The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-12
RUSSELL REJECTS
ANCIENT SPELLING
FORMER MINNEAPOLIS MAN WILL
NOT SIGN PROTEST..
Eastern Authors Formulate Reasons
Why Reform orthography Should Not
Be Adopted and Request Literary
Men to Unite in Il Protest Writer
Tells Why He Favors New Method.

Charles Edward Russell, the writer,
declines to join in formal protest
against the Carnegie simplifed spell
ing. Some OF the writer's who live in
New York are endeavoring to launch
q movement against the Carnegie
They have issued circular to others
Of the craft asking them to join them
in the struggle to retain the old-time
forms of English spelling. ~. !
Only one copy Of this circular so
far as known, has come to Minneapolis.
1t was addressed to Mr.. Russell, who was
formerly editor Of The Journ
and now is special writer for Every
body's Magazine, who is resting here
after his trip around the world in search
OF material for ''The Soldiers of the
Common Good.' Mr.. Russell has re-
fused to ally himself with the conserva-
tiyes who, he says are fighting the in
I'LL Some Of the Arguments. -.
Many ingenious arguments are adj
vanced by this circular, which, were it
signed, would bear the names Of some
OF the best known writer's before the
American public. It says, in part:
The proposed reform Would not dimin-
ish the bulk OF any book by single page
1t Is not true that any time would be
saved in reading or any appreciable time
in writing. - 10 I =. .;> .'ts ~
It is not true that the proposed re-
form would, practically, make spelling
easier. The uneducated cannot spell well
with any system. An educated person
does not often misspell a word which
comes within his vocabulary and that he
has occasion to use. And If he does trip
on letter now and then, no harm is
rro .9~~.A f.Y-.
and ii he Is writing for print the proof
reader will make the necessary correc-
ton. - ..,.. ..
If the new spelling were adopted it
would give an Anticipated appearance to
millions of books that now fill our libra
r1es, and, to large extent, render them
useless. ..,' -. O., 49, ::
But they tell us, deprecatingly, that
they do not intend to introduce the whole
reform at once-only 200~or 300 words at
a time. If the thing were right it should
De done completely and at once. - -:
Mr.. Russell Refuses. =
To the request that he sign this cir,
GUAR Mr. Russell has given a decided
negative. H., 49,. ..r,>,. -. ..>.,. =.
j pray excuse me, 4 he says. III
cannot sign this document, nor take any
part IN such movement as it repre-
SCENTS. In my. judgment the American
language has been tied long enough to
the tail Of the English cart. I welcome
the spelling innovations as the first in
dlcation that we are breaking away
from our absurd pupilage. We are not
OF the English race, we have other Gus:
toms than England Is, other institutions
inspirations, and Qet .us give fervent
thanks) another destiny, a&& zstsfs.s.
.Hltr is time that swe had another
speech. gAnd, ass we are really getting
it, whether we like 1T or not, we can
easily. be. in better business than fight
| ing the inevitable, trend Of evolution
When we reflect that carefully edited
and widely read newspapers like the
Minneapolis Journals and the Chicago
Tribune long ago adopted the sub.
stance Of these reforms, and that they
are passing irrevocably into common
use the futility Of any protest against
- Moreover ;' as Writer'S ''e this remon.
STRANGE puts us in a place where we
make a mighty poor appearance. We
are always lamenting the absence of a
distinctive American literature. and
now we wish to oppose the sure means
tc get a distinctive literature-which is
to have a distinctive language. To OBJ
Ject to these useful and certain improve
menus In our speech would be to get
into the position Of the men that dem.
onstrated that Stephenson g locomotive
wheels would revolve on the rails but
would not pull the cars. And there seems
to be small pivot in an attitude like
Prominent as Writer.
In the twenty-one years which have
passed since Mr.. Russell left Mime.
apolls he has held many positions OF
prominence in the writing world From
| Detroit he went to New York. where
he worked on the Herald and the World
as assistant city editor and CITY
edltor respectively. ;,~ From the World
he went to the Hearst papers as man.
aging editor Of the morning edition of
the New York Journal, now the Ameri
can. Since giving up this place on ac
count Of i'll health, Mr.. Russell has de.
voted himself to special writing for the
magazines: His THE Soldiers of the
Common Good, - a series which has just
appeared in Everybody s, is perhaps
the best known. H 'lazIt. :
| Mr.: Russell leaves flor. New York in
few days to take Up his duties as an
associate editor Of Ridgway,s. Atspres,
ent he is with his sister, Mrs. +. N
Greer, at 2629 Pleasant avenue. - )
| 49, : e 2 . = f17sss&.. d.. .
SUPERINTENDENT CHOSEN
| - DIR Wa 1tor r NFo,o1,~-