The Washington times., 1916-02-20

guage ARE straining at the LEASH"
That's one of the reasons why =
speaker or writer can properly use the
word ''peoplc" after q mineral ndjec-
tive, IN the opinion OF "the highest at-
thotfty on precise word meaning and
word shading In the United States"
Tho aforementioned authority II DR..
C. Alpnonso Smith, OF the University
OF Virginia, who agrees with the "exi-
cographer'' that the expression do as
100000 other people do" II correct.
In so deciding. Or. Smith rules against
Francis de Sales Ryan. OF washing-
ton, who emphatically insists that II
ehould be written thus; DO as 1,O0o,00l
other persons do"
DR.. Smith is sustained by DR.. p. =.
Claxton, United States Commissioner
of Education. lncidently. II was pr.
ciaxton who conferred upon. DR.. Smith
the title of highest authority on pre-,
else word meaning IN the United
States" This title. by the way. was
conferred before and not after Dp
Smith agreed with DR.. CLAYTON.
The university professor y snstained 1
styiists at the Government Printing
OffIce, while the other half dissent and
raw that where individuals are meant
persons" should be used instead oil
people"
Mail Bag the Court.
The case OF Persons VS.. People" wal
docketed in the Mail Bag OF The Times
several weeks ago. Mr.. Ryan chal'
lenged the use OF the word people
after a numeral adjective In street
car advertisement for a magazine which
proclaimed its ability TO differentiate
between the meanings OF help and aid
succor and assistance. claim and de-
clare, assert and affirm. advocate and
aver. Following announcement OF thii
ability the advertisement eaid: do
as l.oO0,00O other people DO, read oui
magazine and consult our dictionary.
Mr.; Ryan wno q. by way OF being
who had evidently been educated te
believe that persons" meant individ.
uals and people" meant race. nation
folk. etc, thought II ill-behooved Z
magazine TO set itself up as an author.
ity on correct word usage and then US,
the word people" after numeral ad
jective. He said so In the Mali Bag OF
The Times. Moreover. he said thai
even the photographer OF the maya
zine and dictionary, to whose attention
! called this incorrect usage OF the Won
people has not attempted to de
After the people" had been defend
| cd as an l0lOul. anu btNtEdl NAhulnk
ton writer's had protested that this II
no time for anarchy In grammar" ovel
| "grammatic ellipsis." the "bexlco
grapher" Numbered down upon Mr.
Ryan with a scholarly disquisition OF
word usage, defended the people will
| Biblical and other quotations. and de
| clared the use of the word people
after a numeral adjective was 80 abso
lutely correct that 1t admitted OF M
argument.
- ,.vhE NF 90 N ranlfAA thu
some OF the references given by tn
| photographer" condemned that erud
| lite writer. and quoted authorities him
! self TO sustain his contention that th'
after u numeral adjective. The pen ant
| ink battle waXed warm and Amos
pc rsonal for several weeks.
Final Decision Sought.
The Times. realizing the interest II
the debate and the fast that this Per
sons VS.. People case arises severa
times a year. set about to get ma
decision from the United States Gov
eminent. The result OF the appeal I,
governmental authorities Is the verdic
that correct language is governed b!
usage"
DR.. CIaxton says: People. whGl
| they want to he stilted. say person
when they mean individual peorle.
am quite sure that IL President Wilson
say 100000 people. Usage makes Ian
| guage. The literature of every pattol
! Is made up of common, every-da!
words used day in and day out BY IN,
those hose words understood. II is not mad
up OF words insisted upon BY purist
| and sty lists.
MY opinion IL that the average mnl
or woman would say 10000 peorle !
he or she mean. that many persons
| But. prefer not To be cited a. tn
authority on this question. II there !
n man in the country who can decide
! think that man IL pr. Z. Alphons'
smlth. OF the un,Serity o, Wilma
| on precise word meaning and -wor'
| shading In the Unified States"
DIR. SInith was communicated with IL!
| The Times. and meanwhile the iaves
| tIgators turned their attention - tiu
proof and style room ~ the Govern
ment Printing Office. A homeless dead
lock on the question prevailed amor
the stylists and proof readers. Wher
enc man WINS tchnd who held the US
OF the word ''reonlc'' 10 be ineorreG
another was found &c sustain Il. Gu
OF the 400 proofrcaders and stylists %
| are for the people and 30 for per
sons" All OF them say 1T Is dc
batable, question as simple az Ho,
definitely"
Case of people"
Said tho spokesman for people" I
the Printing Office:
use OF the word people after
numeral adjective Is permissible whe
the numeral II large. or course
would not sound well to say there wer
ten people In the ROOM but to sa
there were 10000 people in the hal
would be entirely correct. No author
ity can be produced cordemnlng sue
use OF the word people. except the rul
that II Is incorrect after y small mum
Der. This rule secmE to have been eS
tended by advocates Of persons, int
the concrete rule that ihe word peopl
cannot be used after nuneral edtet
tive.
"Colloquial usage Of the word peopl
is admitted to be all right OGr sraec
and literature nd colloquial. our litert
ture does not smell of nasty Iefcrcnt
books and midalgnt OH II breathes tn
spirit and essence OF OrdinaiN. con'n1cl
everyday conversation. The who
, l'sion OF the spelling or q word In Hat,
manor or manner. born. Mere al
lust as MANY porSnns who contend thu
the word should Lc manner meani,i
custom as there are individuals WI
insist that II should be manor, meanil
a large estate. So long as maiorll
OF the people say ,'renrie' IN ~eterrin
| 10 MANY persona, pcoDlC Is good en- Nur