The Long View: Theodore Roosevelt's Letter to the Government Printing Office

Contents

Introduction

Theodore Roosevelt's Letter to the Government Printing Office

The List

The History


Introduction

A minor mystery attends this document. Public Printer Charles Stillings says in the Government Printing Office directive of September 4, 1906, that the spelling changes are being made pursuant to "Executive order." Histories that mention Roosevelt's spelling initiative usually say that the president issued an executive order for this purpose on August 27, 1906. However, "executive order" is a term of art. Executive orders are the ordinary means that presidents use to carry out the duties of their office. They are numbered sequentially. Since the middle of the 20th century they have been systematically codified. However, no such executive order appears in the list of presidential documents issued by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 or in any other year. The letter below may be a simple letter of transmittal.

The text here is widely available in The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, Volume V: The Big Stick 1905-1907; edited by Elting E. Morison, John M Blum, Alfred D. Chandler, Jr., and Sylvia Rice; Havard University Press, 1952; pages 389-390. Note that this collection of letters does not include the list of reformed spellings. The list of spellings may be found, along with the text of the president's letter, in the Government Printing Office document of September 4 mentioned above. That document is available on mircofiche at major federal documents repositories. The series is US Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909: no. GP102-27.1, GP102-27.2). The material includes copies of the Circulars of the Simplified Spelling Board mentioned in the president's letter.

  The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, The Big Stick: 1905-1907 (Volume 5) By Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt's Letter to the Government Printing Office


Oyster Bay, August 27, 1906



To Charles Arthur Stillings

My dear Mr. Stillings: I enclose herewith copies of certain circulars of the Simplified Spelling Board, which can be obtained free from the Board at No. 1 Madison Avenue, New York City. Please hereafter direct that in all Government publications of the executive departments the three hundred words enumerated in Circular No. 5 shall be spelled as therein set forth. If anyone asks the reason for the action, refer him to Circulars 3, 4 and 6 as issued by the Spelling Board. Most of the criticism of the proposed step is evidently made in entire ignorance of what the step is, no less than in entire ignorance of the very moderate and common-sense views as to the purposes to be achieved, which views as so excellently set forth in the circulars to which I have referred.

There is not the slightest intention to do anything revolutionary or initiate any far-reaching policy. The purpose simply is for the Government, instead of lagging behind popular sentiment, to advance abreast of it and at the same time abreast of the views of the ablest and most practical educators of our time as well as the most profound scholars–men of the stamp of Professor Lounsbury. If the slightest changes in the spelling of the three hundred words proposed wholly or partially meet popular approval, then the changes will become permanent without any reference to what officials or individual private citizens may feel; if they do not ultimately meet with popular approval they will be dropt, and that is all there is about it. They represent nothing in the world but a very slight extension of the unconscious movement which has made agricultural implement makers write "plow" instead of "plough"; which has made most Americans write "honor" without the somewhat absurd, superfluous "u"; and which is even now making people write "program" without the "me"–just as all people who speak English now write "bat," "set," "dim," "sum," and "fish" instead of the Elizabethan "batte," "sette," "dimme," "summe," and "fysshe"; which makes us write "public," "almanac," "era," "fantasy," and "wagon," instead of the "publick," "almanack," "aera," "phantasy," and "waggon" of our great-grandfathers. It is not an attack of the language of Shakespeare and Milton, because it is in some instances a going back to the forms they used, and in others merely the extension of changes which, as regards other words, have taken place since their time. It is not an attempt to do anything far-reaching or sudden or violent; or indeed anything very great at all. It is merely an attempt to cast what sleight weight can properly be cast on the side of the popular forces which are endeavoring to make our spelling a little less foolish and fantastic.

Sincerely yours

Charles Stillings observed in his directive of September 4, 1906 that 153 of the words on the Simplified Spelling Board's proposed list were already preferred by the Government Printing Office. Of the rest, 49 were not preferred but had been used when the authority that ordered the printing requested it. We should note that many of the New Spellings simply canonized American as distinguished from British usage.

Using the spellchecker in the 2003 edition of Word set for American English, the software rejected approximately 106 of the New Spellings. Of these, the largest class were forms like "affixt" and "transgrest." In contrast, the spellchecker rejected 178 of the Old Spellings. Note that, because of the inclusion of variants, there are a few more Old Spellings than New.

