New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-03
NEW SPELLING REASONS
LITTER FROM PRESIDENT
clo,r res Not Radical, UW BE
DroDped If Not APpro0ed.

ro,. Sent 2-In a letter 10 Charles
r.-blic Printer AT Washington made
. a. President Roosevelt wrote that II
-,.,,-ae n, smelling advocated by the SlmpH-
-, e,.IIi,e Board md put into use IN oHloIai
,-..,,.,ts meet popular approval they VIII ne
- -.rr,anent. II not. he wrote. they VIII Oe
,-.-rs6 The Presidents letter follows;
g, Hen charles A. Suliings. Public Printer
washington, D . ,. h.re,-,-h
- nav Nr Stilings. ! inclose hfre"i1lii hfr,Vs ~
.es "a certain circulars of the Simpnheu
S-Lii,~ Board which can be ooislneo lTee IluIn Ii
- - - 81 No ] Madison avenue, Sew iolN
-. please hereafter direct tnal ID al e.--..
A4e. --,1s,arioris Of the executive departments
- ,,rae hundred words enumerated IN /. ~ "
= - khaIl be spelled as thereln SCI S a., -
5a4 - ,si-e the reason for the action reIer hih
az ,-,le-s - q and 6, as issued by me SlInph-
,ss spelling Board .-osad stan ,s
evidently made in entire lsiloIellce 49,. - q. ,be
g no less than in entire ignorance OF i the
60 80 -,5arate and common sense views as 10 'he
- sss =, he achieved. which views are SO eA,
III e. forth in the circulars TO Which 1
ce..e--.s .s.--ss There Is not the slightest inten-
I.aH =. A. suvfhing revolutionary or lnlllale any
-sscbing policy. The purpose Simply u loE
- government instead or tagging penlIlu p9Po
sle eser,trseut 10 advance abreast OF IL ana az
- go firoe abreast OF the views OF he aolest
- - ,1s+ nractcsI educators OF our time as Wen
ss m the most profound scholaIs ~ "a 80
-, m Professor Lounsbury and PROFESSOR
~ Sbe slfsht changes in the spelling or the
49,. hundred words proposed wholly or par
.1s,I,, meet popular approval, then the changes
- ihs-o--,e perruanent without any reference 10
-.rat public officials or individual private citl-
.e1s nav feel; II they DO not ultimately meet
,,s,b ropular approval they will be dropped. ana
shst Is al there IS about It. They represent
,ofbing IN the world but very slight extension
"a fhe unconscious movement which has mace
Agricultural Implement makers and farmers
rTste ''plow" instead Of plough" which has
made most Americans write honor Mlulou. .
tbs somewhat absurd. superhuous u, ana
S.hich Is even now making people write pro-
rrsro" without the me" Just as al people VINO
sneak English now write bat set, dlIn
ssunl" and ''fsh." instead Of the Elizabethan
shs-fer settle" "dimme." 'sumne" and
sfrsshs-; which makes write public. al
r1apac" "era" fantasy" and wagon, instead
M The ',publ!ck- "alnianack," 'aera," 'phantasy
knd "usggon" of our greRt-grandfathers.
II fe not ar attack on the language OF Shake
speare and Milton. because II is in some in
Stances q going back 20 the forms they used. ana
Al others merely the extension Of changes which
eF regards other words have taken place since
their tine II is not an attempt 70 DO anything
far reaching or sudden or violent or indeed
nnvthinr very great at all II is merely an at
sernpt 10 cast what slight weight can properly
be cast on the side OF the popular forces which
are endeavoring 10 make our spelling little
less foolish and fantastic. Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.