THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. I09 



Other living languages to undertake that part. Were not the impedi- 

 ment of a bizarre, antiquated orthography in the way, the universality 

 of this language would be still more apparent ; it may, perhaps, be 

 fortunate for us other Europeans that the Englishman has not made 

 the discovery." Those who are busying themselves about the 

 establishment of a " world language " would do well to bear in 

 mind the kind suggestion of our German friend, and join hands 

 with those who desire to place English in such a position as will 

 most rapidly secure that great end. At the Columbian Exhibition 

 next year it is expected that an international convention will be 

 held to discuss ways and means of improving English spelling. 

 May success attend their laudable efforts to bring to a happy con- 

 clusion a reform that would confer upon theworld at large incalculable 

 blessings ! 



The past fifty years have done much t;p spread a knowledge of 

 the aims and objects of the spelling reform throughout the English- 

 speaking world, for which the venerable inventor of Phonography, Mr. 

 Eizak Pitman, of Bath, England, deserves in no small measure the 

 thanks of those who desire to bring to a successful issue so greatly 

 needed a reform. Through the medium of phonetic shorthand hun- 

 dreds ot thousands of people throughout the world have been taught 

 in a very practical and forcible manner the benefits attaching to the 

 substitution of the phonetic for the ordinary or nomic method of 

 spelling. In 1891 the number of primary shorthand books, in one 

 system alone, had reached the enormous edition of 1,600,000 copies, 

 and when captious critics ask what progress the movement is making, 

 the answer is that spelling reform is no longer a possibility, no longer 

 a probability, but a certainty. Phonography has been and is being in- 

 troduced into hundreds of schools and colleges, where a few years ago 

 it was unknown. This, taken in conjuncion with the fact that the 

 " phonic " method, now being persued in our primary schools, is 

 meeting with great success, is educating public opinion to that point 

 when the- demand will come in no uncertain tone for a more simple 

 and scientific system of orthography for general purposes. " Within 

 half a century, too, philology has become a definite science, with 

 definite aims," and, although among the vast majority of people it 

 is no more than an occult science, yet the application of one of its 

 truths in modern shorthand is bringing to the notice of a rapidly 