The List

Old Spellings

abridgement

accoutre

acknowledgement

addressed

adze

affixed

although

anapaest, anapæst

anaemic, anæmia

anaesthesia, anæsthesia

anaesthetic, anæsthetic

antipyrine

antitoxine

apothegm, apophthegm

apprise

arbour

archaeology, archæology

ardour

armour

artisan

assise

axe

banns

barque

behaviour

blessed

blushed

brasen

brasier

bunn

burr

calibre

calliper

candour

caressed

catalogue

catechise

centre

chapped

cheque

chequer

chimaera, chimæra

civilse

clamour

clangour

clapped

clasped

clipped

clew

coaeval, coæval

colour

coulter

commixed

compressed

comprise

confessed

comptroller

coquette

criticise

cropped

crossed

crushed

queue

cursed

cutlass

dactyle

dashed

decalogue

defence

demagogue

demeanour

deposite

depressed

develop

diaeresis, diæresis

dyke

dipped

discussed

despatch

distill

distressed

dolour

domicile

draught

drachm

dressed

dripped

drooped

dropped

dullness

oecumenical, œcumenical

aedile, ædile

aegis, ægis

enamour

encyclopaedia, encyclopædia

endeavour

envelope

Aeolian, æolian

aeon, æon

epaulette

eponyme

aera, æra

oesophagus, œsophagus

aesthetic, æsthetic

aesthetics, æsthetics

aestivate, æstivate

aether, æther

aetiology, ætiology

exorcise

expressed

faggot

phantasm

phantasy

phantom

favour

favourite

fervour

fibre

fixed

flavour

fulfill

fullness

gauge

gazelle

gelatine

guild

gypsy

glose

glycerine

good-bye

gramme

gripped

harbour

hearken

heaped

haematin, hæmatin

hiccough

hough

homoeopathy, homœopathy

homonyme

honour

humour

hushed

hypothenuse

idolise

impressed

instill

gaol

judgement

kissed

labour

lachrymal

lapped

lashed

leaped

legalise

licence

liquorice

litre

lodgement

looked

lopped

lustre

mamma

manœuver, manœuvre

materialise

meagre

mediaeval, mediæval

metre

missed

mitre

mixed

mould

moulder

mouldering

mouldy

moult

mullein

naturalise

neighbour

nitre

nipped

ochre

odour

offence

omelette

oppressed

orthopaedic, orthopædic

palaeography, palæography

palaeolithic, palæolithic

palaeontology, palæontology

palaeozoic, palæozoic

paraffine

parlour

partisan

passed

patronise

pedagogue

paedobaptist, pædobaptist

phoenix, phœnix

phaenomenon, phænomenon

pygmy

plough

polype

possessed

practice

prefixed

praenomen, prænomen

pressed

pretence

preterite, præterite

praetermit, prætermit

primaeval, primæval

professed

programme

prologue

propped

purr

quartette

quaestor, quæstor

quintette

rancour

rapped

rase

recognise

reconnoitre

rigor

rhyme

ripped

rumor

sabre

saltpetre

saviour

savour

sceptre

septette

sepulchre

sextette

sylvan

scimitar, cimeter, etc

sipped

scythe

skillful

skipped

slipped

smoulder

snapped

sombre

spectre

splendour

steadfast

stepped

stopped

stressed

stripped

subpoena, subpœna

succour

suffixed

sulphate

sulphur

sumach

suppressed

surprise

synonyme

tabour

tapped

teasel, teasle, teazle

tenour

theatre

though, tho'

thorough, thoro'

