The Searchlight (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 374, Ed. 1 Friday, March 30, 1906 Page: 1 of 8
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PUHL.ISHED TWICE A MCKHK-TUESDAti AND FRIDAYS
Whole Number 374
GUTHRIE, OKLA., FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 190(5.
Terms: 80 Cts. a Year
' SPELL" CHANGES SUGGESTED.
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New York, March 2H.-In lecturing
to his class in English at Columbia
university, Prof. Brander Mattews de-
vected most of his time to the hopes
and aims of tho Reformed spelling
committee, of which he is tho head.
This came about through some queries
by the students and tho submission of
samples of reformed spelling for exa-
mination.
"The first aim of tho committee,"
said Prof. Matthews, "will be to creato
such chaos that everybody will spell
to suit himself; after that point has
been reached reform will bo an easy
task. Every one will be at s,ea and
will gladly accept a simplified and im-
proved system."
Pror. Matthews pointed out that a
most remarkable inconsistency in mod-
ern life was the fact that the most
practical people, business men and
professional men, were in reality tho
worst spellers. As a result of this,
and despite the fact that tho English
language is eisier to master, as re-
gards a speaking knowledge, than any
other language, German is, according
to tho professor, taking the load as a
commercial language, being easier to
write. Not only is English being dis-
placed by German as tho language of
commerce because of our poor spell-
ing,, said Prof. Matthews, but many
otherwise liberally educated persons
are being continually counted among
the illiterates, owing to their inability
to get the English spelling books at
their finger tip?.
The cause of the whole triAible, the
lecturer thought, is the great number
of superfluous letters the- writing .of
which wastes a vast amount of time,
paper and money during the courso of
a man's life. The aim of tho reform-
ers will be to eliminate all these silent
letters, particularly these which are
final and to substitute simple vowels
for diphthongs. Furthermore, words
which are pronounced emtirely dif-
ferently from tho way in wh'.ch they
are spelled will be changed to meet
the tests which the committee will
apply to these "monstrosities of
speech."
Prof. Matthews said that the first
part of the reform would bo to cut
out all unnecessary letter.-, like the
"ugh" in "although" and the "w" in
"flow;" then they would try to get the
people to drop tho double vowels, like
' the "ae" in "aesthetic." and remove
unnecessary letters from words like
"rhyme" and "sovereign."
while satisfied with the way in
which the attempt at spelling reform
is being received, the head of the re-
; form committe intimates that this ap-
parcntly hospitable attitude may be
only the calm before the storm; but
to check any attempts to dissuade
them from their work, the committee
. ill meet firo with fire.
"Whatever may happen," said Prof.
Matthews, "we have tho dictionaries
behind'us and we will change them
first."
"J^ine," said one of the Columbia
boy,*, "we'il all pass the exams in
June."
On being Questioned ho explained:
"Why, that's simple. We all flunk
now for poor spelling, but when wo
get a chance to spell as we please,
we'll 'o it, you bet, and we'll all pass."
"We don't want any academy like
the French academy to regulate our
ranimar and spelling," said Dr. Chas.
P. G. Scott, temporary secretary of
tho Simpilfiod spelling board in an
interview. "The French academy is
medieval and has never done any-
thing for the French language."
Dr. Scott, who is the etymological
j editor of tho Century dictionary, be-
lieve; that the way to regulate "spell-
! ing"—for that is the word he uses
is by a campaign of education rather
tlinn b*y forcing shanges on tho pub-
lic.
"Some agency has been needed to
1 check the continuing error of our
spelling," lie added. "We hope that
l our board will prove to be this agency.
| V, ■ should place spelling on the same
| plane with everything else. We alter
' our houses, our clothes, and we even
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thange our religion. Spelling is no
1 more sacred than religion that we
; should go on year after year with the
' old puzzling forms."
COTTON gin af
carnegie durned.
Carnegie, Okla., March 24.*—'The
cotton gin here, owned by A. B. and
j T. I. Brown, was partly destroyed by
, fire la t right. Hard work by fire
'fighter- saved a part of the gin and
cotton. The fire was apparently of in
, cendiary origin.
HIS LIBERTY V/AS brief.
Topeka, Kas., March 27.—Alexan-
j der Enjpio, a soldier who esoaped
from the guard- at Fort Leavenworth
prison yesterday, was captured here
today.
