The Washington herald., 1916-12-16
Simpi6ed Spelling
BY JOHN ID. BARRY.

A man recently showed me little note.
written by a very cultivated lady that
we both happened to know. 1t con-
tanned what he believed to be a mis-
spelled word. The expression on his
face was painful to see. How do you
suppose she could make such a mistake?
he said. Suddenly It occurred to him
that the lady was partly French, and
that she might have spelled the word in
the French way. Such indeed, on fur
ther investigation. proved to be the case.
Now there was great relief. 1t was all
right In fact, the French way of spelling
lent an added distinction. The situation
seemed to me both amusing and typical
Of many silly prejudices that we carried
about with us.
During the last few years. in this mat
ter Of spelling, there has been decided
change Now we may violate cOnven-
tons without running The risk of being
socially condemned. We may even be
rather advanced. though belonging
among the simplIfed spoilers. On the
other hand, there are some people. most
of them, ] regret to say, highly educated
and literary. who regard simplified spell
Ing with a kind of horror
Nevertheless. ] am going to venture
| the opinion that our present way of SPELL
ing is absurd. 1t ought to have been
corrected many generations ago. There
is no doubt that 1t will be thoroughly cor
rected in time. 1t has to work against
long established convention, with all the
prejudices that are the inevitable accom-
! paniment. 1t cannot be broken down by
! even so masterful q President as Theo-
dore Roosevelt showed himself to be
few years ago. when he made himself
a champion of the new spelling and met
instant defeat. So long has unorthodoX
spelling been either an offense TO the eye
! or a means of creating m!rth that il will
take the world long time even to recon-
1 cile itself to the need OF change. The
eye. besides being one OF the most faith
ful and delightful OF our servants, can
eb an obstinate and severe master.
| Though it loves the unusual, 1t also hates
the unusual. 1t makes a large contri-
| button to the inconsistency so charac-
teristic of the human race. 1t has been
the means of giving US our ridiculous
respect for print. making us treat print
| as If it were superior to speech instead
! Of being a humble and useful means of
disseminating speech 1t has even in
| jured the character Of speech, by chang
| ing 1t from an easy. simple. human ex
preston OF thought into a complex, diff
fcult, artificial and unnatural expression.
The opponents OF simplification make
|
wark and the defender OF language. 1t
Is nothing of the kind. II it were, it
would enslave US far more than il does
now. Language is owned by the human
| beings that use it. 1t Is nodded accord
ing to their interests and feelings 1t has
| a fne way Of ignoring print. For this
reason print remains old-faShiOned while
language. as it is spoken. is always new
| fashioned. intensely alive youthful No
| wonder jS xrid
difference between our spelling and our
speaking. and that our spelling presents
to the young so many gratuitous difficul-
ties and trials
| Perhaps in considering this matter
what is most necessary for most Of us.
| blinded by false training. Is a sense Of
humor. 1t ought to be particularly sery-
iceable in keeping US from being shocked
III must confess to several tolts in look
ing over communication recently sent
out by simplified spelling board. They
began when l read the headline: "A let
ter TO the signers of the Promis." More
came when my eyes fell on such words
as ''frends." reacht." "hav." ar"
''hloioGists." ''joind.' 'exprest, ''cOnser-
''prejudis'' will" 1t seems that this
board is slowly enlarging the number OF
changed words. 1t is asking the people
| Throughout the country to make habit
Of using the simpler forms. In this way
a new fashion will be created. particu-
iarly II the movement is sustained by
persons who may be assumed to know
how to spell correctly. In few years
We shall all become used to seeing such
words as 'fotograf." "telefone.' and
"telegraf." At sight of them We shall
not shiver with disgust We shall be-
| come more reasonable. incidentally we
shall find that in writing We are saving
a great deal of unnecessary work.