thoroughfare

thoroughly

through, thro', thro

throughout

tipped

topped

tossed

transgressed

trapped

tripped

tumour

valour

vapour

vexed

vigour

visor

waggon

washed

whipped

whiskey

willful

winked

wished

woe

woeful

woollen

wrapped

New Spellings

abridgment

accouter

acknowledgment

addrest

adz

affixt

altho

anapest

anemia

anesthesia

anesthetic

antipyrin

antitoxin

apothem

apprize

arbor

archeology

ardor

armor

artizan

assize

ax

bans

bark

behavior

blest

blusht

brazen

brazier

bun

bur

caliber

caliper

candor

carest

catalog

catechize

center

chapt

check

checker

chimera

civilize

clamor

clangor

clapt

claspt

clipt

clue

coeval

color

colter

commixt

comprest

comprize

confest

controller

coquet

criticize

cropt

crost

crusht

cue

curst

cutlas

dactyl

dasht

decalog

defense

demogog

demeanor

deposit

deprest

develop

dieresis

dike

dipt

discust

dispatch

distil

distrest

dolor

domicil

draft

dram

drest

dript

droopt

dropt

dulness

ecumenical

edile

egis

enamor

encyclopedia

endeavor

envelop

Eolian

eon

epaulet

eponym

era

esophagus

esthetic

esthetics

estivate

ether

etiology

exorcize

exprest

fagot

fantasm

fantasy

fantom

favor

favorite

fervor

fiber

fixt

flavor

fulfil

fulness

gage

gazel

gelatin

gild

gipsy

gloze

glycerin

good-by

gram

gript

harbor

harken

heapt

hematin

hiccup

hock

homeopathy

homonym

honor

humor

husht

hypotenuse

idolize

imprest

instil

jail

judgment

kist

labor

lacrimal

lapt

lasht

leapt

legalize

license

licorice

liter

lodgment

lookt

lopt

luster

mama

maneuver

materialize

meager

medieval

meter

mist

miter

mixt

mold

molder

molding

moldy

molt

mullen

naturalize

neighbor

niter

nipt

ocher

odor

offense

omelet

opprest

orthopedic

paleography

paleolithic

paleontology

paleozoic

paraffin

parlor

partizan

past

patronize

pedagog

pedobaptist

phenix

phenomenon

pigmy

plow

polyp

possest

practise, v. & n.

prefixt

prenomen

prest

pretense

preterit

pretermit

primeval

profest

program

prolog

propt

pur

quartet

questor

quintet

rancor

rapt

raze

recognize

reconnoiter

rigor

rime

ript

rumor

saber

saltpeter

savior

savor

scepter

septet

sepulcher

sextet

silvan

simitar

sipt

sithe

skilful

skipt

slipt

smolder

snapt

somber

specter

splendor

stedfast

stept

stopt

strest

stript

subpena

succor

suffixt

sulfate

sulfur

sumac

supprest

surprize

synonym

tabor

tapt

teazel

tenor

theater

tho

thoro

thorofare

thoroly

thru

thruout

tipt

topt

tost

transgrest

trapt

tript

tumor

valor

vapor

vext

vigor

vizor

wagon

washt

whipt

whisky

wilful

winkt

wisht

wo

woful

woolen

wrapt


  T.R.: The Last Romantic By H. W. Brands

T.R.: The Last Romantic

The History

Now Theodore Roosevelt, president of the United States from 1901 to 1909, was a great reformer. In his first four-year term (3 1/2, actually, since he assumed office after the assassination of President McKinley), he reformed the railroads, he reformed the meatpacking industry, he even reformed the rules for American football. In his second term, perhaps having run out of more obvious things to reform, he turned his attention to English spelling.

Why did Roosevelt do this? It is often mentioned in this regard that Roosevelt was a notoriously poor speller. This in itself was probably the result of the fact he had never spent any time in a conventional academic environment before he entered Harvard. He had poor health as a child and rich parents, so he was educated by tutors, who perhaps were not interested in the type of drills that constitute schooling for less-favored children. More important, though, was that Roosevelt was very language-conscious. He spoke the major modern languages and read the ancient ones. He was also a prolific author on most things under the sun. He was therefore unusually likely to be annoyed by traditional English spelling, since he struggled with it daily and knew that there were alternatives.

The result was that he issued a directive to the Government Printing Office to adopt a list of 300 reformed spellings recommended by the Simplified Spelling Board. He further directed that his report to Congress for 1906 be printed and distributed in the reformed system. Had this order stuck, most federal documents would have been issued in a slightly reformed style starting in 1907. Many of the proposed spellings were obscure scientific terms, and the changes the Simplified Spelling Board recommended did not reflect any general system of reformed spelling. Nonetheless, had the president's order been carried out, a precedent for reform would have been set.

What happened, though, was that Congress went ballistic. A big part of the problem was just that Roosevelt had tried to implement the reform by executive fiat. He had not even tried to get Congressional support for the measure. Although Roosevelt had been successful in Congress during his first term, his success was based on his ability to scare the Right with what the Left supposedly wanted to do, and vice versa. Opposition to spelling reform was one thing they could all actually agree on. Another factor, of course, was that nowhere in the Constitution is there any grant of power to the president to oversee orthography. For that matter, neither is any such power granted to the federal government as a whole.

The upshot was that Congress passed a joint resolution expressing its disapproval of the executive action. The Supreme Court refused on its own authority to use the reformed spellings. Perhaps more surprisingly, in view of Roosevelt's popularity and of the fact that spelling reform was not an unfamiliar idea in those days, the major national newspapers were uniformly derisive. The New York Times, for instance, said that it would treat any reformed spellings issuing from the federal government as misspellings and correct them. Finally, Roosevelt just rescinded the directive. Ironically, many of the recommended changes were already current and most became preferred spellings over time..

As was shown by the fuss that arose in Germany in the 1990s when the government tried to implement a quite minor spelling reform, this can be what happens when a democracy tries to reform orthography.

Copyright © 1997 by John J. Reilly

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