Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-10-05

his hObON LOO "uulu 30
In the Introductory of his speech Mr..
Clemens said he came to the dinner to
make an appeal to the nations in be-
half of the simplified spelling. There
are only two forces he claimed that
could carry light to all parts of the
earth-the sun and the Associated
Presto whom he appealed to adopt
the simplified forms of spelling for
three months as test. Then, continu-
ing, Mr.. Clemens said:
The infaIlible result - victory. victory
all down the line, For by that time
all eyes here and above and below will
have become adjusted to the change and
in love with it. and the present clumsy
and ragged forms will be grotesque to the
eye and revolving to the soul. And we
shall be rid of phthisis and phthisic and
pneumonia and pneumatCs and dph-
iberia and pteradactyl and all those other
insane words which no man addicted to
the simple Christian life can try to spell
and not lose some of the bloom of his
piety i'm the demoralizinE attempt. Do not
doubt il. We are chamcleons. and our
partialities and prejudces change places
with easy and blessed facility. and we
are soon wonted TO the change and hap
py in it. We do not regret our old yell
low fangs and snags and tushes after
we have worn nice fresh uniform store
teeth awhile.
1 have reached time of life-seventy
years and haIf-where none OF the con-
Germs of this world have much interest
for me personally. l think | can speak
dispassionately upon this matter. because
in the little while that l have got to re-
main here l can get along very well with
these old fashioned forms, and l don't
propose to make any trouble about ii at
all. l shall soon be where they won't
care how L spell so long as l keep the
Sabbath.
There are $1,000 600 of US people that
use this photography. and it ought to be
simplified in our behalf. but it is kept In
its present condition to satisfy 100000
people who like to have their literature in
the old form. That looks to me TO be
rather selfish, and we keep the forms as
they are while we have got 100000 peo-
pie coming in here from foreign countries
every month. and they have got to strug-
gle with this photography of ours, and it
keeps them back and damages their cit
izenship for years until they learn to
spell the language, IL they ever do learn.
This is merely sentimental argument
People say it is the spelling of Chaucer
and Spenser and Shakespeare and a lot
of other people who did not know how to
spell anyway. and Ii has been transmitted
to us and we preserved II and wish to
preserve it because of its ancient and
hallowed associations.
Now. | don't see that there is any real
argument about that. II that argument
Is good then it would be "A good argument
not to Danish the flies and the cock
reaches from hospitals because they have
been there so long that the patients have
got used TO them and they feel a tender
ness for them on account of associations
Now you see before YOU the wreck and
ruin of what was once a young person
like yourselves. / am exhausted by the
heat of the day. / must take what is left
of this wreck and run out of your pres /
ence and carry il away to my home and |
spread It out there and sleep the sleep of
the righteous. There Is nothing much |
left of me but my age and my righteous '
ness. but leave with you my love and |
my blessing. and may you always keep |
your youth.