The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-24
PROPOSED SPELLING REFORM.

We have before us two circulars from
the Simpllned Spelling Board, urging
reform In the spelling OF English words.
| This committee Is a strong one. Bran
der Matthews Is its chairman, and E.
| Benjamin Andrews, Nicholas Murray
Butler, Thomas R. Lounsbury are
members whose opinions have weight.
| Others like Andrew Carnegie, Lyman
]. Gage, David J. Brewer, and q num-
Der of men Of lesser note, none of which
has any special reason 10 claim recog-
milton in this field. however eminent
! each may be in his own special line
Of effort Carnegte's opinion on iron
and steel would have value, Gage Is
eminent in finance and Brewer In the
law; but In philology neither has any
particular standing. But Matthews.
Lounsbury, and perhaps others in the
lot Of members. have the highest claims
TO public consideration on any ques-
tion of the English language
What is it. then, that these eminent
men recommend? Not Wholesale
tearing up of recognized forms. much
less the construction of a special al
phabet to indicate phonetic sounds
They simply ask the general accept
ance of certain notifications. a num-
Der of which have already won their
way with the discriminating public
1t is urged. with perfect justice and
truth, that English spelling has been
subject to constant change. that It is
merely a continuation of the reform
which reduced to something like a sys-
TEN the erratc and whimsical spelllngs
OF former generations, to continue the
notifications and sImplifcations. and
enlarge somewhat upon those here
tofore accepted. There is, 1t Is urged.
ample room for the reforms sought,
and the reasoning OF the committee
must be approved by every thoughtful
person who has any skill In the use OF
words. AS an instance, the second cir
cular points out that centre, metre
fibre, theatre, arc out of accord with
tho rule that gives us canter. number.
timber, diameter, and such words. and
that favour. honour, colour, etc, are out
of line with error. terror. mirror, ma-
1or, editor, senator, etc. We believe
that there will be little difficulty in this
country in gaining general acceptance
for the committees views as to these
classes OF words
The stress of the contention In the
second circular, however, is in favor |
Of % l.,
In such words as dipped, dropped,
snapped dressed. pressed, crossed and
like terminals. SO that the words would
be written dropt, snapt, drest, prest,
crosst and SO on. The committee urges |
that this terminal is more in accord |
before sound, as appears in apt. |
host. boast. best nest, rust, etc. and |
in the old spelling, still retained, OF |
some preterites, as crept, lost, accept.
decant, leapt, etc. And 1t is urged. with
truth, that the common forms, drlpped
dropped, crossed pressed, etc arc I'm 4
great part alterations OF seventeenth
and eighteenth century spellings,"
which were With the {. These altera-
tions, the committee urges. ''were made
to establish visible but fallacious uni
formity OF infection" which Is the ex-
act fact "Grammarians." so-called.
have all along seemed possessed to root
out the irregular verb forms and sub
stitute for them regular Examinations"
which have distorted and weakened the
language. In favor OF the terminal
the committee quotes many instances OF
its use by Milton. Pope, Spencer.
Shakespeare. Dryden Tennyson, Low
ell. Goldsmith. and many other famous
writer's in words OF the class thus in
dlcated.
A considerable list of words Is lined
up in the circular, with the recommend
alton TO choose the simple spelling, and
in large part there VIII, no doubt. be
satisfactory progress made In the direc-
lion sought. But there are some pref
erences indicated, las demagog for dem
lgogue. thru for through, program
'or programme, which. in fact. would
cad TO change in pronunciation that
would distort the words themselves.
md TO make the change VIII De hard
OBJ, II would have been better had
he committee not urged any changes :
hat would in fact change the words.
,ut confined Itself 10 a less radical 4
revolution.