DUE TO STATEHOOD BILL-
\7ashington, D. C., March 26.—Tho
Senate and House statehood conferees
will have their first meeting looking to
an adjustment of the differences bc-
ween the two houses Mon'day. Sena-
tors Beveridge, Dillingham and Patter-
son, under an agremeent, will stand
for tho Senate's contention. They can
make no concessions without the Sen-
ate's consent and tho majority has
given them to understand that state-
hood for Oklahoma and Indian Terri-
tory is tho position which has boon
assumed by tho upper bedy. The
House conferees, Hamilton, Brick and
Moon, acting under instructions from
the Speaker, will demand that state-
hood for New Mexico and Arizona be
coupled with statehood for greater
Oklahoma. Only two possible grounds
for a compromise are in sight. The
first is for the House to yield its de-
mand for New Mexico and Arizona
a.nd the second is for the Senate to ac-
cept one of the Foraker amendments
permitting the two territories to vote
on tihe question for greater Oklahoma
and either wculd mean that New
Mexico and Arizona would not become
a state.
Washington newspapers and con-
gressional opinion is divided as to tho
outcome. Prevailing opinion is that
Speaker Cannon must ultimately yield
because of the pressure being brought
o bear on him from Republican quar-
ters. Oklahoma and Indian Territory
The House revolt is more hostile
than at any former period. Yesterday
a Kansas representative who had stood
by the House organization even when
the votes of Ibis Kansas and Missouri
colleagues could have admitted Okla-
homa to statehood, approached one of
the leaders of the insurgent move-
ment and said: "If the statehood bill
is not passed this session, I believe it
will defeat me and two others in
Kansas."
The insurgent gave him no consola-
tion. "You can not expect help longer
from us," he said. "We, from the re-
mote West, do not give a rap for Okla-
homa and the Indian Territory. We
have no friends there and no special
have the sympathy of the public and
the newspapers are already calling the
Hamilton bill the anti-Oklahoma bill.
Tho insurgent leaders are charging the
Speaker with attempting to defeat the
admission of Oklahoma an<J the feeling
in the House is so intensely bitter that
many of the members refuse to dis-
cuss the question with opponents.
Interests. Wo stood up for tho West
because we came from the West. Mis-
souri and Kansas were tlia states most
vitally concerned and you will have to
work out your own salvation. You
enow that the ispeaker has not direct-
ly promised you that he will yield and
make Oklahoma a state. He has soft-
soaped you, that is all."
The insurgents have lost all sym-
pathy for the MLssourians and Kan-
Bans. It is probablo that if another re-
volt should bo necessary in order to
get statehood for Oklahoma tho old in-
surgents would again so in and help
make the fight, but they will not say
so now. Reeder and Caldorhoad from
Kansas and Fulkerson and Murphy
from Missouri will respond to any call
from Oklahoma and so will the Demo-
cratic side. Tho Republicans from tho
mountain and Pacific coast states, who
formed the backbone of the insurgent
movement, no longer care what be-
comes of the statehood bill. They
have prevented the joinder of Now
Moxisio and Arizona, and they gave
Oklahoma a chance to win through tho
votes of neighboring states, and hav-
ing won their main fight are content
to let the regulars walk the floor.
HIGH WATERS.
Waterloo, Iowa, March 28.—Water
in the Cedar river rose over eleven feet
last night and early today broke the
west levee floodinffbusinors district of
Waterloo. Hundreds of families are
rendered homeless. Tracks were
washed out and all railroads are tied
up.
Cedar Falls "reports a similar dis-
aster. Two hundred families there
are homeless. Bridges and damg were
also wiped out near Cedar Falls. The
waters came to a standstill early to-
day.
to amend election law.
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Austin, Texas, March 2G.—Pursuant
to the call of Governor L anham the
Texas s'tate legislature assembled in
extraordinary session today. The pur-
pose of the session is to amend the
means for determining definitely the
votes whidh candidates for state and
district offices shall receive in stato
and district political conventions,
based upon, the results of the primary
elections held in the different counties
of the state or of the district, as the
case may be. The session is expect-
ed to be of short duration.
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The Searchlight (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 374, Ed. 1 Friday, March 30, 1906, newspaper, March 30, 1906; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc186668/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.