The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-03-30
A CARNEGIE SPELLER.
Tells Why He Endowed the New Move
meat

Hot Springs, Va, (Special)-Andrew
Carnegie made statement giving his
views on the proposed reform of Eng
ish spelling. He said:
From Chaucer's time and before till
now our language has been constantly
changing and improving, not under any
rule or system, but simply as occasion
has required new words and new
| spellings.
"The great Oxford. Dictionary, now
under publication, gives the history OF
each word, and shows that words creep
| into our language in the most hapiazaTd
manner A new word expresses new
want or an old want better than the
word in use did, and so forces itself into
use. Nothing can bar it out; while the
word invented with the strictest regard
to the rule may apply in vain. What is
| slang one year, is correct English
| few years later. Thus is our language
| enriched 1t is a slow process, but
steady and sure one All the struggles
of pedants and purists are helpless
| against it.
'"The organized effort l have agreed
to finance is not revolutionary from
| it. Its action will be conservative
| Word after word it will endeavor to
| improve the spelling and the language
| slowly, of course, but fastening the pace
if possible; that is all.
| 'The editors who are disposed tc
ridicule the effort themselves use words
and especially spellings which their pre-
! decessors of a century ago would have
denounced as degrading to literature. The
editors of the next century will in TURF
marvel at the uncouth spelling of ouf
present scribes.
Since our language has been con-
structed through unceasing change, liter
airy men should welcome new words and
new spellings with favoring eyes, since
it is by these alone that further improve
ment can come. Scholars denoufce
| pillow for plough for instance. But
| 'plow' has been accepted. So with many
words that will rapidly occur to readers
"Our language is likely to prevail III
| the world, and we may hope it is to be-
come finally the universal language.
Hundreds of scholarly men have
agreed to use improved spelling for II
words These words are already well
started in actual use Other simplih-
cations will be suggested. If rneritor-
ious, they will be accepted
Teachers have assured me that chill
dren would be saved more than years
instruction if our spelling were simpli-
fed
"Why the perverse 'ough' spelling
should be continued, one cannot under
stand. When we write tho it expresses
exactly the same sense as though and
expresses the sound better. This change
is so obviously advantageous that | find
many already using it in writing, and
some of these are British authors. In :
deed, tho with the superfiuous apos-
trophe abounds in British authors from
Addison down. We just drop the apos-
trophe That tho will get into general
use is certain Our successors will smile
at the ought spelling as we do today at
what we call the queer spelling OF
Chaucer.
"In trying to hasten the use of simpli-
fed 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.
'If he be benefactor who makes two
blades of grass grow where one grew
before he is no less benefactor who
plants shorter and simply spelt word
where longer and irregularly spelt word
numbered the ground before.
II hope that thoughtful people will
give this important and conservative re
form due consideration and resolve to
use at least two or three simplihed
words, and thus range themselves with
us in our effort to carry on the unceas-
| ing work of improving our mother
tongue and adapting it for its noble pur-
poses and high destiny"