The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-14

Sou tniuh So toof very truly yours,
WHITELAw REID.
PHOENIX, Ariz., Jan. 90.
REGENTS OFFICE,
ALBANY. March o.
DEAL REGENT RID: | just discover that the
answer to your note did not go back promptly,
ms planned, because | sent 1t out to verify the
reference, and 1t got in the wrong piGeonhole.
| am glad you sent me this. which I should
otherwise have missed. Giving you the facts, I
think you will want to make some ommen
either in THE SCN or Tribune on IL.
When | came here | changed several abbrevi-
ated forms that had been in use for years, sim
ply to guard against this criticism. Or. Wat
kins sud " But we have used these for years,
and no one can attribute them to you" | an
swered: " Whether they can or not, they will.
because my name hRs been known ms that of n
spelling reformer, and we will he extra conserv-
alive" | have not felt ut liberty to introduce
into our official work the spellings that | should
use In my private correspondence and agree
with you fully that it should not he done with
out tho approval of the Regents. / would hardly
use the form spelt, which | mark In this criticism
from The SUN.
In consultation with Mr.. Curtis, we agreed on
some harmony out Of the chaos OF our printed
matter. These have been adopted by numerous
anything they had. We inclndcd in them the
spelling controller" invariably used by the
,IribhIif. because al the authorities showed it to
be a more correct form, and 1t would help to
guard against the persistent INSTRUMENTATION
OF the word that We hear. even in the Control
lers Office. This is tho only spelling that We
have been criticised for. to my knowledge, till
the enclosed Caine from you.
las TO hypotenuse: This is the form given by
Webster and by the STANDARD, which give n.y.
putehuse; with a mere reference from hyputh-
t thnt i is M si.S speiTeS fn hSno, nnasT hyPGth' SAYING
enters IT, OF course. under the correct form, hy-
potenuse. referring to hypoth. and saying prop
pothenusc. is more common
The form Michelangelo is adopted by the Cen
tury Dictionary. which makes no reference to
the other form, and 1t is quite commonly used
So, The editor of the examination questions
something is said to the contrary. '''
FINALLY. the spelling, catalos. which is given
by MMrray'f great philologicaL societies die;
by us till it was used by the United states Bu-
reaG of Education in their catalog Of the A..
1t has for years been adopted as the standard
spelling OF the LihrarN Juurn1l and the Amer
lean Library Association, and Mr.. X. r.. Bow
ker;, himself with a strong prejudice against
spelling reform. recently said. when the matter
was under discussion. that, in spite Of his pref
pie who ought to be considered the best author
ity on that word had adopted the German form,
Bureau of Education seems to justify similar
use by the Regents.
Don't you think that the Regents would he
the erroneous form like hypothenuse when the
weight of authority was ali on the other side?
Aren't we bound by our position to correct
these errors, Recently a German professor
came In in a high state Of excitement because
OF certain German words, thinking 1t hardly
creditable for an office like ours not to Know
German better. When we showed him that the
spelling which wc used had been officially pro-
mulgatcd by the German Government rs tho
expressed his surprise that he should learn for
the first time so important athing rCgardtng his
native language from n pnblic Office which he
WAS erring through its ignorance.
am thoroughly sorry to have an item like
this appear, hut give me your candid judgment
as to the wisdom of our position, and also MS
TO whether il is better to let the matter drop.
or for you or for me to send n note to TuE SrN
showing that their rather caustic comment was
MELvIL DEWEY.
DEAR Mr.. DEWEY: no, do not think that You
would be subject 10 criticism II you continued
toned by educated people for n century. aud is
still used by a great majority Of them. But |
the Board. in official papers for pupils of our
schools, you change the spelling now in use on
the mere example of the Initcd States Bureau
of Education. 0r even following sone OF the
now dictionaries you name.
| am writing here IN thedesert, without access
to my books OF reference. and so cannot go into
the question Of authorities. 1t Will be no novel
idea 10 yon. however, that many, scholars still
ms between Webster and Worcester, on this
ono question, perhaps the best scholars have IN
lined to prefer the latter, and that the new die
admirable and valuable as they are in
WAYS. have not yet, on spelling, displaced
tion, Worcester give "hypOthenuSe as the cor
rect orth"graphy; the Century admits that il is
permit both II and the form which YOU prefer.
Etymnlogtcaly there may, be u qualification for
,ome SLOWLY and they should not he taken emu" IN
hy the Board 81 Regents especially In its official
dealings with the pupils Of the state schools,
Taught. why, we all crossed our pons asinornm
On " hypothenuse," and il you disable that we
shall begin TO ,nspect that The /, whole proposition
As for "Michelangelo." there Is no doubt au-
i seems merely one of those fussy changes
which, IN the present craze for un-A ngliciHing
keep us IN bewilderment as To Just VINO or what
IS meant.
"Cataiog" can only be described by the word
I commits u. TO other monstrositicS, " pcda-
sog rdi.log - monoloG," sc, must insist
minded examination papers, issued IN the name
the Hoard Of Regents, but without their APP
in the authorities you name.
Tho very fact that these spellinGs are not In
General use In the schools Of the State should
Intended for the pupils OF these schools. Even
{ such spelling il admitted To lie "A . reform, " 1t
: not ths business OF a body organizes Ike the
toard OF Regents to upset the spelling books OF
he state by leading In such "A reform. but only
o conform To IL when II has been generally ac-
epted. We, at Least. should avoid the barbarOus
business Of vivisection on our noble living Eng
ish. such changes as are need full should. so
AT as We are concerned. come. as in nature,
lowly, aud lot artiticlally, but in tho order OF
rOwth.
| don't understand you to say that Mr.. Curtis
yer sanctioned these changes. II he did, and |
Iad been present., ! should certainly have been
the first time during our long service to-
ether on the Hoard when we were not In sub
tantial agreement on every educational uues-
ion that came before us.
You see, | am taxing you at your word and
living you my candid Judgment" without re-
erve, You were undoubtedly right In the de-
ire To be extra conservative" and | rather
IOpe that on duly weighing the above sugges-
ions you will conclude that such conservatism
III lead e, reversing your present practice,
ntil IL shall have, had the sanction OF a more
Iosrd. | am, with cordial regards, always very