Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-25
Monday, June 25. 1906.
The Simpiified Spoilers Explain.

its efforts to spend andrew Carnegic's
generous gift i'm reforming English
Orthography. 1t has evidently been
busy. however. and now we get an"th-
err bulletin from it's New York head
quarters. 1t appears that its members
have been made a little sensitive by the
fun which the pert Photographers have
been furnishing the public at their eX-
pcuse and this latest bulletin is devoted
mainly to a statement defining the
position and plans of the board. 1t
dwells more upon hat the board is not
trying Ia do than upon what 1t is try
ing to do and thus corrects many mis-
aprre tensions. For instance. this bull
letin declares that the board does not
propose any "r:,dical' or revolutions
ary" scheme of reform, that it does not
favor freakish photography or misht
spelling of the Josh Billings type, that
it does not recommend any change in
the spelling of proper Names that l. has
not yet proposed any innovations OF its
own though it will do so later and that
il claims no authority" and expects
each suggestion to stand on it's own
merits. This explanation as to what
it is not doing, clears the atmosphere to
a considerable degree and makes the
work of the board easier among those
people who have been suspicious and
resentfuI Of its activities. Now for the
explanation of what the board is real
" trying to accomplish. Let us quote
the language of the bulletins:
"The boards chief aim in view of the
fact that the English language bIds
fair to become the world language of
the future. is to arouse wider inter-
est in English spelling. and to call at
tontiOn to it's present chaotic condition
a condition far worse than that ex-
isting in any other modern language.
The board believes that when the peo-
pie who speak English are fully awake
to tho MANY disadvantages of their
present spelling, they will be glad to
HELM every effort to better il, as it has
been slowly bcttercd. by individual eff
fort. in the past. 1t has begun by Sc
lecting from the several Thousand
words now spelled in two or more ways,
three hundrel Of the most common, and
it has urged the public to adopt. now.
the simplap Of these-tw0- forms. and
thereby establish the principle of sim
pification. It believes that this Is
natural and easy first step toward fur
thor smITfficatiops, such as hay" b""n
proJ,tsed 4ird accepted from time &C.
time, eT"n in iii" nineteenth century
and within living memory. 1t will
propose further simplifications Of the
same sort It will advocate the cast
ing out Of certain letters which are not
sounded now. which do not affect the
pronunciation according to existing
anal"gieS and which merely cumber
the orthography. This simplification
by omission is nothing new: it is
process which has been going on for
centuries. There is nothing radical.
nothing dangerous. in urging the ac-
CcIera ton of "A normal process. The
board can assure all who cherish the
sentiment of loyalty to their mother
tongue that simpliticatiOns of spelling
will not obscure the meaning or the
origin of a single word. In this state
ment all scholars agree. photographers
and etynoloGiStS first of all The pro-
posed simplificationS will not make 1t
more difficult for any one to read the
masterpieces of English literature: and
they will not render useless the books
now ju print. But they.-Will save the
time of all who write and the money
Of all who print: and they VIII make
the language easier for our own chill
dreu and for the foreigners who are
now studying it, in increasing multi
tudes, all over the world. The board
legs leave to remind those who may ne
fearful in regard to the result of It's
recommendations, that spelling is never
stable, and that there is no final stan
dard OF photography. Nowhere is
tlicr. any authority to set up such
standard All that the accepted die
tionaries can do is to record the wary
ing usages Their editors have re-
Ccived no charter to decide finally be-
tween conflicting forms. much less to
propose improved forms. The hoard
on the other hand, seeks to change
what is bad. and to introduc" improve
,ucnts II wishes to establish and OK
tend good usage. to make it national
and International"
These are some of the things which
the Simplified Spelling board aims at
and considered seriously they indicate
that the body. if it has patience ard
perseverance. may prove to he Of some
benefit to mankind beyond furnishing
material for the professional joke
smiths. Plainly it is not going to try
to upset things very badly. and it wise
IL recognizes that it must work slowly
as we'll as carefully. The board de-
lares that it welcomes suggestions and
criticisms. that it has the encourage
ment of thousands of people of educa :
ton and culture and that the work will
60 on steadily until the main object is
accomplished. The headquarters of
the board are at / Madison avenue,
New York city.
II will he a lock canal Arguments