Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-08-04
Blabber's Letter.
And It's all about Synta1 and Listener.

willing to acquit Blabber of writing slang than
he was formerly. Perhaps not. Some people
are so self wiled that they are not willing to
DO what is right, and have 10 be made do SO,
anyhow.
Now the only proof of Blabbcr's slang yet
adduced is Listeners bare assertion, and that
is no proof at all. Yet he has the impudence
to demand that prove it not to be slang. Oh,
no, Listener, that wont do. No one is requIr-
ed 10 prove a negative. He has already prov
en- the last phrase that he calls slang, not TO
be slang by signifying that he understood it
II he understood it, it could not then be mean
ingless, and as be does not claim that it was
low or vulgar, it follows that it could not be
slang. 1t is hard 10 say whether Listener at
tempts wit or sarcasm in his meandering about
''don't knows" and Science" Whichever
it may be, il seems failure. know would
so consider it had | written it myself. But
now about these soleeisms. fear Listener is
as ignorant of the art of criticism as he has
shown himself to be Of etymology and syntax.
In his letter of July 10Th he threatened if
would ''do it again. he would criticize my
writings to the best of his ability ! suppose
his letter of July oath was a complete full
dllment of that threat and, though it may
establish his reputation for being man of
his word, it is by no means complimentary to
his ability. wonder if it never was suggest
ed to him that in syntactical criticism the pro-
are wrong, TO suggest the proper words in
each instance, and to quote, or al least to re-
fer to- some established rule of syntax that has
been violated by the Objectionable writings?
AS in law every one is presumed to be innocent
until he is proOen guilty, so in the nse of Ian
guage every one must be presumed to use il
correctly until it is proven 10 the contrary,
and it must be proven by some standard that
is generally recognized, the mere say-so OF
captious critic is not sufficient. Listener makes
savage onslaught on the syntax of my 4th
of July letter He makes, | believe, seven
specltcations-as before court martial but
in not an instance has he given one word of
proof. Remember, Listener, that in polemes
as in law the onus OF proof is on the accuser,
the accused must stand aequited-though he
say no word in his own defense-unless the
aceuser prove his charges
However, | waive my right of acquital un-
der such passive influence, and enter upon my
defense the same as if he had established his
charges.
He refers in the first place to the word quo
tdtlonS, and goes so far TO say it is not The
proper word TO use in that connection. Now
if he had said what word should be used, his
criticism would have been more nearly correct
but as he does not suggest the proper word
must insist that the word quotations is the pro-
per word. The syntax Of That phrase is not
correct, but the improperly consists in using
the word fnRs instead of the word makes
His next ''mare' uest' is the typographical
or perhaps, chirographical, error by which
the word gd0e is made to read gi0e. Such err
rors, Mr.. Listener! are not legitimate hjects
Of criticism except to proof-readers. Now we
will see about those four or FIVE solecisms' be
has all in now.
''First. But as there are something over or
under million pen-drivers,' &c. He does
not say what is wrong in this sentence, but MS
he itacizes are ! suppose he thinks ii should
be IS but it should not, for the hject Of that
verb is the collective noun something, convey
ing plurality Of idea, and the rule of syntax
is, when the subject is collective noun
conveying plurality of idea, the verb should
be plural
Sand the number of the army of the horse
men 'Oere two hundred thousand thousand -
Rev tx, l6
''Second. If that he done then 1876, the
hundreth years of national life, shall not have
come and gone in vain'' Listener must tell
me what is wrong in that sentence, and why
it is wrong: even the italicizing Hafi0ndl life
will not do, he must prove the solecism.
''Third. The parade and glori6calion we
are making this year is all empty sham and
hypocrisy" have no doubt that Listener
thinks that is should be are But ah Listen
er, you mistaken again, for though is has
two subjects, connected by and they mean the
same thing or convey but one idea and the
rule OF syntax is, ''When two or more subjects
in the singular. connected by and, are but
different names for the same person or hing
or when taken together they represent single
idea, the verb should be singular"
g. and toll, tribute and custom acaS paid
unto them" Ezra iv, 90
''And now abdcth faith, hope, charity,
these three" lst Cor. xiii 10.
''For the intent and purpose of the law hath
full relation 20 the penalty" Merchant Of
Venice, Act iv, Scene l.
"Ilere the anthem doth commence
Love and conStancy is dead"
Shaksphere's sonnets.
"Fourth. So il is in our Centennial Jubilee;
it is officially proclaimed that honesty is
crime Listener must tell me what rule OF
syntax is violated in that sentence. | believe
as Published there was comma instead of a
semicolon after the word in bilee, which, whose
ever fault it was, was incorrect punctuation
Though the sentence may read a little awk-
wardly, it will bear the srctest analysis. Try
it, Listener and see if it do not.
As for improving the sentence that reads
HAS not that party had complete control Of
the government for sixteen vears2 Wasn't that
opportunity enough for reform ?"-why, per-
haps might improve it by writing some
more just like it, but don't think Listener
can improve it. | would like very much to
But isn't his mpudence or innocence charm
ing, when having cut my syutaX so terribly
he shields his own by pleading ignorance p
That's just like the Dragging bully who was
spelling FOR n fight. He at last found man
willing 10 accommodate him, but just as the
first spar was made he cried out, ''See here
neighbor, | want to fight, and | can whip any
Teller in all these regions, but you mustn't hit
back at me because N weak and awkward,
and YOU might hurt me -
Listener must try again-oue failure should
not discourage him What if all the hluuders
he found did prove TO be no bluuders2 am
sure there are faults in B.abber's syntax some
where may be he can find them next time If
you come near them, or get ''hot as the chill
dren say in the play of ''hide the switch"
III help YOU
Listener SAYS be does not claim to be intel
ligent, nor does he propose 10 have more than
an ordinary education. II be is not intelli-
gent, he does right in not proposing TO have
more than ordinary education. For an
extraordinary education would not fit well
on man who is not intelligent; but remem-
ber Listener, what the poet says, "a little
| learning is dangerous thing" Aud if you
do not propose 10 have more than an ordinary
education, maybe you would do better 10 get
rid of the dangerously little you have; it gets
you into trouble-into deeper water than you
can wade in, and you know you can't swim,
and if you should some of these days get
drowned-Ah ! BLABBER.
Washington Letter.