The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-09-12
UP TO THE PUBLIC
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT WOULD
DROP PHONETIC SPELLING
UNLESS IT IS APPROVED
INDIVIDUALS AND OFFICERS DIsREcARDtD

Criticism is Attributed TO i9nofanee o
Proposed Reform-Not intended as
Revolution, But TO Keep Abreast OF (
the Tines
OYSTER BAY. In letter 70 ChaI'es
A sullings. public printer al Wasnlns'
ION. made public this week, president
Roosevelt wrote that If the changes
n spelling advocated by the simpineo
spelling board and put into use IN o.
sciaI documents meet popular approval
tbev viii be made permanent II NOT
be wrote they viii be dropped
The presidents letter follows;
..Afv Dear Mr.. Stillings.-l inelose
herewith copies Of certain circulars
Of the simplifed spelling board, which
can be obtained free from the BOARD
at No. l Madison avenue, New foiA
CITY. please hereafter direct that IN
all government publications OF tne
executive departments the above Sov
words enumerated in circular No. D
shall be spelled as therein set forth
sIf any one asks the reason for tne
action. refer him to circulars s. ana
Z as issued By the simplified spelling
board Most OF the criticism OF the
proposed step is evidently made IN
sntire Ignorance OF what the step Is,
no less than in entire ignorance OF
he very moderate and common sense
/ views as to the purpose to be achieved
which views are so excellently set forth
In the circulars TO which ] have refer
red
There is not the slightest intention
10 do anything revolutionary. or initi'
nate any far-reaching policy. The pnr'
pose simply is for the government IN
stead of tagging behind popular senu'
ment TO advance abreast OF It and al
the same time abreast Of the views
OF the abIest and most practical educa
tors of our time. as well as OF the
most profound scholars-men OF tnt
stamp Of Professor Lounsbury and FRO
fessor Skeat
IF the slight changes in the spell
ing of the 300 words proposed who'll
or practically meet popular approval
then the changes will become per
manent, without any reference to wna
publjc officials or individual, privau
citizens ma. feel; II they do not ultl
mately meet with popular approva
they will be dropped. and that is al
there is about It.
They represent nothing In u
world but very slight extension Q
: the movement which has made agr
cultural implement makers and farm
ers write 'plow' instead Of plough
/, which has made most Americans writ
honor without the somewhat al
sur6. supernuous u, and whichis eve
!. now making people write program
! without the me, just as all people wh
!, sneak English now write bat Sc
Z dim, sum and fish, instead Of N
= Elizabethian bate, 'sette', 'dimme
'summe'. and 'fyshe, which makes .
write public. almanac. era, 'fantas
= and wagon instead Of the publich
= almanac 'aera'. 'phantasy' and wa
y gon'. Of our greatgrandfatbers
= 1T is not an attack on the languaf
= OF Shakespeare and Milton. becaui
y II is in some instances a going-Dae
a. to the forms they used. and In other
70 merely the extension Of changes whic
as regards other words. have take
10 place since their time il is not
y attempt to do anything far-reachir
70 or sudden or violent. or indeed an
n thing very great at all. II is mere
to an attempt to cast what slight weigl
rc can properly be cast on the side OF Y
nt popular forces which are endeavoriE
m TO make our spelling a little les
"a foolish and fantastic.
Id THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
he