Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
Bill Nye.

have just received letter from total
stranger, dated at Pensacola, Florida,
which l take the liberty of giving below,
without the signature:
PENSACOLA, FLA, May 10.--Hr. Me
Sir: As you write a great deal for the
press, and, l should therefore Judge, are
quite familiar with good form in the Eng
lish language, myself and several other
young men have agreed to refer a certain
question OF grammatical construction to
you. 1t was sometime ago that we agreed
TO do so, and had meant to have went to
you before in relation to it, but you know
how it is when one DELAYS a matter at
first, one is apt to delay it again, until
one becomes careless and discouraged.
"The question IS this: Suppose one
were to use the word license in writing
or spelling, for instance, should one say
He got them license, or he got those
license?'
San early answer will greatly oblige
one who is very anxious to use correct
language, both in writing and in speak
ing. --."
l don't remember that | have been
called upon TO adjust matter of gramma-
teal difference before where there was
money up, but if 1 can make life any
pleasanter for ''One'' l think | ought to do
so. some ought to lose no opportunity
that Zone" may have presented to s'one''
while ''one' journeys through the vale Of
tears into which zone" NAV be thrown
though not thr0fch any fault which ssone'j
may be guilty of, and l am free to say
that Zone" may not only make life pleas
anter in this way to "One's self'' but to
those with whom tone" may be thrown.
Using Opinion as a medium through
which to address the anxious zone" in his
far-away Southern home, l will say that
in the example given it is difficult to say
which is the most proper of the two
styles. SuppOsing one to be in a mixed
party at barbecue or some other occa-
sion of great national JOY, and that one
was thFOwn into a heterogeneous crowd
Of those who might take offense if one
were to use the word E'thOse," il might be
better for one who wished to curry favor
with the masses to say she got them
license" but in case one should be thrown
into large, select party at Washington,
where Senators and Cabinet officers and
great men were plenty, it would be we'll
to say she got those license" You see.
III this democratic land you must be wise,
and you must not only be wise. but YOU
must have your wisdom where you can
get at it almost instantly. One may be
accurate, but that alone will not do. He
must also be polite. Now, l might say
''he got them license'' with impunity in
some localities, and it would even be
regarded WIN favor, as IL would show
that / was not stuck-up and proud;
while at the White House it would be as
much as my life was worth to use the
same language. One would naturally
say in the presence of our better classes,
she got those license"
1t affords me great pleasure to throw
light on great questions of grammatical
construction, and to call attention to
faults of style in the use of our beautiful
language. / am glad to see that a feeling
Of trust and perfect faith in my judgment
is being manifested, and l hope that no
one viii feel backward about writing me
on this subject.
No matter how BUSY | may be, will
cheeTfully lay aside my work at any time
and point out the path that all should
tread in order to become writer's and
speakers of pure and beautiful and gro
tesque English.
Many have done so already, and great
has been their reward. The sweet singer
of Michigan owes her beautiful automatic
style to my suggestion. l rewrOte and
braced up this stanza of hers which has
now become a household word as it were:
"And now kind friends, what have wrote.
/ hope you viii pass DER.
And not criticize as some has done,
Hitherto her before
In this stanza the sentiment is herr
but the beautiful garment, the gramma
teal robes, are mine. Ask her to-day. anG
she will be compelled to admit hat the
musical rythm is not heFD,