The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-08-28
MR.. PRESIDENT, ONLY.
But che FORM OF ADDRESS FOR
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE.

He Is Not "Your ExceiIency," Nor "Your
Honor"-Neither Is He to he Written
to as Dear sir"-Plain MIR. President
Is suficient-why 1t Was So Decreed.
If you ask a presidents private secre-
tary he will tell you, among other
things, that not one person out of ten in
writing to the president addresses him
properly. Each correspondent seems to
follow his own sweet fancy. Thus the
man who writes and asks for pension
or an Office on the ground that he served
in the war is apt to begin his letter,
Dear General" and after having told
his wants he signs himself, "Yours fra
ternally."
This is pretty familiar. The president
isn't general, except in that he is COM
mander in chief of the army, and as for
all men being brothers, it is true as a
theory, but is hardly correct on all occa-
sions as practice. If the letter from
the old army man is answered, as nearly
all letters are, the writer is addressed
with due formality as Sir" and not as
"Dear Comrade." This ought to be a
sufficient hint to him to keep his dis
lance, but it is not, and week later he
hobs up serenely with another long COM
munication to his "Dear General"
There are number Of his correspond
ents who wish to be very formal and
respectful, and they always call him
"Excellency." 1t sounds so big, is such
n pleasing mouthful, that many people
who ought to know better cannot resist
the temptation of using this form. AS
between such an expression as "Dear
General" and Your Excellency" the
former is preferable, for there is no law
against it, while there certainly is an
unwritten law against the latter.
When the constitution was formed
there was n great deal of discussion as
to the form of address that should be
applied to the president. Some people
thought he should be addressed Excel
lency," others would be satisfied with
"Your Highness," while still others
thought he should be called Majesty"
The New Workers who bore in mind the
days Of the Dutch republic wanted the
head of this republic called Ellis High
Mightiness."
FREQUENT MISTAKES.
After q great deal of wrangling and
considerable exhibition of party feeling
over the matter, it was finally decided
for all time to come that the chief execu-
tive should be addressed simply as ''the
president of the United States" That
settled it and made it an improperly to
call him "Excellency." The governor of
state has more form about him in cor
respondence than the president, for I'M
less there is clause in the constitution
of the state expressly prescribing some
other mode of address, it is correct to
call him "Excellency"
The democratic spirit of some states
has interfered to prevent this, and it has
been prescribed that the governor re-
ceive some simpler title, but there are
only two or three of these states. As q
general thing the rule can be laid down
that the governor of state should be
addressed "Your Excellency." To begin
letter to the president in the same way
is to establish an equality between the
two executives that does not exist .
Another frequent mistake is made by
those who begin their letters to the
president, Your Honor" His honor is
the presiding judge of court, or usually
the mayor Of city. Some men, from
constant associations with courts of JUS
tice, come to regard the judge as the
highest and mightiest individual on
earth, and they can conceive of no great
er distinction to be conferred on the
president than to call him Your Honor :"
To cut long matter short, let the cor
rect form for addressing the president be
given. is simply this, benjamin Har-
rison, president Of the United States,
Mr.. President" Then after you have
said your say, if you are not proud, you
can finish the communication thus, 81
have the honor TO be, Mr.. President,
your obedient servant, John Smith"
ADDRESSED BY KINGS.
Don't make the mistake that is some
times perpetrated of signing yourself
thus: II have the honor to be John
Smith" 1t may reflect honor on you to
be who you are, but it is hardly modest
of you to say so. What you want to
say is that you consider it an honor to
be the presidents obedient servant.
To the rest of the world Uncle Sam
and the president are one, and that is
why the latter insists upon ceremony in
his dealings with other powers. Proba-
bly, readers are familiar with the form
observed in correspondence between the
president and the head of anothe:
government. 1t is part of the law of
nations that they are all coequal.
The king of Samoa writes to President
Harrison in the same terms of equality
as are used by the emperor of Germany,
and the president replies in kind. The
The head of these little islands receives
~ munificent salary of less than $500 u
year-that is, he receives it if there IS
money enough in the treasury to pay it.
When Germany had trouble with his
majesty and demanded an indemnity for
damages of $40, 900, a broad smile went
around the world, for it was well known
that the treasury of Samoa had never
had, and in all probability never would
have, a sum half so large in its Golfers.