Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1883-05-25
POPULAR ERRORS.

| AL SpitC vi I'LL CACCllcut SyS.cII vi
Public Schools. and also in spite of Mr..
Richard Grant Whites noble efforts to
the contrary. we are an ungrammatlcal
nation.
It's asserted that every person. even
the most sceptical. has some pet sup.
erstition, and so it is with our Ian
guage.
We may laugh at the errors Of Others
but there are few oi US who are abso-
lutely perfect in the matter Of pro-
nunciat,on and grammatical construc-
ton ourselves.
Without taking into consideration
the characteristic vernacular OF the DIFF
ferent sections of our country, there
are certain errors which seem to be
catching" or epidemical, and nine
persons out Of every ten will us the in
correct version.
We hear, fLr instance, that a GER
tam medicine is preventative of
certain diseases. But, in the name of
common sense, is not our language
extensive enough without inserting ex-
ira and unnece ,sary syllables :?
preventive" is not only the correct
word, but it is shorter and more eupho.
NOUS than the one which has usurped
ITS place.
This tendency to elongatlon breaks
out again in the word specially"
which is wrongly but popularity called
Speciality
But there ls another error which is
even more reprehensible and widely
spread than these. Its the use OF the
verb "grow" as an active instead OF a
passive verb, and is used altogether in
an agricultural sense.
"Very fine MELONS" }" remarks farmer
Jones 20 his neighbor, Smith. "Dld
you grow them yourself9"
Neighbor Smith may assert that he
"grew" them himself, but his assertion
is not true. He did no. grow them.
and i. is moral impossibllity for him
to grow anything.
Cant l learn you anything? ?'' says
an irate mother to her little boy. But
any school girl knows that the express
sion is incorrect. One person cannot
learn another, any more than he can
walk him, OF "eat" him. or "drink"
him, in the same sense.
And neither can a farmer grow
anything on the face of the earth, not
even blade of grass.
Andyet one of our best conducted ,
agricultural papers used this absurd
expression altogether. There is even
an association known as the "Cane-
growers Association"
Perhaps there is some excuse for the
error in this instance, as these highly
esteemed and praiseworthy pioneers
might object to the word 'raise," as
being too suggestive of the operation
known as raising CAIN
But in all ether cases tine proper
word, raise. should be used.
"Dia you raise those potatoes2"
"Yes, | raised them." is quite as easy
to say as
"Did you grow those potatoes q"
"Yes, l growed EN- or II grew
Them" which is both incorrect and
untrue. HELEN NJ. CLARK,
ST Louis Magazine.
The June number of the North Amer-
ifan Regieao opens with an article by
Joseph Nimmor, Jr., Chief of the Treas.
ury Bureau of statistics, on "American
Interest, in which is
given singularity full and instructive
historical sketch of the rise and prog
ress of manufactures in the United
States, together. with a very effective
presentation of their present condition,
and of the agency of tariff legislation in
diversified industries and en-
the inventive genius of the
people. Should this authors advocacy
Of protective legislation prove distaste-
full, the reader finds the needed correc-
tive in an article by the Hon. Vim. M.
springer, on "Incidental Taxation,
which is ali agreement for Free Trade
y. C. Gilman. President of Johns Hop
kins University, writes of the present
Aspects of College Training, ,as effec-
ted by the increase of wealth and lux
lry, the development of natural sci
ence. and the influence of large relig-
ous liberty. Edward Self presents some
welghty considerations on the "Abuse
of citizenship, as exhibited in the
n the Vaccinations of the dynamitlsts
against friendly power, in disregard
If the obligations of American neutral
ty Prof. Isaac L. Rice. criticises some
If "Herbe,t spencer's Facts and infer
.nces" in social and political science,
md Christine Nilsson contributes "a
Few Words about public Singing. FL
rally, there is a symposium on "The
Moral Influence OF the drama. the
PARTICIPANTS being, Oh the one side, the 7
Rev. Dr. ]. Nj. Buckley, WILL know as
n opponent of the stage, and on the +.
the, John Gilbert. the actor; AM. Pal. E
ner, theatrical manager; and William 4
Winter, dramatic critic. so cents a .
lumber; S. a year. Published at 80 i
Place, New York, i
A VERY interesting number of DEM i
RESTS MAGAZINE is the June issue of i
he popular and pleasing publication. 2
he opening article, which is illustrated, 6
p