Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-11-20
ANDREWS LAUDS ROOSEVELT.
Chancsllor Says Presidents Endorsement
Of New Spelling is Lravslt Act
WANTS REFORM IN ALL SCHOOLS
would Not Make "a Compulsory. but
Arbitrary-Addrcsses WOman's
Club ana Public school
Teachers.

"Ths stand taken by President Roosevelt
on the reformed spelling is the brayest OF
all his actions" said Chancellor r. Benia-
min Andrews TO y reporter Of The Bee when
ne arrived yesterday to address the teach
ers Of the city on spelling reform. This
address he made on Sane Spelling at the
Fhst Congregational church al $3.50 p. n.
ono Of the most remarkable utterances Of
his address was the reform system would
reduce the printing bills of the Enslish-
speaking world 10 per cent.
The popular idea Of tho now spelling is
wrong IN several particulars" said DR.. An
drews in his Interview ut does
not aim TO be phonetic entirely,
but phonetic with variations. Ger
tain letters which are silent must DO left
TN some words 70 distinguish them from
other words. with the same pronunciation
but different meaning. Thus the verb 10
read is spelled tho same IN the present
and past-tense Some reformers propose to
spell the present tense as it is pronounced.
reed But why not spell II as It is spelled
row with an a. instead of putting an e
an the place Then ] would spell the past
tense Of the verb with one e.
The essence Of this reform is gradual
ness. II has been suggested that it would
he better TO adopt certain rules and reform
the whole language at once That is en-
tirely impracucsbe II was tried some
years ago by the philologists in the adop-
Ion Of their famous ten rules II failed
because you can't get the people to adopt
The rules and adhere to them generally.
Not Complete List.
"'rhe 500 words now adopted contain many
that were formerly spelled either of two
ways, II is by no means a complete list.
People are puzzled and ask why we don't
add such and such word. The reason Is
that this Is an arbitrary list. 1t is adopted
merely to make start, to get the people to
Dondor on these things. Hereafter the
boare may meet every one or two or five
years and adopt and publish moro words
And 50 the new spelling win gradually
come about. order will be brought out Of
chaos -
i would not make the new spelling COM
pulsory in the schools. Let it be arbitrary.
We have il. 50 ct the university now. a
student may spell the word either the Old
on tho new way, 1 would advise that such
q plan be adopted In all schools
"As to the time L. will take to effect a
complete reform OF the Language. l cannot
say. As ! said, It must come gradually
You can't reform every drunksrd on the
streets in single night. There will, doubt
less, always he some buttoned-up literary
formed spelling often get letters and
communications from friends in the east
spelled In the old English way like
honour and 1abour. But that doesn't hurt
me, can only laugh or pity"
address Before WOman's Club.
Chancellor Andrews was the guest whio
here OF Superintendent Davidson of The
public schools, and Mr. Davidson and the
public school teachers were special guests
Of tho Woman's club at the lecture.
{ Mrs. a. b. Somers, president of the
Womap's club, introduced the chancellor
VITO p one OF the twenty-eight members Of
the slnpllfied spelling board OF the United
States. He gave answers to those opposing
the reform spelling and offered evidence TO
show the reform would result in pecu-
MARY saving.
The project to simplify English spelling
has been 'damd' most amply the time has
come to inquire into It's merits" said the
chancellor in the beginning OF his address,
and In the word "damd" he made n pIac-
teal demonstration of his reform for the
manuscript originally had it damned" the
typewriting having been altered by ink 10
read ''damd.'
I'm spite of ali it's vicissitudes, revision
az English orthography has gone far of
late and is progressing with rapidity The
most rabid foes of reform spelling use re-
form spellings,". said the chancellor He
then cited the powerful authorities and
men conspicuous In the worlds affairs &C
tive Ia this reform.
Important Points in Discussion,
ITO determine whether 3 new spelling ia
to be used In place OF the old We should
ask:
4. is it more economical either (a) In
the learning of it, OF (bl in the use O
n?'' said DIR. Andrews
- Would IL. II employed IN a context
involve ambiguity or occasion hesitation O.
study in respect 20 its meaning? II am
biguity Is going to result, the spelling is
not to be recommended, As il cannot prove
step IN reform.
Nearly all that Is said against the re-
vision OF spelling seems to involve and
proceed upon the vicious supposltion that
there is somewhere, most deem it resident
I'm dictionaries, a standard OF authority ia
spelling, q species OF Bible spoilers. a su-
prone court constitutionally empowered to
try alleged breaches Of photography Many
seem TO hold doctrine OF orthographis
legitimacy parallel to the exploded dogmas
OF political legitimacy IN state and ecclesl-
astical legitimacy IN church. The fact Is
that in photography outside of printing
shops there II no such standard Of author
Ity. Dictionaries are not such and do not
pretend 10 be- They at best record
usage ana this very mperrectlv
The new spelling hoard is not an au-
thorty and does not pretend 20 be- No
teacher, it is hoped VIII enforce its spell
Ing IS inspired The utmost expected at
present is that they will be accepted as
legitimate alternative spelIlngs not de-
bounced as errors"
Answers WheeIer's Criticism
Adverting, as he did frequently during his
address, to the criticism OF President Ide
Wheeler of the University of California.
Chancellor Andrews said;
President Wheelers censure of our
movement as sectional and merely Amer
lean seems 10 me baselcss. II would be
90 were his premises true. for movement