The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-03
ROOSEVELT ON NEW SPELLING.
PRESIDENT CAN'T SEE WHAT THE
UPROAR rs All ABOI'T.
No Intention 10 do Anything Revolutionary.
He Tells PuDIIc Prints = OverRnSent
Only Keeping Abreast Of Popular scnti-
ment slight Change I'm q Few words.

Only Keeping Abreast Of Popular aenti-
ment slight Change I'm q Few words
President Roosevelt In a letter to Public
Printer Stillings, given out yesterday for
publication, explains just what he meant
to accomplish by his simplihed spelling
order. The letter follows:
oyster BAY, N. Y, Aug. %, 1908.
my DEAR Ma. STIILIN0s: / enclose
herewith copies Of certain circulars OF the
Simpliied Spelling Board, which can be
obtained free from the board at 1 Madison
avenue. New York city. Please hereafter
direct that in all Government publications
Of the executive departments the 800
words enumerated in Circular No. S
shall be spelled a. therein set forth. IL
any one asks the reason for the action
refer him to circulars 3, 4 and Q as issued
by the Simplifsd Spelling Board Most
Of the criticism OF the proposed step Is evil
IDENTITY made in entire ignorance Of what
the step is, no less than in entire ignorance
Of the very moderate and common sense
views a. to the purposes to be achieved
which views are so excellently set forth
in the circulars to which l have referred.
There IL not the slightest intention to do
anything revolutionary or initiate any far
reaching policy. The purpose simply is
for the Government, instead Of tagging
behind popular sentiment, to advances
abreast Of it and at the same time abreast
OF the views OF the sbiest and most practical
educators Of our time as well as Of the most
profound scholars--men OF the st lamp Of
Prof. LOunsbury and Prof. Skeat II
the slight changes in the spelling OF the
800 words proposed wholly or partially meet
popular approval then tn e changes will be-
come permanent without any reference to
what public officials or indivi dual private
citizens may feel; il they do not ultimately
meet with popular approval they will be
dropt, and that il all there is about il.
They represent nothing in the world
but a very slight extension Of the unCon-
scious movement which has made agricul-
tural implement makers and farmers write
'plow' instead Of plough which has made
most Americans write honor without the
some what absurd superfiuous II, and which
is even o making people write program
without the 'me'-just as all people who
speak English now write bat set dim,
sum and Ash, instead Of the Ehzabethan
bate settle 'dimme,' 'summe and
Ayochof III Ahhahoo ho "hNO RtbANNe
almanac era fantasy and wagon in
stead OF the 'publick,' '~almanack,' AGRA
'phAntasy' and Wagon OF our great grand
fathers. 1t Is not an attack on the language
Of Shakespeare and Milton, because it is in
some instances a going back to the forms
they used, and in others merely the extern
sion Of changes which, as regards other
words, have taken place since their time.
II Is not an attempt to do anything FAR
reaching or sudden or violent, or indeed
anything very great at all. 1: Is merely
an attempt to Cast what slight weight can
properly be cast on the side OF the popular
forces which are endeavoring to make
our spelling a little less foolish and fan
tastic. Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon. Charles A. Stillings, Public Printer.
Washington"