The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-07
Twelve Simplified English Words.

ried on most effectively by the teachers
and principals. Any new spellings advo-
Gated should be few and simple. Those
are enough for the present. They
have common sense and good authority.
In addition to adopting the simpler spell
ing Of these twelve words, swe may aid in
spreading information In regard to the un-
historical and inconsistent character of
our present spelling in general, and the
serious hardship it imposes. How it hind
ers the progress of our own children and
retards the Americanizing of the foreign
ers who are our fellow citizens. "a;
An Appeal to the Papers:
DR.. Blunt pleaded earnestly that the
newspapers which ought to be the valiant
leaders in such a movement in the inter
est of humanity, should adopt the few
short spellings used by the National Edu-
cational association. 1T is the functions
Of the newspapers said he, "to give us
that which is new. the news. In this
matter of spelling why do they cling SO
persistently to the old in spite of the adj
vice Of scholars and educators? The peo-
pie are following their lead. You cannot
laugh away the weight of scholarship
which support this project"
-. Some Of the Letters Received.
Following are some of the letters re-
ceived from leading educators in the
northwest: -a-
g. NJ. Jordan, Superintendent Of Schools Min
neapolis-I am glad to express myself as thor
oughly in sympathy with the cause. Like all
other reforms, it will come slowly, but with
the Intelligent and persistent advocacy 1t will
come eventually
DR.. D. L. Kiehle, Formerly Professor in the
Univ ersfty of Minnesota-Please put me on rec
ord with those who believe that the time has
come when custom Of spelling that is obsolete
in reason, difficult to learn and cumbersome in
use should yield to the demands Of economy in
tiiae and labor.
Albert W. Rankin, Inspector Of State Graded
Schools. st. Paul, Minn.-The persistent adher-
ence OF many otherwise sensible people to our
present cumbersome and difficult method of spell
ing IS mere unreasoning sentiment and has no
justification in the mind of one who has regard
for economy in the learning or In the use OF
written English
DR.. Frederick L. Bolton, Head of the Depart
ment Of Education, University Of Iowa-Too man.
people are great fetish worshippers. What has
been is sacred. They should be made to under
stand that they are cnlpable If they do not
do for the future what they might do
Fl. n. Freer, Professor of English Literature.
Cornell College, Mt. Vernon. Iowa-No educa-
tional reform equals in Importance the simplify
Ing OF the spelling of the English language. La
Dor saving appliances are employed in every
business and industry to great advantage. and
why should we not shorten the time required in
learning to read and spell our mother tongue?
T. 3. Doty, State High School Inspector of
Wisconsin, command from you is as binding
to the average pedagos as any Law in the decs
| log, every der1agag in the cataiog to the CON
| trary notwithstanding. With this brief pro-
log hasten to assure you that am thru and
| thru in favor Of the n. E.. A. recommendations
regarding reformed spelling aItho I can see
that some conservative, narrow minded people
may object to contracting thoroughfare to thoro-
| fare. especially those who are keenly sensitive
| to the aural and visual suggestion In words. But
! to my mind the way to photographic salvation is
4 the straight and marrow way.
H. II. Seerley. President State Normal School.
Cedar Falls. Iowa-Some Twelve years ago most
OF the Iowa educational institutions made cove
nant that they would thereafter spell ''catalog y
program. = ETC., without the extraneous letters.
| To-day the Iowa state normal is the only insti-
tuition that know OF in this state which is keep
ing up the practice. thoroly believe in every
| thing that will develop public opinion. | am
| sincerely In harmony with rousng public inter-
est. am not unfavorable to passing resoiu-
| tions; but they are useless and helpless unless
4 we are individually ready to take public action
and practice what We preach
T. B. Pray, President State Normal School,
| Stevens Point wis.-Every years experience in
/ dealing with poor spelling in adults and in OBJ
i serving the teaching OF children to read and
spell; only impresses on me the - urgent M duty Of
/ ways The next generation will follow fast
| enough and the slavery to recent traditions,
| fostered by trade interests, viii cease. Let US
| smell as we'll as Milton. not as badly as johnson
/ r. n. Halsey, President State Normal School,
! Oshkosh, visit has been repeatedly shown
/ that the average English speaking child devotes
| about one year Of his school life to the mastery
OF the unreasonable irregularities of our present
spelling. to say nothing Of the sitting effect of
/ its contradictions upon his logical faculty. What
/ parent would submit tamely to the tyranny Of a
school system, or a teacher, that consciously
| wasted from one-sixth to one-twelfth OF the
/ chfld's time, and constantly forbid him to use
! his reason? Ought We TO submit any more will
/ ingly because this tyranny is intrenched behind
! the sanction of some masters of the English Ian
guage? Let us unite in demanding a gradual
! reform in spelling that will tighten the bur-
den Of the children to-day and in the future.