The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-03-30
To Simplify English Language.

justified in having kept the truth 1ToiA
him.
To Simplify English Language.
Announcement was made of an Oh
ganization, including prominent men OF
affairs as we'll as leading men OF letters,
has been formed in New York to urge
the simplihcation Of English spelling.
This new body is called the simplif1ed
| spelling board. 1t will appeal to all
who for educational or practical rea-
sons wish to make English spelling
easier. Andrew Carnegie has under
taken to bear the Expense of the organi-
cation. MIR. Carnegie long has been con-
WINGED English might be made the
world language of the future, nj thus
one of the influences leading to rniver-
sal peace; and he believes that the
chief obstacle to it's speedy adoption is
to be found in it's contradictory and diff
cult spelling.
The simplified spelling board contains
some thirty members, living in various
parts of the union. Some OF them are
authors of wide reputation; some are
professed scholars connected With lead
ing universities; some are editors Of the
foremost American dictionaries; some
are men distinguished in public life;
and some are men of affairs, prominent
in civil life.
The membership is not yet complete.
but 1t now includes Chancellor An
drews of the University of Nebraska,
Justice Brewer of the United States
supreme court, President Butler of CO.
lumbia university, O. G. Blackmer of
Chicago, Andrew Carnegie, S. l.. Glenn
ems CMarlk Twain), DR.. Melvil Dewey.
Or. Isaac Is. Funk, editor n pub
Usher of the STANDARD Dictionary";
Lyman j. Gage, eN-secretary of the
treasury; Richard Watson Glider, ed
itor of the Century magazine; DR.. Will
liam L. Harris, United States commits
sioner of education and editor OF
"Webster's International Dictionary;
Professor George Hempl of the Uni
Nersity of Michigan, Colonel Thomas
Wentworth Higginson, Henry Holt,
Professor William James of Harvard.
President David Starr Jordan of Lee
land Stanford university, Professor
Thomas r. L~ounsbury of Yale. Pro-
fessor Francis A. March of Lafayette,
Professor Brander Matthews of Co
lumbia, Judge Morrow of the United
States circuit court. California; DIR.
Benjamin B.. Smith, editor. and DR..
Charles p. G. Scott, genealogical editor
of h Century Dictionary; President
H. II. Seerley of the Iowa State Nor
NAL school, Cedar Falls; Colonel
Charles E. Sprague, president of the
Union Dime Savings Institution: Pro-
LNN'oA @ L NIX vi AOlllllUld, Il :.
e. o. Naile, lately editor of Intelli-
gence; DIR. William Hayes Ward, ed
itor of the Independent. and President
Woodward of the Carnegie institution
of Washington.
The establishment of the simplifed
spelling board is the result of an eff.
fort made within the last year to secure
the use, by men of position, of certain
simpliied spellings, adopted some years
ago by the National Educational as
ISOLATION and now used by several i'm
portant publications. The response to
this request was cordial. Hundreds OF
signatures We're received pledging the
writer's to use these simpler forms in
their personal correspondence.
TIE members of the simplified SPELL
ing board believe that the time is now
ripe for a forward movement. They
have learned the nature and the
strength OF the opposition to be over
come. They will not advocate change
merely for the saks of change. They
do not intend to urge n violent all
teration in the appearance of familiar
words. They will not advance any ex-
IRENE theories. Tney will not expect
to accomplish their task in a day or in
a year. They are willing to make haste
slowly, in the expectation of overcom-
Ing by degrees the prejudice existing
in favor o. he present cumbersome
orthograpny. They wish, in brief, to
expedite that process of simplifcation
which has been going on in English. in
spite OF The opposition of conservatives.
ever since the invention of printing.
notably In the omission of silent and
useless letters. Not so long ago al
manac was spelt almanack, and music
was musick. In the last few years
techntc has been winning acceptance
in place Of technique. program has been
substituting itself for programme, cat
alog Tor catalogue, and tho for though.
These shorter forms are already be-
coming familiar; they may MOI as vet
be approved by the majority, but they
are no longer strange in the ewes or
the average reader, and they are found
in use in books by authors Of repute
and In periodicals of standing.
The si1nplif1ed spelling board will not
only lend it's support to such simplif-
cations by omissions, but it proposes
also to arouse a wider public interest
In the general question Of English or
biography. There is a real need OF or
gained effort to make English a better
instrument for the hundreds of millions
who will have to use u language be-
fore the end Of the twentieth century.
Although English is spreading more
rapidly h any other tongue. it has
the most illogical spelling OF any one
OF h more important modern Ian
guages.
The board intends to urge individuals
everywhere to exercise the privilege OF
simpliftcation and to other
organizations which are working to-
ward the same end or have shown an
interest in the cause.
The immediate activities OF the sim
plified spelling board will be directed
by an executive committee chosen from
the members residing in New York. An
office will no nnanaH in Now Vcyly 10
serve as headquarters for the work;
and from this Office the campaign Of
education will be conducted by d COM
petent staff. Local societies will be or
ganized wherever a rou of willing
workers can be gathered together.
Comprehensive plans are being mapped
out which will lake years for their ull
e0raplirltaa II