The Peoples Voice (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, November 22, 1901 Page: 1 of 8
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he Peoples Voice
VOLUME 10.
Phonetic Spelling.
From time to time efforts have been
made to simplify, or reform our
ridiculous orthography. The great
Hen Franklin, a philosopher possesed
of more good every day sense than
almost any other, proposed reform in
spelling. Various attempts of later
years have been made by individuals
and some by societies organized for
that purpose.
Now this writer is no "learned
scholar," has only seen the outside
of three or four Colleges and Univer
sities, and never spent more than
three hours inside one—more's the
pity, but he thinks it will not be pre-
sumptious in him respectfully to at-
tempt to direct the attention of j
others to the importance of the I
subject. An attempt by one. or a
small number of men or women, no
matter how learned, will prove
futile--there must be a show of
authority and college professors are
the ones to take hold and inaugurate
a real reform in our wretched bung-
ling, barbarous, ridiculous spelling.
A congress of learned linguists
could, in a short time, by adding a
few characters to the alphabet and
eliminating or dropping out a few
useless ones, and spelling words as
they should be pronounced, give us
a perfect orthography.
Objectors have said that we would
not be able to trace words to theii
roots or origin. Not one person in
a thousand cares about the origin of
a word so he knows the meaning, and
how to spell it, but if he does there
are millions of dictionaries showing
what language the word is derived
from, as well as its ancient meaning.
There are a number of reasons
why words should be spelt as they are
pronounced. Millions of children
are to be taught and they should not
be compelled to spend years in learn-
ing, imperfectly, what they could
learn in months. Then think of the
millions of foreigners who have to
stumble over words spelt one way
and pronounced very differently, like
the word "bow" and hundreds of
others.
The child at school is made to think
he has accomplished a mighty lesson
when he has spelled ph-th-is-ic, tizic,
or, great A little a-ron-Arum, or
n-e-i-g-h-b-o-r, or English way,
neighbour. Learning to spell is
torture, it is punishment underserved.
In truth it requires a wonderful
memory to be able, always, cor-
rectly (?) according to the dictionary.
'Jo do (-o is counted an accomplish-
ment, yet some great men like the
Father of his country, it is said, did
not always quite iill the bill. Several
magazines and journals are taking
liberties with our wonderful ortho-
graphy by dropping silent letters,
such as hg in through, though, and
them and this appears to be under-
stood by everybody. Why not then
drop the le in all the thousands of
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1901.
villes in the world? Why not dis-
pense with all silent letters? Our
spelling is abominable. It is an out-
rag"e on reason and common sense, a
stumbling block for children
foreigners and every one desiring to
acquire knowledge.
The following rhymeless rhyme
shows a few of the laughable absurdi-
ties of the great Anglo-American
language not as it is spoken but as
it is foolishly written.
A RHYMELESS RHYME.
The peculiarity about the follow-
ing verses is that they rhyme to
the eye, but not to the ear.
When Willie went to play at grolf
He met a keen ami hungry wolf
Am he nped on the forewt through
And that, you muHt admit, wan rouirh
Willi llilll ul nnm. h« ~. 1 i .. . ft •
NUMBER 1H
Willi him tit once ho ralwi B row,
lint Willie, with one swln«liiK blow
('Twus boxing t.uitflit liitn llow to
l.uUI out the wolf and killed him dead
Snld Willie, '-Siryou tire ite topi"
A ml not a moment did he stop
Until be saw that on tint hearth
The brute lay still, devoid of breath
For fear thai other wolves tnieht eoine
He sought at once his liappv home '
Andquli the inttne of golf at once
Remaining Idle for the nonce, '
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
A writer in a Chicago paper tells
us that there are eight English
vowel sounds. Are there not nine,
eight that may be sounded long or
short and one the u in nut which is
always short?
But then he may be a scholar and
I know that I am not. May I not
hope that these crude lines will
meet the eyes of some University
scholar who will take up the subject
and handle it as it should be?
C. E T.
Reform Forces Reuniting.
All efforts should now be bent to-
ward reuniting the Populists of the
South and West. It is not necessary
to continue to discuss whether the
endorsement of Uryan was the best
thing to do. That is a matter that is
in the past. It is the future we must
| look to.
| We believe that today the senti-
ment among Populists everywhere is
for independent action so far as the
national ticket is concerned.
This much can certainly be now
agreed upon.
