New-York tribune., 1906-10-25
SIMPLIFIED SPELLING.
Discussed Before Committee of
Board of Education.

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There was war of arguments before the Board
OF Educatlon's committee on text books and sup
plies last night when the committee gave a pub
lie nearing on the recommendation of the Board OF
superintendents in favor of permitting the OF
the simplided Spelling Boards list Of 500 words in
the public schools. Professor Brander Matthews.
chairman of the Simplifed Spelling Board. pres
ent, with Professor Calvin Thomas, of Columbia
University and Colonel Charles E. Sprague. to
plead for the use of the shorter forms. while the
opposition was led by DR.. Rosster Johnson. author
and dictionary maker.
Many members Of the Board of Education who
are not members OF the committee were present
70 hear the arguments, while the hall well
filled by teachers and others interested in the
question of simplifed spelling. The effect of the
hearing will not be known until the committee
makes q report to the Board of Education.
Professor Brander Matthews. in his address, as
serted that It absurd misspelling that made Il
hard for children to learn the English language.
He said the process Of making English spelling
simpler had been going on for ages, and the oppo-
nents of the list the ones who were asking
something new. asking that the English language
should abdicate its right better its orthograpy.
He added:
The three hundred words, unimportant in them
which has betfered our spelling in the past and
which will better 1t in the future. No word in
cPe Of snpaea5on By the sSSG Omission - Of ~ useless
the whole list what we do ask is that You permit
the use Of enough Of them TO give recognition to
can accept $50 words and still have Webster for
ay y oq qDe can C %0rs and @ have ave M 6e
cept 2l0 words, and the Standard supports you If
the authority Of the pathological societies you
VII be anticipating the usage of the next genera
Dr. Johnson said the opposition to simplifed
spelling in the schools did not have the aid Of ex-
pensive subsidies and could not hire Offices from
which to send out circulars in the interest Of its
propaganda He said he familiar with the
printing business, and he knew that the change
in spelling would not space. AS to the
claim that simplifed spelling would aid foreigners
in learning English, ne asked: Who is going to
reprint the millions OF books in our libraries for
the benefit OF these immigrants?"
Dr. Johnson had fortified himself for argument
against simplihed spelling by obtaining opinions
Of well known physicians and writer's. He read
statements from Dr. D. B. st. John Roosa. DIR.
Charles s Bull and DR.. David Webster, physicians
who specialists in diseases of the eye, that the
use OF the shorter forms Of familiar words in
books would make reading more trying to the eye.
These words recognized at the most hurried
glance IN their present form, the physicians say,
but If the change in spelling makes them lose their
distinctive character to the eye strain is imposed
every time they appear on the printed page, and
when the strain is repeated often in reading the
effect the eye may be serious.
Many authors and journalists had sent to DR..
Johnson their protests, and he read OF them.
called reform init at the picturesqueness, the his
tory and the derivation Of the language. and logi
caly the suppostion that thousands Of other
words are TO be similarly mutiated." Edith Whar-
ton called IL 'desecration Of our speech" Julian
Hawthorne asserted his belief that a man who
would simplify spelling would murder his mother
and dishOnor her grave" E. Marion Crawford sup
ported the argument Of optical strain by saying:
This IS so true that 1t IS quite impossible to
work mathematical calculation even of the
a g a with
out straining the eyesight severely
Colonel Charles Z Sprague advocating the use
Of the 800 words in the schools. said:
There is no danger Of this movement going back
the authorized smpiifcations which we urge YOU
20 recognize as existing side by side with the
Of America will take care OF the future, and you
He also dropped into poetry, paraphrasing well
known verse by saying:
Three hundred words that look so awful mean.
That to be hated need but to be seen;
IheyFe hrst endured, then prest, carest and kist.
Professor Calvin Thomas closed an appeal for thA
use Of the list Of simpIfed words in the schools by
saying:
He. Heaven has never decreed that one form of a
have great rouItude OF Words "1 tbsf RaI b
sirnplifed in times past and one would now
iook n at fr 9t b Se t % - taat did not
tooLe o'-4 az ~ 81 tl4 le CiIuIeL1 10 speH IN aC-
sible and Of everlasting validity, and they will
grow up feeling that the simple and natural SPELL
ing is the beautiful and dignifed spelling.
AS Colonel sprague finished his speech he turned
TO DR.. Johnson and said TO him:
do not like the many ,sferences that have been
made here this evening to subsidized spelling
tonight. will say TO Or Johnson that as I am
the treasurer OF the movement kindly aided
will offer TO print his appeal and send 1t out to all
Of our adherents, provided permitted TO
put our reply TO It IN a parallel column.
81 agree" said DR. Johnson
Later Professor Matthews told DR.. johnson that
he would gladly send out DR.. Johnson's statement
TO ell the adherents or the movement without any
qualification.