The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-25
A SIMPLE SPELLER IN A PET
BRANDER MATTHEWS ENCOUN-
TIERS ROSSITER JOHNSON,

Machlned English. which ROuses the
Odlum OrthOgraphIcum Board OF
Education Committee Is rendering.
Brander Matthews is mad with" Molly
Elliot Seawell. There isn't any doubt about
that, and everybody who was pr esent last
evening when the Board Of Education's
committee on studies held a hearing on the
project to introduce the 300 words OF the
Simple Spoilers into the city schools is of the
opinion that the lady novelist had better
look out.
Prof. Matthews got his mad up because
Molly Elliot Seawell wrote Rossiter johnson
a letter in which she described the deeds
u the simple spoilers as crazy spelling
advocated by certain cranks Of high and
low degree" Incidentally, the chief simple
speller was vexed with Rossiter johnson,
too, for reading such a letter as Miss Sea
wells. Mr.. johnson did his best to side
step the wrath of Prof. Matthews, but the
simple speller wouldn't let him get away.
and things were very gloomy and depress-
ing in the board room.
It all happened after Prof. Matthews
had told the committee what an outrage
on a suffering public the En- giish spelling
was anyway and how perfect it would all
become il everybody would only spell like
Matthews, Carnegie and Roosevelt.
Then Rossiter johnson, who is a good deal
NJ a word iuggler himself. ventured to dis
sent. This in itself was naturally irritating
o. Prof. Matthews, but when Mr.. Johnson
read a list of eminent American writer's who
had signed a protest against the Simple
Spoilers and all their works, the Columbia
professor became positively tdgety. The
last straw appeared. however. when Mr..
johnson began to read Miss Seawells letter.
He had already read a pretty sentiment
from Julian Hawthorne, who said that any
man who would maltreat his native tongue
rs did the Simple Spoilers, was a murderer
at heart. Now" said he, Miss Seawell
writes:
al ~disapprove Of the crazy spelling
advocated by certain cranks Of high and
low degree, and" here Mr.. Johnson's
nerve failed him o little and he broke in
on the letter 10 say: Mind you, l am not
responsible for these sentiments"
"Oh, yes, you are. said Prof. Matthews
acydly.
NO, I'm not, ether retorted Mr.. john
son anxiously.- I'm merely reading what
Miss Seawell wrote. I decline to be held
responsible. ! won't be made responsible.
i
But you are responsible" insisted Prof.
Matthews angrily. You can't dodge it."
There followed a rapid fire of insistence and
denial that sounded like this:
I'm not responsible"
You are, too"
I'm not"
you are
Not
Are"
Not"
Are"
winded than Mr.. johnson, who fin ally
collapsed. remarking YEARLY:
Very well, then, if you insist, I'll be
responsible"
Satisfied with this admission, Prof.
Matthews fell to pulling his simple whiskers
contentedly and allowed Mr.. johnson TO
add that Miss Seawell thought that such
spelling was a violation Of good sense.
good taste and almost good morals
Other writers marShalled against the
Simple Spoilers by Mr.. johnson were Edith
Wharton, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Ben ia
min Ide Wheeler, Percival Lowell. Harriet
Prescott Spofrord, Prof. r. r. A. Selgman,
Clinton Scotland, Thomas Nelson Page.
John Fox. Jr.. Mary Johnston, Marion
Crawfcr I'd. James sne Allen. Owen Wister.
Samuel Mintum Peck, Robert W. Chambers,
Rush Rhees, John Vance Cheney, Kate
Douglas WiGgin. Anna Katherine Green,
George Cary Eggleston, Goodwin Smith and
several others.
n vo.ce had teen raised at last against this
desecration Of our speech" Marvin r.
Vincent wrote: Il detest the whole bust
ness President Taylor wrote: Il doubly
deprecate the reform bv Executive order"
MI these writers signed a protest prepared
by Mr.. johnson, which declared that the
changes would save no space and 10 time
in reading. Nor would IL make correct
spelling easier. and it would obscure ETY.
Trolo ". would make reading more difficult
and tIresome and make our libraries obso-
lete.
Ms. johnson had no objection to the
development Of the photography of the
language, but he would let it develop
naturally.
Col. Charles E. Sprague. the high fnancier
Of the Simple Spelling Board, said that
the Simple Spoilers didn't mind being called
Cranks by Mr.. Johnson's lady friends.
No reform had ever come without the aid
If cranks. But he admitted that he him
self had some doubt about the wisdom OF
thru. = which Katherine BlakeiSaid stuck in
her crop. He feared that had been zone OF
orr mistakes"
He then issued a defy 10 Mr.. johnson. de-
claring that the Simple Spoilers would send
out Nr. Johnson's objections 10 all their
10000 sdherents IL they were allowed TO send
Herewith their reply to those objections.
Prof. Calvin Thomas said that most OF
Mr.. Johnson's signers we're minor Ameri-
can writer's" TO which Mr.. johnson retorted
that he had to he content with those because
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell
Holmes, Henry W. Longfellow and James
Russell Lowell were all dead.
Prof. Thomas went on to say that his
faction proposed nothing new, but only
that the pupils Of the schools should be
told that they might use The simpler of
two forms. both of which were already in
good usage.
A distinguished advocate Of the simple
spelling then appeared in the person of a
bearded man who banded in a card reading
: .osz,, v,n,,o,,vs n,rpo (: