Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-13
OF SIMPlIFlED SPELLING,
A Thrilling New Spasm of the Re-
formers.

oI recent issue Is Il new SJaSfH, eupHe-
mistically designated as a bulletin, by
serene simpleton known to fame as the
Simplif1ed Spelling Board. There is like
. ~ to be some disappointment among
casual readers because this latest docu-
ment is not new list or revised mutila-
tons of the English language. 1t is al
ways exciting to learn the new words
selected for torture by this august body.
Still, there is some interest in the paper
on account of its ingenious and komikal
kwality. We happened to be looking at
the thing as we wrote that last sentence,
! and that accounts for the krazy spelling.
There we go again. The thing is con-
tagious, and even violent opponent of
the Simple Ones is likely to contract the
habit in spite of himself.
The Boards latest publication is merely
an announcement of the election of five
new members. and the identity of five
may be of some interest. They are John
Burroughs, George w. Gable. Gano
Dunn. Irving Fisher and William Tru-
FAINT Foster Two authors, one electrical
engineer, one college professor and one
college president. 1t is exceedingly
gratifying to be informed that they were
elected by unanimous vote
The election may not be quite so i'm
portant as it seems. for the five gentle
men were already members of the kdvi-
sorry Council of the Simplifed Spelling
Board, and the new move is simply a
promotion to more exalted rank. AS the
Executive Committee tells us, the
gentlemen "wer previusly'' members Of
the Council, and by joining the Board it,
salt HOY in,
way their approval of the movement
for the regulation of English spelling, -
and their willingness to cooperate with
their "colleags" in conducting the cam
paign for reason and common sense in
the spelling of the English language
And for our enlightenment and diversion
brief biografie sketches ar appended"
OF Mr.. Burroughs we learn that he
f .taut scool" for about eight years in
+ his early life, and subsequently. was a
.tresury clerk. If he "taut" in that
style we are nightly glad we did not
have to go his "scool." He and Mr.
Gable are both members of the "Ameri-
can Academy of Arts and Letters"
which is that humorous institution of
! American Immortals devised by gentle
men who had an irrepressible hankering
TO tie blue ribbons on themselves. But
now that they and some of the men,
bers of this awe-inspiring institution
have taken to dropping letters out of
their proper places and misplacing
others, would il not be a good idea to
leave the word Letters" out of their
/ title and let themselves be known simply
/ as the American Academy of Arts?" 1t
is hard to see what Letters have to do
/ with gentlemen who once "taut scool."
As Mr.. Dunn is simply an electrical
engineer, perhaps his connection with
the Spelling Board is not of particular
significance. The board is su4neently
electrified as it is having a high voltage
and being chock full of ohms, amperes,
kiowatts and other didoes. Professor
Fisher being professor and at Yale,
/ possibly. ought to know better, but you
never can tell what a professor will do.
Anyway. he is a "fello' of the Royal
Statistical Society, and that's the kind
of royal felo he is Professor Fisher
! has been ''fello of education and for
some time he has been "activ in promot-
ing the doctrin and practis of simplified
spelling"
So we may see that these are distin-
| guished recruits and will probably do
considerable work in the spreading OF
mental error We are told by the Eek
| ecutiv Committee" that the Board now
includes among it's members IA university
professors, four university presidents
two retired), six presidents of normal
"seools" and two suDer;ntendents OF
education. There is a crumbs of comfort
for the sane in the information that two
of the university presidents are retired.
1t indicates the presence of sense some
where. AS soon as possible the other
two presidents, the II professors. the six
presidents of normal "scools" and two
superintendent of education ought also
to be retired from their active duties in
misleading the young. There is no rea-
son why they should not give all their
time TO the interests of Simpleton Spell
! ing
In closing its Introduction, the Com
mittee says: I'VE need no great acumen
to Sc that the example of these scolars
will influence a great part of the edu-
Gated public. who in turn will ntriduce the
modern ideas into their own circles. Ii
anyone imagines that this change vii
bring disaster to English literature and
EAISliSH ScolafSHip, let MIN consider
whether such men ar not capable OF
judging in matters of their own profes-
sion and pursuit"
| They ar, they ar. and undoubtedly
they will! More's the pity, were there
much chance of its being seriously ac-
| cepted by any considerable number OF
the educated public. But, after ALL il
! seems probable that the whole business
| bay be a jocose celebration. Five years
! from now will come the centenary OF
| Henry WHEELER Shaw, born in 1878, who
was known to fame as John Billings
| is there not room for a suspicion that
| the $. S. Board may be developing a
monster demonstration in honor of this
| American litterateur and Original Sim
plifed Speller? Josh was so years ahead
| of these fellows with "previusy,
''scolar," ''wil" "ar," and hundred and
| one other varieties of sweet simplicity
Let us give him due honor-Providence
| Journal