The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-09-20
TWA|N'S PLEA FOR
NEW SPELLING
ATA. ?. BANQUET

New York, Sept. 2O.-The annual meet
ing OF members OF the Associated Press
was held In this city yesterday. Import
ant matters In connection With the SER
vice were disposed Of
Last night the members who include
publishers, editors and other representa-
tives or papers taking the Associated
Press service, met with several guests
at dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria.
Melville T.. Stone. general manager of
the Associated Press. presided, and with
him at the guests table were Samuel
l.. Clemens. who discussed Reform
Spelling," Gen. Horace Porter, former
ambassador 10 France. who responded 10
the toast "Our Guests" Henry A. Shute,
the author. who talked OF Critics" ard
Prof. George f. Vincent OF Chicago uni
versity. who spoke on the subject. Pure
ly Academic"
Mark Twain was greeted with enthu-
siastic and prolonged applause. Mr.. Stone
said OF Mr.. Clemens among other things.
that he was "the inspiration OF the first
press club I'm this country"
To this Mr.. Clemens retorted: THAT Is
the first accurate statement | ever heard
Mr.. Stone make. The truth is that the in
spiration was due TO a jug that some one
carried In. That club Is stlll running"
Mr.. Clemens continued:
II am here to make an appeal TO the
nations on behalf OF the smplihed spell
ing. ! have come here because they can
not all be reached except through you.
II beg you, l beseech you'll implore
you-to spell them in our simplified forms.
DO this daily. constantly, persistently. for
three months-only three months-it Ia all
| ask. The infallble result victory Vic
tory all down the line For by that time
all eyes here aud above and below will
have become adjusted 10 the change and
I'm love with IL. and the present clumsy
and ragged forms will be groteSque 10
the eye and revolving TO the soul. And
we shall he rid OF phthysis and phthysic
and pneumonia and pneumatics and diph-
liberia and pterodactyl and all those other
insane words which no man addicted To
the simple Christian life can try 10 spell
and not lose some OF the bloom of his
piety in the demoralizing attempt.
do not doubt IL. We are chameleons.
and our partialities and prejudices change
places with an easy and blessed facility.
and we are soon wonted TO the changed
and happy form.
do | seem TO be seeking the good OF
the world? That is the idea 1t Is my pub
lie attitude; privately / am merely seek
ing my own profit We all do il, but IL is
SOUND and IL is virtuous, for no public in
terest is anything other or nobler than a
massed accumulation of private inter-
ests"
Mr.. Clemens then explained that in
1883, when simplifed spelling was first Sc
riously broached, he scoffed at II. What
he needed, he said, was an object lesson,
and he got IL. At that time he was
scrambling along, earning the family's
bread on magazine work a seven cents a
word, compound words at single rates"
And he was the property Of a maga-
zine, a seven cent slave under a boiler
iron contract"
one day there came a note from the
editor requiring him TO write 10 pages
on the revolving text: Consideration
Concerning the Alleged Subterranean
ExtemporaneousneSs of the
Conchyliaceous Superimbrication OF the
as Foreshadowed by the
Unintelligiblity OF Its Plesiosaurian Ami
so dactylous Aspects" He saw starva-
ton staring the family in the face and
went to the editor for an interview about
the rates. Mr. Clemens contended. he
said, for pay on simplifed spelling ba-
sis. but his proposition was coldly re-
fused. whereupon, 20 use his own words.
Il seldom say a harsh word to anyone
but I was not master OF myself then and
spoke right out and called him an any
;odactylous pesiosaurian conchylaceous
)rnithorhyncus and rotten to the heart
With holopholal subterranean extempor-
lneousness God forgive me for that waS-
ton crime He lived only two hours
From that day to this | have been
A devoted and Woodworking member OF
he heaven-born institution, the Interna-
.ional Association for the Prevention OF
Cruelty to Authors. and now am labor
ing with Carneges simplihed spelling
committee and with my heart in the
work.