8 citizens have merely said to us: "Try
Y itw but have not taken even as much
i, trouble to logically convince us that
/ phonetic spelling is within our reach
o as this little article has taken in fur
y nishing convincing reasons for the
8 belief, that any advantages, that can
l. possibly be gained by a change. Of
) spelling, will be no equivalent for thu
), disadvantages connected with tht
Q systematical introduction of phonetit
q spelling in our domestic and public
Q intercourse, in our educational institu
Q tions, etc. This article purports t.
J. express skepticism-not pessimism.
It 1880.