Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-03
MIR. PRESIDENT, ONLY.
nut ORG FORM or ADDRESS ron
THE CHEF EXECUTIVE.

ne Il Not ''your EScciicncy." Nor ''yout
uonot"-Seither l. lie to lie written
40 n. ''Dear sir''---riain Mr. President
4, sunieient-why II Was So Decteed.
II You ask presidents private secro-
tary he will tell yon, among other
things. that not one person ont Of ten In
writing TO the president addresses him
properly. Each correspondent seems TO
follow his own sweet fancy Thus tho
man who writes aud asks for a pension
or an Office on the ground that he SERVED
In the war is apt TO begin his letter.
"Denr General" and after having told
his wants he signs himself, yours fra.
tcnally.'
This is pretty familiar. The president
isn't general, except In that he ia com.
mander IN chief Of the army, and rs for
all men beng brothers, it is true AZ
theory, but Is hardly correct on all coca
,ions as practice. II tho letter from
The cid army man Unanswered, ~ nearly
all letters are. the writer Is addressed
with due formality as "Sir." and not as
"Dear Comradc.r This ought 10 bc q
sufficient hint to him to keep his die
lance, but 1t iB not. and q week later he
bobs MP sercncly with another long CON.
uunication 20 his Dear General"
There are number Of his correspond.
,nts who wish TO DO very formal aud
respectful, and they always call him
"Excellcncy." II sounds 10 big, is such
a pleasing mou,hful. 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 Excellcncy" tho
former Is preferable, for there IL no law
against II. while thoro certainly is an
unwrttcn law against the latter.
When tho constitution was formed
there was u great deal OF discussion as
TO the form Of address that should 10
applied to tho president. Some people
thought he should DO addressed Excel.
lsncy,' others would DO satisfied with
"Your Hghncss,n while still others
thought he should be called Majesty
The New Workers. who boto In mind the
DAYS Of tho Dutch republic wanted the
head Of this republic called "iiis High
Mightiness."
FREQUENT MISTAKES.
After great deal Of wrungling aud
considerable exhibition Of party feeling
over the matter, II was finally decided
forall timo TO come that the chief execu.
tive should DO addressed simply as "thc
president Of tho United States" That
settled It and made 1t an improperly "a
call him "Excellcncy." The governor Of
asta,o has moro form about him In cor.
Ttspondcnc9 than the president, for un.
les there Ia clause In tho constitution
Of the state expressly prescribing some
other mode OF address, it IS correct Ia
call him "Excellcncy."
The democratic spirit Of some states
has interiored TO prevent this, and It hs,
been prescribed that the governor r..
ceiye tome simpler title. but there nrC
only two or three Of these states. As d
general thing the rule can be laid down
that the governor Of u state should b,
addressed "Your Excelloncy.r To begin
letter to the president in tho same way
Is to eftnbllsh an equality between ia,
two executives that does not exist.
Another frequent mistake Is made by
those who begin their letters TO til,
president, "Nour Honor" His honor Il
the presiding judge Of n court, or usually
the mayor Of q city. Some men, fioiH
constant associations with courts Of jus
tee, come TO regard tho judge rs th'
highest aud mightiest individual on
earth. and they can conceive u no great
er distinction TO bo conferred on th,
president than tocall him "Your Honor,
10 cut long matter short, let tho cor
rect form for addressing the president b,
given. iistimply this, "Bcuiamin Har
rison, president Of the United States
Mr. President Then after You hay,
said your nay. II you are not proud, yol
can finish tho communication thus ."
hayo tho honor TO be, Mr. President
your obediont servant, John Smith"
ADDRESSED ny IIA0s.
Don't mako the mistake that Is some
times pcrpetrated of signing yoursel
thus; II have the honor TO DO JOIN
Smith" ltmay reflect honor on you 4
DO who you are, but Il Is hardly modes
OF you TO say so, What You want Il
say Is that You consider 1t an honor 4
be- tho presidents obedient servant.
To tho rest OF the world unclo san
aud the president are one, and that /
why tho latter insists upon ceremony II
his dealings with other powers. Prohn
bly, readers are famihnr with the form
observed in correspondence between III
president and tho head of ano,hc
government. 1t is part Of tho law o
nations that they are all coequal.
The king OF Samoa writes 20 Prcsldcn
Harrison In the same terms Of equalit
A. arc used by tho emperor Of Germany
aud tho president replies In Kind. III
The head OF these little Islands receive
smuniicent salary OF less than $500
yrM-that is, no receives II II there !
money enough In the treasury TO pay II
When Germany had trouble with hi
majesty and demanded an indemnity 70
damages Of $40 1000, broad smile wen
around tho world for II was well know
that tho treasury OF Samoa had noye
had, and IN all probability mover woul
have, y sum hall 80 largo In is Golfer
Yet the king Of Samoa is addressed b
tue president as "Grcat and good friend,
and the president signs himself, "You
good friend, and whom Queen Victori
receives u letter from the president Il
treats her with precisely tho same fol
nality and no more. Washington Sta