As someone who writes I greatly dislike this. These are my words, not yours.
A translation across time and generations is a completely different matter.
Today, it's much easier for authors to have a greater say in the final presentation due to the digital composition process
I don't see why anyone should care that publishers have edited in the past anyway, even in this particular discussion where my own argument is for conservation. Publishers have done all kinds of things that this very project itself criticises and pointedly set themselves apart by doing differently. So, it's a weak argument for them.
Aside from that, what any other publishers do, even if it's totally common and even universal, doesn't change the argument that they were making that they wish to suggest that those edits cross a line that fixing typos doesn't cross.
Modernizing / adapting is the least damaging change to be done here