The visitors were cordially . . . welcomed by the Superintendent and the Matron of the Board of Trustees.
By the way, this insertion of the before “Matron” shows that the Matron was not also the Superintendent—thus illustrating Murray’s remark on the “two articles,” mentioned near the close of the note under Rule 8, ante. {p190}
This clause also occurs:
Friends of the school residing in the city and District.
Here “city” is put down, as if of less consequence than the outlying parts of the “District” [of Columbia].
That is correct, according to usual office style; but had “city” been put up, or “district” down, it would have been more pleasing to the eye, and would not, probably, have wrought any mischief. In the use of capitals, rules should be, and in fact are, very bendable. When we write “the member of Congress,” member is down, though we capitalize “the Delegate from the Territory of Blank.” But when “Member and Delegate” occur in the same sentence, both words are put up, agreeably to Rule 9.
It is a good rule adopted in some printing-offices, that where the same appellation is given to several persons or public bodies, only the highest in rank shall be honored with capitals.
For instance, in speaking of the highest tribunal in the land, put up “the Supreme Court”; but if a State court is spoken of put the initials down, thus,—“the supreme court of Minnesota,” as in the following paragraph:
This view of the law was sustained by the supreme court of Louisiana, and, upon writ of error, by the Supreme Court of the United States (Day vs. Micou, 18 Wall., 156).
So, also, “the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court”—capitals; “the chief justice of the supreme court of Maryland”—lower-case; the highest “Commissioner” in any Governmental Department, up; a road commissioner, down. A steady adherence to this rule might aid students and others to discriminate between the “Governor” of a State and the “governor” of a family; and if a decision is rendered by “the full bench of the Supreme Court,” one would know that no appeal could be had,—while if a decision is made by “the supreme court,” it might, perhaps, be carried up on appeal.