A strong reform sentiment is build-
ing up in the great cities. Organized
labor in the cities is becoming alive
to the fact that their labor unions
are no longer powerful enough to
cope with the united capitalists and
that they must look to the ballot for
protection.
The People's party should be
ready to take advantage of this
awakening of the oppressed and the
friends of the oppressed in the cities.
But a divided party cannot do it, at
least not so well as a united party.
There has been no disagreement
among Populists on principles. On
principles we are as united today as
we ever were. Our division has been
upon the question of policy.
All the time that the organization
has been growing weaker and weaker
by reason of division as to policy our
principles have grown stronger and
stronger with the people. Four times
the million votes for our ticket in '92
are ready to vote our ticket when-
ever we become united and hold out
a reasonable hope for national suc-
cess.
What say you Populists of the
West?
Are you ready to unite with your
brothers of the South?
The reformers of the East and
North are waiting for the united ac-
tion of the two Populist strongholds
the South and the West. To say
nothing of the new sentiment in the
great cities, there is a strong reform
sentiment in the East and North,
Minnesota, Michigan and Maine have
been uearly as strong for reform as
the West and South. The reform
movement is not sectional, it is na-
tional. But much depends on the
united action of the West and South.
We have given the subject of what
is the best thing next to do for the
advancement of the cause of the peo-
ple our best thought, and our judg-
ment is there should be immediate
unity of action of the two Populist
organizations. Order should be
brought out of confusion. A new na-
tional committee should be chosen
to take the place of the two conflict-
ing national committees, or tne two
committees should be consolidated
and act as one committee.
This can be done within a few
weeks. The re-united People's par-
ty can guide and direct the great re-
form sentiment that exists among
the people.
Ihe West can be reclaimed from
the Republicans next year and the
South wrested from the Democracy
by 1904. With labor with us in the
great cities, a sweeping national vic-
tory may be obtained.
This is no idle dream. Did not the
reform vote of '88 grow to six times
its number in '92?
Old party t ies are not half as
Strong as they were in '94 when one
million three hundred thousand men
voted the Populist ticket. It has
been seven years since then and all
this time people have become conver-
ted to the doctrines of the Omaha
platform,—Missouri World.
U
There No Use Quoting Prices
On Our Complete Line of
4)
mm __
Implements, Stoves, Ranges, Wagons, Buggies,
Paints, Oils, Glass, Guns, Ammunition and
Sporting Goods of all kinds but come and we'll
show yon,
Beardsley Hardware Co.
Of New Fall fancies, the whole
Store is laden with bright, new
and attractive Goods. Visit us.
New Dress
Fabric?.
New & Stylish j ^ ——
Fall Furnish- l®W$HA
ings.
New Hosiery.
i Brand
New
Underwear.
New Shirts
.New tip-to the
season
Millinery.
New Glove-,
ami Mittens.
Triple Knee
"IfATHER STOCKING'V^ji
£
New Sluies
arc? a.'i a 11(1 Slim) >rs.
KJF"--SJfc,• ;!"% Ne.>' Clothing,
Skirls Hurl ties
-—
New prices—
lower than
VVaicic Cm*., Come set your share ot the lirst of
Waists, Suits. | Bargains. www
Editor Peoples Voice:
I notice in the paper's that the
grocery men in Guthrie have organiz-
ed a club for mutual benefit, that is,
they have organized fur the purpose
of farming the farmers more suc-
cessfully. All of the other industries
and traders haye organized clubs
political or otherwise for the express
purpose of farming the farmers.
