The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-09-03
PUBLIC MUST FINALLY
 DECIDE SPELLING REFORM
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT MAY YET WITHDRAW HIS RE-
 CENT ORDER.

Xn Letter to Public Printer He Says
 That if the New System Meets Popu-
 lar Approval It Will be Made Perma-
 nent, If Not It Will be Dropped.
 Opinion of Few Individuals Not to
 Count.
 Oyster Bay, Sept 2,--Tn letter to Charles A. Stillings public printer at Washington, made public to-day, Pres ident Roosevelt wrote that if the changes in spelling advocated by the simpllfed spelling board and put into use in official documents meet popular approval they will be made permanent. r. not, he wrote, they will be dropped. The presidents letter follows:
 "Hon. Charles IA. Stlllings, Public
 Printer, Washington, D. C.:
 My dear MT. Stillings:
 T enclose herewith copies of certain circulars of the sinplifed spelling board, which can be obtained free from the board at No 1 Madison avenue, New York city. Please hereafter direct that in all government publications of the executive departments the 300 words enumerated in circular No. 5 shall be spelled as therein set forth. If anyone asks the reason for the ac- tion, refer him to circulars 8, 4 and 5 as issued by the simplified spelling board. Most of the criticisms of the proposed step Is evidently made in en- tire 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 have refer red. There is not the slightest inten- tion to do anything revolutionary or initiate any far-reaching policy. The purpose simply is for the government, instead of going behind popular senti- rnent to advance abreast of it and at the same time abreast of the views of the a,blest and most practical educators of our time as well as of the most pro- found scholars, men of the stamp of Prof. Lounsbury and Prof. Skeat If tho slight changes in the spelling of the 300 words proposed wholly or partially meet popular approval, then the changes will become permanent with out any reference to what public off, cials or individual private citizens may feel; If they do not ultimately meet with public approval they will be dropt and that is all there is about It. They represent nothing in the world but a very slight extension of the uncon- scious movement which has made ag- ricultural implement makers and farmers write "plow" instead of plough" which has made most Americans write ''honor" without the somewhat absurd superf1uous "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 Elizabethan "batte," 'sette," "dimme," "summe," and ''fysshe," which makes us write public" almanac" "era," fantasy" and wagon instead of the "publck," 'alnlanack," 'eara," "phantasy," and "waggon" of our great-grandfather It is not an attack on the language of Shakespeare and Milton because it is in some Instances a going-hack to the form they used, and in others merely the extension of changes which, as re- gards other words, have taken place since their time. It is not an attempt to do anything far-reaching or sudden or violent, or indeed anything very great at all It is merely an attempt to cast what slight weight can properly bYcast on the side of the popular forces which are endeavoring to make our spelling a little less foolish and fantas- tic.
 Sincerely yours,
 "Theodore Roosevelt"