Page:The practice of typography; correct composition; a treatise on spelling, abbreviations, the compounding and division of words, the proper use of figures and nummerals by De Vinne, Theodore Low, 1828-1914.djvu/128

 the Senate, the Assembly, the Chamber (of Commerce), the Company, the Club, and it is clearly intended that the word so selected is to apply to a particular organization, the capital letter always should be selected. This rule is to be observed in printing the abbreviated name of every organization or association when it is intended to specify a particular association, as the Synod, the Convention, the Union, the Typothetse, the Parliament, the State, the Government.

These words, and all other words of like nature, need not take a capital when they are not intended to specify one association only. A state, a government, or a convention is but a common noun and needs no capital. The State, the Government, or the Convention, when used to identify one corporate body only, becomes the synonym of a proper noun and should have the capital. The general rule to be deduced is that corporate bodies denned by the definite article the need a capital, while those that follow the indefinite article a or an should not have a capital.

Titles of distinction that immediately precede the name of a person should begin with a capital letter. No change to a lower-case letter should be made when the title has to be applied to an office or official of no conventional dignity.