Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 105, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1910 — JUDGE A “PERNICKETY” MAN. [ARTICLE]

JUDGE A “PERNICKETY” MAN.

Bach Wu Baltimore Justice Who Objected to the Word “Cop.” Justice James T. O’Neill of the eastern district, whose fine discrimination in matters of law is equalled only by the nicety of his taste for the “well of English undefiled,” merits warm praise, says the Baltimore News, for the zeal with which he expressed the view that “a police officer is not a ‘cop’ but a policeman” cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. In the first place, it is well to remember that, by general acceptation, usage is the law of languages, and the colloquialism of to-day receives the Imprimatur of the Lindley Murray of tomorrow. Emerson ventured the opinion that “language is fossil poetry,” but it is equally true that it is fossil slang. It may be worth while to draw' the attention of Justice O’Neill to the fact that so respectable an authority as the Century dictionary has the following entry: “Copper (koper) n. A policeman. See cop. (Slang.)” Significantly enough, it is sandwiched in between "cinch” and “coon eong,” by which it becomes evident, that our Americanisms are rapidly ac quiring the currency of authentic coinage. An older generation will recall a once popular song, the burden of which was “the dandy copper of the Broadway squad." (His name, strange as it may seem, was Moriarlty). Sir Robert Peel undertook a difficult task when he began to establish the metropolitan police system of London, but posterity rewarded him by adouble perpetuation of his name. The members of the force he created became known optionally as “Bobbies” ■or "Peelers." Would Bow street rise to vimftcate them from a,touch of flippancy? Would “Bobby” himself be the same by any other name? "Will” Corbett, who wrote the only •readable” grammar of the English language, said of a certain phrase that It was a common parliament term, “and hence presumably corrupt.” On 4rtate occasions, when “the finest” are «■ parade, they are properly enough

policemen, members of the police force or guardians of the law. But on their dally beats, mixing In the welter of humanity, they are a part of the mixup, and the sternest stickler for propriety mtftt concede that they are designated most aptly, most closely in keeping with the atmosphere, as “cops.” Let Justice O'Neill leave to Justice Shallow this strained solicitude for the dignity of his court and its officers. The “cop,” as a man, as an officer and as a noun, receives the warm commendation of the American people.