Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-09-03
PRESIDENT AND
SPELLING REFORM
II His Ideas on Matter do Not
Meet Public Approval They
viii be Dropped.
NO FAR-REACHING POLICY.
Purpose j. for Government 10 Advance
Abreast Of Public Sentiment
And Not lag.

oyster Bay. Sept 9.-ln a letter 10
Charles A. stilings, public printer al
Washington, President Roosevelt wrote
that II the changes In spelling adyo-
Gated by the simplfed spelling board
and put into use IN official documents.
meet popular approval they viii be
made permanent, II not, he wrote,
they viii be dropped. The presidents
letter follows:
Hon. Charles \. stllings. Public
Printer, Washington, D. G..
"My Dear Mr. Sulllngs: enclose
| herewith copies Of certain circulars OF
the simplifed spelling board. which can
be obtained free from the board at No.
! Madison avenue, New York City.
Please hereafter direct that in all gov.
errment publications OF the executive
departments the above 800 words enum-
Grated I'm circular No. D. shall be spelled
as therein set forth. II anyone asks
the reason for the action. refer him 10
circulars 3. ana 6 as issued by the
simplihed spelling board.
Most OF the criticism of the pro-
posed step is evidently made in entire
ignorance OF what the step is no less
than IN entire ignorance OF the very
moderate and common sense Views as
TO the purposes to be achieved which
views are so eXcelleutly set forth in
the circulars 10 which / have referred
There is 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
advance abreast 0f it and at the same
time abreast Of the views of the ablest
and most practical educators OF our
time as well as of the most profound
scholars-men Of the stamp OF Prof
Lounsbury and Prof Skeat II the
slight changes IN the spelling OF the
300 words proposed wholly or partial
ly meet popular approval then the
changes viii become permanent with
out any reference TO what public OFF,
cisls or individual private citizens
may feel il they do not ultimately
meet with popular approval they Will
be dropped and that Is all there is
about It. They represent nothing in
the world but very slight extension
OF the movement which has made agri-
cultural implement makers and farm
ers write pillow Instead OF plough.
which has made most Americans write
honor without the somewhat absurd
superfuous u and which is even now
making people write program with
out the me, just as all people who
speak English now write bat set
dim sum and fish instead Of the
Bllzabethian bate settle 'dmme.
'summe. and fyshe which makes US
write public almanac era fantasy
and wagon instead Of publick, al
manack. 'aera.' phantasy' and
Wagon Of our great grandfathers.
II 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 other merely
the extension Of changes which, as re-
CARDS other words, have taken place
since their time. II is not an attempt
10 do anything far-reachng or sudden
or violent or indeed anything very
great Al ALL II is merely an attempt
10 cast what sl'oht weight can proper
~ he cast on the side Of the popular
forces which are endeayoring TO make
our spelling a little less foolish and
fantastic.
Sincerely yours
s'THEODORE ROOSEVELT"