The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-06-05
PUNCTUATION
AND CAPITALS.
a PAPER READ BEFORE THE
PRESS ASSOCIATION.
Mr. II. q. .Osteen's Interesting Address
Delivered Recently in Char
lesion.


Sumter, on "Uniformity in Punctua-
tion and Capitallzation:"
Strange as it may seem, newspaper
men have ideals, and they vainly de-
sire to attain them as do ordinary
mortals. In their hours of leisure,
rare though they may be, newspaper
men sometimes sit and dream OF unat-
talnable things that would render tho
work-a-day life of the editor and re-
porter more pleasant, more dignified,
perhaps more exact in its limitations
ahd' perchance, more respected and
venerated. Some dream of a code &
journalistic ethics 80 exact and all-in.
elusive that no contingency could pos
sibly arise that would be unprovided
for in that ideal ethical code. When
journalistic brethren had exhausted
reason and argument in controversy
without avail, there would be no resort
to personalities-they would turn
quietly and with dignified deliberation
to the code and referring to the section
applicable to the case, proceed to close
the controversy. Everything would
be calm, serene md ethical the idyllic
editorial dreamer would wear a smile,
perfume his paste and tie his editorial
effusions with bows of baby blue rib
bon. Such is one dream. All know
the reality.
or parity with the dream of the
ethical code is the desire for uniform
ity in capitalization and punctuation in
newspapers. While it is q consume
tion most devoutly to be desired, yet
there is not the slightest possibility of
It ever being attained this side of the
millennium. Therefore the subject
must, perforce, be handled delicately
and with that reverential care that is
the due portion of an ideal emanating
from the fertile imagination of the ex-
ecutive committee.
The basis for the assertion that uni
formity in capitalization and punctu-
alton Is an impossibility is tho we'll
known diversity of opinion In relation
to tho proper utilization of the pune
tuation points and tho ever changing
style of capitalization. No two writer's
have identical habits of expression,
nor do any two have the identical con.
ception of tho value and use of the
several points, and 80 long as minds
differ there will be no uniformity in
these minutes of composition. There
can and should be, however, a nearer
approach to uniformity. There would
be no prouder distinction to be desired
than that of being the originator of a
system, scheme or method that would
bring about this reform in style. Yet
while there are SO many standards of
style the hoplessness of accomplishing
the reform is apparently complete.
These standards are fixed in various
ways and for divers reasons. There
Is literary standard of punctuation
and capitalization that is adhered to
more or less consistently by the makers
OF books and high class magazines and
reviews with literary preteutions. The
term "makers of books is employed
adVisediy, for, as n rule, tho writer of
book or OF magazine article has
but subsidiary part In fixing its style
OF punctuation and capitalization. The
author may Indicate his meaning by
placing the necessary points and he
may capitalize with some degree of
precision, bnt the regularity and uni
formity of both is more often than
otherwise the handiwork of the copy
editor aud proof reader rf the printing
shop where the authors copy Is put
into type. Each shop has n standard
of it's own that is almost certain to
have some dissimilarity to the stand
ards of other shops. The general
principles may be laid down, however,
that the standard of both punctuation
and capitalization is much higher,
moro precise, more uniform and
more nearly correct in bookwork
and in the higher class of magazines
and reviews than is to be found else
where. More care is exercised and
more time and attention are avail
able to tie devoted to these particulars
and that contribute to tho general ex-
cellence and elegance of the finished
product i'll the establishments where
typographical work of this high char
acter is produced, and IL higher order
of intelligence on the pnrt of the writer
and editor and greater skill on the
part OF the craftsman are brought into
play. The tendency in these printing
shops is to adhere to close punctuation,
placing point wherever one may he
used correctly, leaving nothing to be
supplied by the reader; so with cap;
tails; wherever the capital letter will
add to the force or explicitness of the
article there it is placed.
The next lower standard would he
the lesser magazines, the transient
periodicals and the books of the day,
written in haste, carelessly edited and
printed in n rush for immediate circu.
lation.
Then come the newspapers. And
here is to be found less uniformity and
moro widely divergent standards of
punctuation and capitalization than is
to be seen elsewhere in the entire