New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-09
No u1NS FACE HIS OWN.

Has man any right to the exclusive use OF
his own face A Grand jury In chicago mas
decided that he has not baklng-poWder
firm in that enterprising city sent out nun
dreds of brilliantly illuminated posters upon
which General Butler was represented III the
domestic act of kneading dough. The likeness
was accurate, and it was apparent to the
average American citizen that General Butler
was either msrepreseLted or else he had aban-
doned politics for the peaceful vocation OF
baker. The General Was not pleased with tins
new notorety and asked the Grand Jury to
indict the offending firm for libel. This the
Jury. after mature deibcratiOn, declined to DO
The result is that the General has succeeded
in giving the baking powder first-cass adj
vertiscment, and large batch of new posters
will doubtless be issued Immediately.
First and last the Generals strongly marked
physognomy has been OF great service to his
fellow-men. 1t has been used to advertise
almost every known commodity. IL has been
initiated on the stage, painted on signs, put
into masks, repeated innumerable times by the
caricaturists and, most ignOmnious or all,
used freely upon the shoulders OF nurses and
old women. Until now no complaint has been
heard from him. Why he should take special
umbrage because he is mixed mp with baking
nowder is not apparent. He has always had
an ambition TO rise, and has frequently been
unable to realize his ambition. 10 be sure he
has not meddled much with dough in his time
Most of his mixtures have had more mud than
-four in them. Perhaps it was the mohenslye
character of the business which offended HIM.
PERHAPS he fears that his political fortunes
have reached that stage where even baking
nowder cannot raise them, and disikes to have
the information made public.
IF the Chicago decision is final it will have
GREAT interest for many other eminent men
who are fellow sufferers with General Butler.
There is Senator David Davis, for example.
His face and figure are used us common prop
erty by every man who can draw portrait or
pen para graph. He appears in all possible
sbapes, from an elephant to a balloon, and is
used AS the standard of weight by all the para
oranbers in the land. Mr.. Tilden is another
victim. No cartoon of the present day is con-
sidered complete without his familiar visage,
and there is a superstition abroad in the coun-
fry that the head of a common barrel, if looked
at intently long enough, assumes a resemblance
TO his countenance. Next to these. probably
Mr.. BecCher ana MI. ldlIldSc uIc inc greatest
sufferers. The act of passing newsstand
must be to either one little less than torture.
Mr.. Talmages mouth, by constant enlarge
ment at the hands of the caricaturist has as
sumed such portentous depth and width
that it has usurped the office of the Mammoth
Cave as standard of cavernOus comparison.
And there is no protection in the law for
this. The whole country has been so informed
by the Chicago jury, thanks to the inconsider-
ate indignation of General Butler. If he had
borne his burden in silence, large portion OF
the American people would never have heard
of the baking powder picture, and host OF
ingenious advertisers would have been shy
about using his attractive face. Now he has
turned them all loose. We shall not be sur
prised if every fence and dead wall in the
land shall bloom presently with graphic
pictures of the General in every conceivable
act and character. Henceforth, through his
temerity, it has been made known that the
face of every man is the common property Of
his fellow-men. Woe unto him who is born
to emnence and striking face!