Why should not the grocery men of
Guthrie organize for the same
purpose if they want to? The farmers
are unorganized, have always re-
fused to organize to protect their
interests for fear that economic
questions, the factor that skins them
would be discusseij, it would reflect
on some ones political party and that
would never do. They remind me of
the man who on a bitter freezing
cold night was annoyed by the con-
tinual barking of a dug out on the
north west side of the house. The
man finally became exasperated and
rushed out in his night clothes
caught the dog by the ears held him
out at arms length and said; "you
sun of a gun, I will hold you in the
wind until you freeze to death.-' The
farmers create three-fourths of all
the wealth created in the nation
annually, yet in place, of working to
gether like brothers engaged in the
same business as men in other in-
| dustriesdo, a breath will arouse their
j partisan envy and they try to
| freeze the dog. No one will ever
prevent the farmers beUig farmed,
but the farmers themselves. They
create the wealth The non-producer
wants it and is shrewd enough to
band together, leave their partisian
prejudice at home, and discussed
ways and means how to get it, either
through legislation or otherwise,
and will.continue to do so just as long
as the farmers persists in standing
individually and alone to be the
easy prey of every buccaneering
combination in the country. In this
commercial age of the survival of
the fitest, if the farmers would be
the fitest to survive, retain their in-
dependence and the wealth they
create they must do as men in other
industries have done, organize into
clubs leave their partisan prejudice
at home and lind the true cause of
such unequal conditions, even if it
should reflect on their dear old pol-
itical parties. Political parties that
have had control of public affairs are
responsible for the economic system
of the nation whether for or against
the farmers interest My farmer
friend it may have been your dear
old party that has shaped our
economic system so that it is more
profitable to farm the farmer than
it is for the farmer to farm his own
land. If it is, the quicker you learn I
that fact the sooner you will know
that you have been holding your
own nose on a grindstone and turn-
ing the crank your self. It will not
do to say that government has noth-
ing to do with prosperous or advere
conditions for that would reflect on
the intelligence of a people who
boast that each man is a sovereign
or to attribute conditions to every
thing but the right cause in order
to shield your poiitical party.
I 11 fares the land to hastening ills
a prey
When wealth accumulates and men,
decay.'
These lines were written long be-
fore there was a millionaire in this
country. The poet must have seen
with prophetic vision the vast
amount of wealth that agriculture
would create and with what ease it
would be transfered into the pockets
of a few. A. D. Hickok.
THE "PARTY PAPER" BECOMING
OBSOLETE.
I lie trend of the times is toward
independence in newspapers, and
the evolution is the result of a poou-
lar demand. Die party organ must
uphold its party in everything it
does and denounce every act of the
opposition. If the Democrats hold
a meeting attended by 5,000 people
j the Republican organ must 1,200
; were present. On the other hand,
if the Republicans have a parade in
which 10,000 people take part the
I Democratic organ must declare that
| only 2,000 men were in line. It i3
not so long ago that party organs
refused to print speeches delivered
by political opponents. Instead of
giving their readers a fair and im-
partial report of the speech the
speaker was denounced and his
argument held up to ridicule. The
people became tired of this and de-
manded the news without bias.
I lie result is seen in the indepen-
dent tone of the press today. In
Chicago the Inter-Ocean is the only
thick and thin, dyed in-the wool
party organ and it is probably less
successful than any of its contem-
poraries. The Tribune and Journal
while nominally Republican, often
kick out of the party traces. The
Record-Herald, Chronicle and
Post are also free lances. In the
great city of New York the Demo-
crats have not a single paper that
will stand by the party right or
wrong, and the Republicans have
only the Sun to rely upon in all
sorts of wealher. It is the same in
Boston, Philadelphia, and 111 fact,
all the great centers. The party
organ has seen its day and is pass-
ing away. Intelligent readers turn
to the independent newspapers be-
cause they want the news atid not
mere abuse of men and measures.
In ten years there will probably
be no party organs whatever. I he
people as they become more intel-
ligent become more independent.
Newspapers may retain the party
name in order to conjure with their
readers, but they will not be mere
party mouth-pieces. They will
stand by their party when it is
right and repudiate it when it is
wrong.
It is the sign of the times and it
is a g.miiI sign, too.—Rockford (III.)
Star.
If the press of the county would
only drop partisan politics and be-
comes courageous enough to cham-
pion measures independent of party
it would do much toward destroying
partisan politics. An independent
press would do much toward loosen-
ing party shackles and the voter
would become independent. Hav-
ing again secured his independence
he would be able to go to the polls
and vote as an American citizen
should—for men and measures and
not for a mere party name. For too
I long have the American voters been
conjured by the magic of a party
name.
Chase and Sandborns famous
coffees can be found only at Geo1 M
Winans & Co.
'VVVVVV^WWVWWWWVWWWWI
Money! Money! Money/
YLS—We have an unlimited
amount to loan ou farms.
Time from six months to ten
years. Interest as low us the
lowest.
We Lead on Terms Others Follow
jcek(ix in (.on:
Office Opera House Block.
Attorney-At-Law
.✓vvvw/wwvwwvwwwvwvvwww <\£
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Allan, John S. The Peoples Voice (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, November 22, 1901, newspaper, November 22, 1901; Norman, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc117487/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.