The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-29
n. A SPELLING
Chorus Of Approval From Educators
Of Their Adoption by The
Journal.
College Presidents and Instructors
Generally Write Approx
ingly.

uI1llS has al OuSed the greatest possible IN |
terest among educators all over the coun-
try. It has long been urged that SPELL
ing reform could best be brought about
gradually thru the agency Of the news
papers, since they are more widely read
than any other printed matter. The edu-
Gators thus derive great encouragement
from the action of T h. e Journal. Sam
pie copies Of the issue Of May 4, contain
ing many letters Of approval were sent to
leading men in educational circles all over
the country. Following are extracts from
soc Of the letters that have been received
in response:
From College Presidents.
am greatly pleased at the movement which
you have made in adopting the simplihed SPELL
Ing. 1t shows that your Journal is progressive.
now making great Roadway III this country for
the simplifying Of our English spelling. 4 q
to the life conditions ST fhe people usng It.
Children of the coming generations will have
good reason to be very grateful to those who
assist now In a movement which, as the years go
on, will relieve school children from the present
unnecessary burden of complicated spelling.
It Is true that the beginning made Is small, but
the trend is set and other results will follow.
IL. II. Jones,
President Michigan State Normal College
Ypsilanu, Mich, May 49, 1908.
wish to indorse your stand with all emphasis.
II
finally bring about this great reform, which al.
ready has the Endorsement of scholars as we'll
as Of all others who wish for the proper gu
premacy Of the English language.
William Goodell Frost,
President Berea College.
Berea, Ky, May %, 1908.
AS regular reader Of your esteemed paper
the only daily do read regularly-it gives me
satisfaction to note of the many indications
OF 7 g J~ourn rs progress the recent change
| in spelling the words adopted by the National
Educational Association.
Alt,o the words are few, their abridgement by
a metropolitan Journal will have a great indu-
ence and will encourage all who are interested In
improving our photography to make still further
| encroachment upon our wasteful spelling.
| Those who oppose spelling reform and think
twhatever Is, is right must have little inter
est in the welfare of the 900 OF school chill
| dren in the United States who are exercising
their lower mental processes in learning the order
| Of letters in English words when their time
! could he much more probably employed.
am glad to have your paper in our reading
ROOM where students will be Influenced by it
| Success to you in taking this lead, and may
others follow suit.
w. J. Brier,
/ President State Normal School.
/ River Falls, Wis, May %.
| Permit me to congratulate you on this step
| We people who believe in trying to bring about
1 reform of our photography are very apt to ge
/ l -
/ get our newspapers in the United States to take
/ it up and stand by 1t, 1t would not be long unit
our people and our books would follow
Edmund j. James,
| President Northwestern University.
Chicago, May %.
The natural prejudces of most Of us who car
| SMELL are all in favor Of the forms we have
learned: but practice in trying to teach children
| supplemented by practice in dealing with teach
ers Of all grades from primary department t.
of the great difficulty of learning useless, arb1
| trary forms, and the immense convenience ant
| simplicity and ease Of common-sense. rat1ona
| spelling have been greatly pleased to not
the spread, within the last year or .two OF tht
| view among advertisers everywhere. "Catalog'
lis now so common In advertisements as to requir
| the care Of a, proofreader to take note of 1T
there ere is no reason to ask0that those Who hay
learned to spell take pains to change, it i
certainly quite rational to ask that those VIII
are still learning to spell be permitted to us
without reproach the simple, phonetic spelling
which commend themselves to the common sens
Of the masses and are heartily approved by tn
highest linguistic scholarship. It is to be hope
that your worthy example may have everywher
its proper influence with the public press. Al
the rest will easily follow.
IT. B. Pray,
President State Normal School.
Stevens Point, Wis, May 49, 1903.
! I wish to congratulate you and thank 20
for this step In behalf OF the millions OF chi
dren yet unborn who may have to waste week
and months OF their lives trying to master th
absurdities Of English spelling. Every han
that assists In casting the fetch from the tempt
is to be honored and glori6ed.
David Felmley,
President State Normal University.
Normal, ILL.,, May q, 1908.
from College Professors.
You have taken step in the tight direction
and hope you will keep on in spite Of Il
gibes of the thoughtless and the Indifference
| the many. Some Of your correspondents net
to be reminded that there was a time and n
SO long ago-When m-u-s-i-c and t-r-a-f-f-i
without their useless final 'K' looked as 'odd
and ''horrod. as tho does now.
Calvin Thomas,
Professor of German Languages.
Columbia University, New York city, May
1903
You are helpging along the good work begun
our remote ancestors who first took thought
I English speech. From the very beginning t
English language has been steadily striving
keep Its photography more or less In accord wi
1 It's pronunciation. The advance has always be
slow, but 1t has been steady; and it has be
led by the more Independent and the more intel
gent. What Is needed Just now is to make
average reader conscious of the absurdities
our present spelling. Your action will help
| do this.
-Brander Matthews,
Columbia University