Dance, you tenderfoot, dance

President Roosevelt holds a gun labeled “Simplified” and cartridges on his belt labeled “The New Way”: “Tho,” “Tapt,” “Thru,” “Topt,” “Blest,” and “Fixt.” Opposite is a man labeled “Congress” with a belt labeled “The Old Way” and cartridges labeled “Though,” “Tapped,” “Through,” “Topped,” and “Blessed.” The two are firing words at the feet of the “Public Printer” – “Dropt,” “Ript,” “Mixt,” “Mixed,” and “Ripped” – who jumps into the air to avoid getting shot. A diminutive Andrew Carnegie stands in the foreground.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Cartoonist “Scar” (Alonzo W. Scarborough) of the newly energized New York Globe drew memorable cartoons about Theodore Roosevelt in his second term. As with many cartoonists, the Republican Scar milked the Simplified Spelling matter for all it was worth. In fact it was not worth much, except as a curious distraction in a very contentious political year.

The president had been persuaded to join the faddish movement to reform the English language and simplify the spelling of words. Andrew Carnegie, likely the world’s richest man at the time, indulged his interest by endowing an association that included Brander Matthews, Mark Twain, Henry Holt, and other literary figures besides Roosevelt.

Roosevelt, as President, ordered all government printing to conform to the 300-word list of Carnegie’s organization, the Simplified Spelling Board. For a time, the Public Printer conformed — for instance, setting the president’s report to Congress on Panama Canal progress in words “spelt” in the new manner.

Much of the public and press, and the House of Representatives, rejected the concept and the implementation. The Public Printing office felt caught in the middle, as pictured by Scar — and it was, until the House passed a unanimous directive to cease the “reformed” spelling.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12

Creator(s)

Scarborough, Alonzo W. (Alonzo Willis), 1875-1943

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Repository

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Page Count

1

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Cartoon

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation