The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-15
BY w. w. Jermane. Colorado Building
F Washington, p. c.

ssNsu'HSsS'S - ~. ~ y
Washington, Dec. 14.-The intense
love and affection of the people on
Capitol hill for President Roosevelt,
was well illustrated when the question
of adopting the president 8 simplifed
SPELLING came up in the house.
The legislative appropriation bill was
under consideration, and in It was a
provision that the. public printer spell
according to Webster, or some other
standard dictionary, when he prints the
public documents. This amounted to
an. order that the president s. instruc-
lions to use the simplifed form be ig-
nored, but it was new legislation and
could only remain in an appropriation
bill by unanimous consent. That is
any gentleman could come to. the presi-
dents rescue and throw out the spell
ing paragraph by the simple expedient
OF raising a point of order against it.,
yet, while some of the members claimed
to stand for the proposed reform, none
raised his voice to, save the president
from the .rebuke which he would re-
ceive if the paragraph were to be left
In and become law. -, IT, : -.
Indeed many members did not hest
tate to use the opportunity to air their
feelings by trying to make the ,presi-
dent 8 spelling order look ridiculous.
Thus Champ Clark of Missouri inter
rupted Mr.. Gillett> of Massachusetts,
who was standing up. in a. somewhat
feeble and half-hearted way for. the
president, and asked Gillett this cues
400 Years, He Says. =.
elias the gentleman calculated how
long it would take to modify the Eng
lish language at the rate: Of 800 words
year9'' ~. -. -, ..>.<
u have not,'' replied Mr.. Gillett.
It would take 400 years. said Mr..
Clark. Now, if you are going into
this remodeling business, why not go
the whole hog. and take the phonetic
system OF spelling that has forty four
letters in it, and that absolutely abol-
lshes the task or stunt Of learning to
spell at alls If you take the forty
included in the language. If you adopt
the shorthand system of writing-and
you can learn that as well as you can
the system we now write-you will
save from three to FIVE years in the
life of every citizen: Of the republic in
getting an education. As to this order
OF the president, it is absolutely pitia
pie. 1t produces confusion without do
ing any good. 1t simply muddles things.
l am willing to go the whole hog on
spelling reform, but I am not willing
to take 800 words out of 100000 and
poster Pes ourselves and everybody else for
4oO years in completing the reform:''3
- All Denis Break Loose. -:
1t all Hooked very much as if the
spelling paragraph had been placed in
the bill by the republican members for
the purpose of letting the democratic
members have fun with the president
and certainly they took advantage Of
1t, even to Leader Williams, while tho
majority members sat back anda en-
to take any particular part in making
It unpleasant for the president was MI.
Bingham Of Pennsylvania, and all he
did was to furnish material for the
democrats by giving the house an. exact
transcription of the investigation made
by the committee on appropriations
into the spelling reform order. = Here
IS a piece of the stenographic report of
the ne hearing before the committee cited
Mr.. Tawney-Wass there any refer.
ence, in the president IS order directing
this simplifed form of spelling, to a
board on simplifed spelling9
Mr.. .Stillings (the public printer
was referred to the report of a board
on simplifed spelling. -:
Mr.. Tawney-In, looking over. the
names of: the. men constituting this
board I find that Of Isaac K. Funk
editor and publisher of the STANDARD
dictionary. In the event that congress-
adopted the simplifed spelling by hav.
ing congressional. documents and laws
printed in accordance with the report
of this board, would it be necessary to
get out. a new dictionary9 -.
MI; Stillings-.I think it would, ulti-
mately; yes, sir. -."'....
| New School Books, Too.
MI. Tawney-I also notice the names
OF Benjamin E. Smith, editor of the
Century dictionary, and Henry Holt, a
publisher of New York. is that a
schoolbook publishing house? -. . :,
MI, Stillings-I understand it to. be.