New-York tribune., 1906-12-14
BACK TO OLD SPELLING.
ORDER TO Be WITHDRAWN
President Yields to Unanimous SEN
timent of the House.

TIE fupIlC fr1nter, ana hereafter All dcCuilleiltS
from the executive departments viii again bs
printed in the old fashioned style.
Representative Lands OF the joint commit
tee on spelling, had a conference to-day with
the President. who said that he did not wish
TO have spelling overshadow matters of great
Importance and expressed a Willingness to re-
woke his order for the new spelling in case
the House of Representatives should go on rec
ord as opposed 10 the system. Accordingly, late
this afternoon Mr. Landis introduced the fol-
lowing resolution in the House.
Resolved. That IL is the sense of the House Of
Representatives that hereafter in printing re-
ports, documents or other publiCa tIOns author
lZeu by law. ordered by Congress or either
oranch thereof. or emanating from the execu-
tive departments. their bureaus or branches, and
independent officers or the government. the Gov
ernnent Printing Office should observe and ad-
here to the standard of orthography prescribed
IN generally accepted dictionaries of the Eng
hsh language.
The measure was passed without dissent
ing vote, although Mr.. GilletI. of Massachu-
settts, who made a fight for simpIified spelling
before the House Committee on Appropriations
and has been regarded as the champion of the
Presidents attitude. explained that he did not
wish to give the impression that he had changed
his mind. Mr. GiIIett said ne that the
House was Overwhelmingly against the innova-
ton and consequently he bowed TO its will
CONFUSION CAUSED BY REFORM
The system of reform spelling was put into
effect by the President in the recess of Con-
gress, and all public documents supplied
TO the executive departments have been printed
in the simpifed way. These documents have
been pouring in Congress ever since the
opening day, much to the dissatisfaction of
large majority of the members of the House.
AS a result the Government Printing Office
using two forms of spelling in public print
Ing. the stad old method for Congress
and the reform method in the executive docu-
ments. This caused confusion and comment
favorable to the reform. and finally made
an issue between the legislative and executive
departments, the judicial department having
previously frowned upon the Presidents order
The Committee on Printing. in its favorable re
port the Lands resolution. stated that the
committee had been governed by the following
considerations:
In the various reprints OF the Constitution of
the United States adherence to the original spell
ing is found in the majority of cases. The spell
ing in the original statutes reflects the forms OF
spelling in vogue the time of their enactment
The various coditications OF the statutes reIlecl
the spelling in vogue at the time OF the adopIlon
of such Qualifications. The last codl1catlon
adopted in 1879. The subsequent statutes
number fourteen volumes, covering period
of twenty-eight years Each volume rehects the
spelling in vogue at the time or the enactment
of the statutes embraced therein
NEED OF A UNIFORM SYSTEM
A new codihcation is about to be presented to
Congress Until Congress shall see MT TO order
the printing of this proposed cOdihcation OF the
statutes, embracing all the enactmehts OF ule
IaWmaking power of the government now III
force, in some form Of spelling other than that
generally accepted by the people il would appear
to be the part OF wisdom Tor the government IN
all its branches in the interest of simplicity and
economy. to adhere TO a uniform system OF
spelling and this system should be the one al
accented
by the people.
ing already in vogue as applied to the statutes
IL would appear anomalous TO employ SOME
other form as applied to all the preliminary
stages of legislation, including the proceedings
of Congress UP the point where these pro-
ceedfngs are crystaIlized into law. and at this
point order a change in the spelling Of the per-
feCted legislation to preserve harmony IN the
orthography of the national statutes
The executive order, under which many puohc
documents have already been printed was issued
on August ~, 1906, and has now been in force
for more than three months. II has been eXten-
sively exploited. and the public has had ample
opportunity to digest the arguments presented
in its favor. Without taking issue as TO the
relative merits of any form of spelling. il is
evident that public sentiment. reflected in
the newspapers, magazines and other publica-
tious. has not been favorable to the proposed
innovation embraced in the executive order of
August -.
1t is therefore condition and not theory
with which Congress has TO deal 1t is not
believed that the attitude of the general public
would be materially changed If the government
in all its branches were TO adopt the form Of
spelling prescribed in the executive order re-
ferred TO. and only confusion and expense would
result without any commensurate advantage,
even if the new form of spelling were deemed
preferable
ANOTHER CHANGE MIGHT COME.
Moreover, Congress has no assurance even If
it should leave present conditions undisturbed,
that the next succeeding administration would
not revoke the present order Much of the mat
ter embraced in the publications of the govern
ment is preserved in the form of stereotyped
values 10 the government in the saving OF labor
and other expense All of these plates would
be rendered worthless in moment by order
in a succeeding administration revoking the
legislative order of August 2T last.
The sentiment in Congress is such that it
must be taken without question that in the
printing done for Congress the standard diction-
aries will continue to be the accepted author
ity. If some other form Of spelling is to apply
TO the executive departments it means a dual
form of spelling in the government printing
Much of the printing that is done for Congress
Is reproduced in executive documents. Much of
the printing that is done for the executive de-
partments is reproduced in Congressional pub
LEGATIONS. If the government is 10 have two
forms of spelling this will necessarily mean
double composition. double stereotyping and
eIectrotypluS double prootreading and other
incidental expenses. It VIII mean double force
of proOfreadeTs. for il is inconCeiVable that
proofreader could be required to adapt himself
10 more than one system of spelling. with the
expectation of rendering efficient service.
In justice 10 government officials, it may be
said. an order which dictates particular form
OF photography involving departure from the
recognized standard in popular use imposes
upon the head Of executive department as
well upon all of his subordinates a policy
In the opinion of the committee. anv depart-
from the recognized standards of orthog-
raphy cannot with safety, satisfaction or econ
orny he taken until Congress and the Executive