The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-25
WOULD GUT OUT
THE OLD FORMS
Andrew Carnegie Gives His Opinion
of the Proposed Reform of
English Spelling.
oRTHoGRAPHY ALSO IN NEED
OF CHANGE.

Hot Springs, Va, March 24.-Andrew
Carnegie made a statement today Civ
ing his views on the proposed reform
of English spelling. He said:
From Chaucer's time and before till
now our language has been constant
ly changing and improving, not under
any rule or system, but simply as &C.
cupatiOn has required new words and
new spelling.
THE great Oxford dictionary. now
under publication, gives the history of
each word and shows that words creep
in our language in the most haphaz-
ard manner A new word expresses a
new want or an old want better than
the word in use did, and so forces
itself into use. Nothing can be barred
out while the word invented with the
strictest regard TO rules may apply in
vain.
What is slang on year is correct
English few years later. Thus is our
language enriched. 1t is a slow pro-
cess, but steady and sure one. All
the struggles of pendants and purists
are helpless against it.
Will Proceed Slowly.
THE organization effort have
agreed to finance is not revolutionary
Far from it. It's action will be con-
sentative.
Word after word. it will endeavor
to improve the spelling and the Ian
guage.- Slowly, of course, but hasten
ing the pace. if possible.
THE editors who are disposed to
ridicule the effort themselves use
words, and especially spelling, which
their predecessors of a century ago
would have denounced as degrading
literature. The editors of the next cen
fury will in turn marvel a the un-
couth spelling of our present scribes.
since our language has been con-
strUCted through unceasing change,
literary men should welcome new
words and new spellings with favoring
eye, since it is by these alone that fur
Their improvement can come. Scholars
denounced pillow for plough, for in
stance. But pillow has been accepted
So with many words that will readily
occur to the reader
English Will Prevail.
Our language is likely to prevail in
the world, and we may hope it is to
become finally the universal language,
the most potent of all instruments for
drawing the race together, insuring
peace and advancing civilization. The
foreigner has the greatest difficulty in
acquiring 1t because of it's spelling.
This is, at least, his chief obstacle, for
its grammar is easy
Hundreds of scholarly men have
agreed to use improved spelling for
twelve words These words are already
well started in actual use. Other sim
plihcations will be suggested. If meri-
torious they Will be accepted.
Teachers have assured me that
children would be saved more than a
years instructions if our spelling were
simplified. Why the perveTse 'ough'
spelling should be continued I cannot
understand. Tho expresses exactly
the same as though and expresses
the sound better. The change is at
once obviously advantageous, and
find many already using it in writing,
and some of these are British authors.
Indeed tho with the superfIuous apos-
trophe, abounds in British authors
from Addison down. We just drop the
apostrophe. That tho will get into
general use is certain. Our successors
will smile at the 'ough' spelling as we
today at what we called the queer
spelling of Chaucer.
Engaged in Useful Work.
'In trying to hasten the use of sim
plified spelling and To improve our own
language for the struggle for first place
which is even today upon us, we are
engaged in a most useful work.
II hope that thoughtful people will
give this important and conservative
reform due consideration and resolve
to use at least two or three simplified
words, and thus range themselves with
us in our effort to carry on the unceas-
ing work of improving our mother
tongue and adapting for it's noble pur-
pose and high destiny"