The National tribune., 1906-11-15
OHIO POLITICS.
Spelling Reform-Repr4s-n&t,ve., Sen.
atOrs and Bosses.

Editor National Tribdne: z This letter
will contain a number Of matters which
l desire to refer to, not that 1 expect
to see this letter in print, tho you may
publish it If you see fit to do so, bu,
because I am an admirer of The Ma
tional Tribune, wish it to be rightly
informed. straight in all things, and
that encouragement, praise and criti-
cism do us all good. bH
AS to reformed spellfngo AS a one
time teacher of teachers / learned long
ago that a standard of spelling and
pronunciation does not exist in the
United States. For instance, do you
say pronun-she-a-shu or pronun-
see-ashun? Where Webster has been
adopted in the schools (and that is the
most widely-known standard), Webster
is the authority observed by the teach
er, but when the pupil moves up to a
higher school, some other or perhaps
two or more are used by the professors
AS one college doctor is quoted as hav-
ing said. Every man can spell and
pronounce as he pleases; there is no
authority or standard in this country"
President Roosevelt has made a
move in the right direction, and altho
Congress will likely as not pull in the
other direction, l hope he will keep at
it. 1 am hoping that while he is at it
he will knock the stuffing out of that
manized Uncle Sans geography with
their sch. tsch and the like in geo.
graphical names where plain Sh would
do.
Your nice words concerning Con-
gressman Burton are all right. He is
all right in his place in Congress, but
when he wants to "boss'' Ohio he is
played baby, wouldn't run, etc, If he
was not permitted to boss" at Cleve-
land. till we people (outside his dis
tricD becoming disgusted, began writ
ing to Cleveland papers. telling him to
get out and quit babying. They per-
mitted him to boss. He could hardly
fail in being elected, anyway, but of
the rest of the ticket the least said
the better.
We Buckeyes know the faults of our
Senators better than you do, but we
know, too. their virtues and good quail
ties. and for these we esteem them
There are no men without faults or
enemies, at least none that are of any
account. Charles w. Dick is a cam
paign manager such as Mr.. Burton can
not hold a candle to. Dick was in the
field before Senator Hanna appeared
But Dick could not save Herrick; no
one could have done SO. And that
brings me to late reference of yours
to Taft's Akron speech. To illustrate.
a preacher in our town shortly before
the elect IN in 1905 preached straight
out against Gov. Herrick, and some of
his members were very angry, thinking
that he had gained five votes for Pat
tison. They were greatly surprised to
learn that all of the five had decided
not to vote for Herrick months before,
three of them year before. I scarce
ly believe Secretary Taft's Akron speech
counted for anything at all in the mat
ter. You say that it was only Herrick
that was whipped. and that the Legls-
lature was selected on the same grounds
that Pattison won out on.
We, who have been lifelong Repub-
Iicans (myself one of thend) voted for
Pattison only, and you can understand
the same questions are not before us,
and we are not cutting the Republican
ticket this Fall / have not found one
here or elsewhere who is doing so. We
thought the party needed a Spank
ing" and Gov. Herrick specially so, and
we gave it. A spanking" does not
signify grudge. but religious or af'
fectionate duty done to one we love.
The Wirz Monument should be let
severely alone, but cold water should
be applied plenteously to I'll projects
for park or Soldiers Homes 1T Allan
ia. in my opinion.-J. w. Bricker,
o.