Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-11-10
SPELLING REFORM.
Why nrnjamin Ide wheeler IL Not
Ia Fnsor of "a.


la FnVor of "a.
President benjamin Idle Wheeler OF
the University of California does not
favor the spelling reform advocated by
Mr. Roosevelt In recent address he
stated his objections in part as follows:
The establishment for the United
States of standard of written Eng
lish different from that recognized else.
where in the English speaking territory
is an Solating and divisive movement
promising loss and waste 10 inter
course aud culture and Introducing con
seriousness of coutraricty where the op
positc Is desired The needless lrrta-
ton caused by the minor differences
already existing points ominously to
what would result from greater. The
English language Is not the property
of people of the United States. still less
OF It's government: il il a precious pos
session Of the English speaking world.
AMI the moral authority to interfere
in its regulation must arise. ont of the
entire body and not from a segment
thereof Every person who is born to
the use of the language inherlts there
by definite advantage IN the world
OF intellectual gain for influence and
effectiveness yes. even for commercial
success 10y very reason of its exclusive
use In uniformity of standard. This
inherited advantage constitutes vested
interest and must not he trihed with.
Any radical change such as for
instance. would bc involved in phonetic
writing-woud have the effect OF cut
ting Us off from the language OF
Shakespeare and the English Bible,
making this semiforeign idlom. TO be
acquired 10y special study. Indeed. our
entire present library collections of
English books would be placed beyond
the reach of the ordinary reader and
he rs Dutch to his eyes. The bond
uniting all the products of the Ian
guagc from the ElzHbethan period TO
the present day creates very precious
heritage for every speaker of the Eng
lSh tongue Print is addressed TO the
eye and the readers eye. taking IN
whole words or even the composite
is disturbed aud hindcred by abnormal
forms of spelling The proposal grad
ually. 70 introduce through the co-opera-
ton of volunteers certain number Of
new spcllings. aud then when these arc
well under way presumably certain 9th
ers, seems to promise an era of CHASTITY
confusion in printing offices and in
private photography and heterography
as well as much irritation to readers
eyes and spirits
The list Of 800 words proposed by
the simpliiicd spelling board is some
what haphazard collection. following
no very clear principle of selection.
one hundred and fifty seven OF them.
such as color for colour are already
in their locked form familiar to Amer
lean usage The remainder seem to
owe their inclusion IN the list TO their
having been misSpclled number OF
times In English literature Thus the
= Is tahoo2d IN pigmy' 0or pygmy).
not IN synonym; the older spelling Is
resumed in 'rime' for rhyme but not
in gcst' for guest, or tung for
tongue There is no excuse, however,
for thru for through from any point
OF view The symbol u generally car
ries Ia English the value 'yu' lin 'useJ
or u 0n butt only very rarely. as
In rural 'rumor.' has IL the value 'oo.'
Thru has not even the authority Of
error. "-C hicago News.