The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-29
sPELLIN0 REEOsx.
Views or . Conservative and UnrcSeuer'
ate OrthOgraphef.

TO THE EpfroR or THE SUN ir: have
Just received through the mall remarkapie
document. II asks me to sign and return 70
the secretary Of a spelling reform organiSa.
ton q pledge that In my correspondence !
will habituslly mlsspell twelve English WORDS
which arc specified In the pledge. And u
includes list Of hundred and five gentle
men-all Of whom are respectable. and some
OF whom are eminent-who are said TO have
signed such pledge.
This brings up an interesting renlniscence.
About three years ago, l think, ! received
an invitation 10 attcnds meeting OF spelling
reformers' In this city. with request that
II could not represent would send letter
expressing my Views. I sent such letter.
setting forth views widely different from
those of the "reformers." and the secretary
he remembered to take all the other letters
he had received, and slngularly forgot TO
take that ono He told the assembled re-
formers he had received such letter from
me. but had left II at home. As there are
no messenger boys In New York. OF course
he could not send for II. and none OF the re-
formers offered to 60 and get 1t. 30 the
letters that told them what they already
believed we're read to them. and the one
letter that would have told them something
else vas not read; Common sense ana CON-, con-
had been INVITED, and It's absence w Ss, due to
tss n % the s tic
mo to harbor suspicion that the spelling
on The other SIDE de-. Of Ii The e question:
A. I understand IT, the objects Of the 80
called Spelling reform" are: To save space
Tor those Who find it dinicSit 70 spell correctly.
mathematician among the reformers has
aANA min al anti ~
Widths Of the letters and counted the fire.
anensy Of their and thence h eom
ss ss he
omitted. He. thus displays an amusing
!snorsnce Of typosraph Ass ,Sn asDs the os
a book were set up in one long line that line
would be shortened as he suggests But
books are broken nt the pages sss
made up 81 comparatively short lines. When
. Msss as, s 9s po the I'M hs psss d
between the words spd thus sets il i IN :.oona.
Contemplation Of this fact S foT ten
reform. would not diminish. by q single
page the bulk Of any book. In writing by
ss hs Tor %e says and hro%Fh
ls inhnitesimal. and IN uaing the machine
It is even less In reading there is no , SAVING
quickly as the other; In fact. 1t usually takes
In a whole sentence at once, That the re
formed" spelling would make 1t easier to
spell correctly appears to be the chief areu-
posed to reform are not the words that any
body with a grammar school education is
puzzled to spell. Even II they were. the areu-
ment would not be good. For II one writes
for print the prnofreader will make his SPELL
Ing right, and II he makes slip in writing a
letter net likely to mslesd his EorrG n
letter misunderstanding and needless words.
for instance.
Briefly then the reform would not save
space. II would not save time. 1t would not
make better spoilers.
But, il it must be adopted. why stop there?
Why not, for the same supposed reasons,
abolish capitals? Shall we go on requiring
the tender child e learn that names OF months
seasons must not? How literature will be
simpllned and beautfed when We superscribe
our letters like this:
rev. jehudi a. tanager. d. d.. II. d.
ninth presbyterian church.
adj nm avenue and iay q