Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1906-09-08
SIMPLIFlEDSPfLLIyG
President ROOSEVELT LEAVES
IT TO POPULAR APPROVAL.
The simpIfied Spelling Advocated by
the Board and Put in Official Docu-
ments is Up for Argument-He Says
Drop 1t if not Popular-His Letter
to Public is Printed.

Oyster Bay, N. Y, Sept Ain let
ter to Charles A. Stillings, public prin-
ter at Washington, made public re-
Gently, President Roosevelt wrote that
il the changes in spelling advocated
by the simplifed spelling board and
put into use in official documents
meets with popular approval they will
be made permanent. If not, he wrote,
they will be dropped The presidents
letter follows:
"Tlon. Charles A. Stillings, public
printer, Washington, D. C.-My Dear
Mr.. Stillings: ] enclose herewith cop
les of certain circulars of the simpli-
fed spelling board, which can be OBJ
tanned free from the board at No. 1
Madison avenue, New York city.
Please hereafter direct that in all gov
eminent publications of the executive
departments the above 300 words emu
merated. in circular No. shall be
spelled as therein set forth. II any
one asks the reason for the action re-
fer him to circulars 8, and as is
sued by the simplified spelling board.
Most of the criticism of the proposed
step is evidently made in entire igno-
rance of what the step is no less than
in entire ignorance of the very moder-
ate and common sense views as to the
purposes to be achieved, which views
are so excellently set forth in the cir
culars to which have referred. There
is not the slightest intention to do
anything revolutionary or initiate any
far reaching policy. The purpose sim
ply is for the government, instead OF
tagging behind popular sentiment to
advance abreast of it and at the same
time abreast of the views of the ablest
and most practical educators of our
time, as well as of the most profound
scholars-men of the stamp Of PROBES
sor Lounsbury and Professor Skeat-
eff the slight changes in the spell
ing of the 300 words proposed wholly
or partially meet popular approval
then the changes will become perma
men without any reference to wha
public officials or individual private
citizens may feel; if they do not ulti
mately meet with popular approva
they will be dropped, and that is al
there is about it. They represen
nothing in the world but very Sigh
extension of the movement which ha
made agricultural implement maker
and farmers write 'plow' instead o
plough which has made most Amer
y leans write honor" without the some
what absurd superfiuous ~ and whic
b is even now making people write pro
gram without the me- just as all pee
pie who speak English now write bat
/ set dim sum and fish instead G
the Elizabethan bate, 'sette,' "din
. me- 'summe and 'fyshe'; which make
us write public almanac era far
) tasy and wag'r,' insteo # 'pu,lick
'alrlanack, 'aera,' 'phantasy' and wal
!, gon of our great grandfathers.
o at is not an attack on the languae
of Shakespeare and Milton. because
l. is in some instances a going back
the forms they used, and in Other
II merely the extension OF change
d which, as regards other words, hay
81 taken place since their time. 1t is M
E, at attempt to do anything Tar reachir
o or sudden or violent, or, indeed, an
&c thing very great at all. 1t is mere
an attempt to cast what slight weigl
D. can properly be cast upon the side
= popular forces which are endeavorir
to make our spelling little less fox
b. ish and fantastic. Sincerely yours
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
I'd