The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-02-22
AN UNCOM MON ODDSTY.

The editor of the Columbus Miss.
Democrat takes occasion to say in his paper
editorially,to the whole public that he doe
, not wish to be addressed as Colonel" III
declares positively, in loaded type, that h
has no right to the title of Colonel-neve
fought for it.-and his friends would par
ticularly please him if they would not pre-
fix the Colonel" to his surname.
We have not had such shock of aston
ishment in long while as this announce
ment has given us. We wish we could be,
lieve that the brother was not sincere but
his veracity is unimpeached and unimpeach-
able. We are bound TO believe in his sin
cerity 1t would be some comfort to be
able to trace evidences of insanity in him,
but we can't do that for lie writes like a
book and his paragraphs and leaders are
crammed with hard sense. But why he
should permit himself to become the victim
of whim against being called Colonel is
something we can't understand. How any
editor in his senses should object to the
necessary newspaper dignity of Colonel
is the thing that staggers us.
As we view the matter an editor can't
well get along without the title of Colonel
And it is a mistake to Fay that he has never
fought for it, 1t may possibly be true that
he has not sanctified it with gore and gleam-
ing sword in front of his regiment upon
the bloody battle field, but what of that ?
Does he not sling his paper pollets right and
left against the foes of his country Does
he not daringly enter the campaign and
fight valliantly till it is over every year?
Is he not central figure in the smoke of
regimental headquarters for the manufac-
ture of beligerent thunderbolts, and is he
not expected to issue general orders to at
least thousand men? Why not call him
Colonel then Has he not Justly won the
preferment? And how is the proper
distinction to be made between him and
The rank and file OF the people unless you
10 call him Colonel.
IF you take away from the editor his
what do you do? You strip him
If one-third of his estate, and rob him of
hat which benefitteth you not but makes
lin poor indeod-his martial dignity An
'ditor's stock in trade and chief capital con-
list in the undisputed ownership of the /
ollowing schedule OF property: {
l. A hatfll of type.
9. Passes on the railroads and free tickets I,
o shows. =
3. The title of Colonel. v
With these he goes forth and takes his :
roper place among the great men of earth. t
'ortifed with backing like this he feels h
erfectly easy in the company of railroad $
ings, Senators and Governors. And he is
ond of discussing the state of the nation :.
nd the progress of internal development v
18th men of this stripe. But with what W
race could he ask an audience of the great II
nd with what disadvantages wOuld he np-
car in such presence if you tear away a
ON him his titular dignity-kis colonelcy? II
In the schedule of assets above enumer> n
ed, perhaps the title of Colonel is the a
ost important and satisfactory. If men II
no are sensitive to the grandeur and glory
the press allow its heroes to be robbed M
this title, their enemies will next assail =
cir free passes and show tickets. And if sc
these are taken away what becomes of Is
e independence and dignity of the press9 m
it not apparent that if you begin the pi
'ocess of encroachment and robbery upon 8'
o watch tower sentinels, you will soon Ill
duce them to the hatful of types, and
ESQ alone are not sufficient for the editors
nergencies He must have free passes.
Q must have show tickets. Above all he
nst have dignity. Strike off one and tho
iefest of his rights, and you pave tho
~ for the looping off of others, and thus g
on destroy the very Palladium of free a.
m. fu
We beseech our cOntrere at Columbus TO
sst. We call halt. We protest against Dir
proposition. vt