Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-09-07
SIMPLIFIEDSPE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT LEAVES
1T TO POPULAR APPROVAL.
The SimpIified Spelling Advocated by
the Board and Put In Official Docu-
ments Is Up for Argument-He Says
Drop It If not PopuIar-His Letter
to Public is Printed.

Oyster Bay, N. Y, Sept An let
ter to Charles A. Stillings, public prin-
ter at Washington, made public re-
Gently, President Roosevelt wrote that |
if the changes in spelling advocated |
by the simplified 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:
"Hon. 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.
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 3, 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
3 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 dc
anything revolutionary or initiate any
, far reaching policy. The purpose sim
> ply is for the government, instead o.
4 tagging behind popular sentiment, t
% advance abreast of 1t and at the same
~ time abreast of the views of the ables
. and most practical educators of ou
= time, as we'll as of the most profound
n scholars-men of the stamp of PROBES
sor Lounsbury and Professor Skeat.
n 'If the slight changes in the spell
" ing of the 300 words proposed who'll
= or partially meet popular approva
Ia then the changes will become perms
r men without any reference to wha
"A public officials or individual privat
citizens may feel; II they do not ult
mately meet with popular approvs
al they will be dropped, and that is a
there is about it. They represer
nothing in the world but very sligf
extension of the movement which ha
an made agricultural implement maker
al and farmers write pillow instead {
,r plough which has made most Anne
:, leans write honor" without the som
10 what absurd superfiuous ~ and whic
no is even now making people write pr
a. gram without the me- just as all pc
cd pie who speak English now write bal
Al set dim, sum and fish instead
no the Elizabethan bate 'sette,' "diI
ar me- 'summe' and 'fyshe'; which maxi
no us write public, almanac era ia
tasy' and 'wag'n,' inste0 # 'pu3licl
no 'alnlanack,' 'aera,' 'phantasy' and wa
Of gon' of our great grandfathers.
in ut is not an attack on the languaI
ee of Shakespeare and Milton. because
be is in some instances a going back
-as the forms they used, and in othe
he merely the extension of chang
IT, which, as regards other words, ha
taken place since their time. 1t is n
sh at attempt to do anything far reachil
in OF sudden or violent, or, indeed, an
led thing very great at all. 1t is mere
an attempt to cast what slight weig
las can properly be cast upon the side
nc popular forces which are endeavori
of to make our spelling little less TO
ro- ish and fantastic. Sincerely yours,
asst THEODORE ROOSEVELT
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