The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-09-07
REASONS FOR REFORM
IN english Spelling
PRESIDENT DOES NOT PLAN TO
FORCE NEW METHOD ON
THE PUBLIC.
Informs Public Printer StiIlings If 1t
Should Meet with Approval Change
Will Become Permanent, But Will
Be Dropped If Undesirable.

Oyster Bay, N. Y, Sept 3.-In let
ter to Charles A. Stillings, public
printer at Washington, President
Roosevelt wrote that if the changes
in spelling advocated by the simpli-
fled spelling board and put into use
in official documents meet popular ap-
proval they will be made permanent.
If not, he wrote, they will be dropped.
The presidents letter follows:
II inclose herewith copies of GER
tain circulars of the simplified spell
ing board, which can be obtained free
from the board at No. 1 Madison ave-
nue., New York city. Please hereafter
direct that in all government publica-
tons the 800 words enumerated in
circular No. S shall be spelled as there
in set forth. If anyone asks the rea-
son for the action, refer him to circu-
airs 3, 4, and 6, as issued by the SIM
plified spelling board.
Most of the criticism of the pro-
posed step is evidently made in entire
ignorance of what the step is, no less
than in entire ignorance of the very
moderate and common sense views as
to the purposes to be achieved, which
views are so excellently set forth in
the circulars to which 1 have referred.
Government to Lead.
There is not the slightest intention
to do anything revolutionary or ini-
tiate any farreaching policy. The pur-
pose simply is for the government, in
stead of tagging behind popular SEN
timent to advance abreast of it, and at
the same time abreast of the views of
the ablest and most practical educa-
tors Of our time. as well as of the
most profound scholars-men of the
stamp of Prof. Lonsbury and Prof.
Skeat If the slight changes in the
spelling of the 800 words proposed
wholly or partially meet popular ap-
prevail, then the changes will become
permanent without any reference to
what public officials or individual pri-
vate citizens may feel; if they do not
ultimately meet with popular approval
they will be dropped and that is all
there is about it.
Other Changes Quoted.
"They represent nothing in the
world but very slight extension of
the unconscious movement which has
made agricultural implement makers
and farmers write "plow" instead of
plough" which has made most
Americans write "honor" without the
somewhat absurd, superfluous "u;"
and which is even now making people
write program" without the "me"
just as all people who speak English
now write bat" "set," dim" sum"
and Fish," instead of the Elizabeth
an bate" "sette," "dimme," "summe"
and "fyshe;;" which makes us write
public" almanac" "era," fantasy"
and wagon" instead of "publick,"
"almanack," ''era," "phantasy" and
wagon" of our great-grandfathers
1t is not an attack on the language of
Shakespeare and Milton, because it is
in some instances going-back to the
forms they used, and in others mere
ly the extension of changes which, as
regards other words, have taken place
since their time. 1t is not an attempt
to do anything far reaching or sud-
den or violent, or indeed anything
very great at all. 1t is merely an at
tempt to cast what slight weight can
properly be cast on the side of the
popular forces which are endeavoring
to make our spelling a little less
foolish and fantastic"