The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-11-12
KNleArAooD GROWING CHEAP.
titles Bestowed So Lavlshly In England
That They Are Ia Disrepute.

| kNIGH IHOOD GROWING CfiEAPs
titles Bestowed So Lavlshly In England
| That They Are in Disrepute.
Knighthood confers no political privi- |
leges, and IL is not hereditary, and,
consequently, IL seems to have become |
an admitted principle that anybody |
and everybody has prima facie claim
to 1t. In the last twenty years many
more than 1000 knights have been
dubbed, and as we noted last week,
"the last batch of persons to receive
the royal accolade and the right of pre-
fixing Sir TO their names consisted
mainly of professional musicians of by
no means high class, among them the
music-master formerly at Eton college,
now Of the Guildhall the leader of the
queens private band, and an organist
at Windsor" Against these gentlemen
personally we have nothing whatever
to say. In every moral and social quality
we have no doubt they are all that can
be desired, and that, so far their ad-
mission into the order to which they now
belong was perfectly justified. But that
bandmasters, organists and teachers Of
music are proper persons to be knighted
can hardly be maintained on the as
sumption that l1nighthood is TO con-
tinue to be regarded as the appropriate
reward of public services in whatever
capacity they may be rendered More
especially is this obvious in relation to
the art with which they themselves are
connected; for assuredly, if knighthood
is a sufficient recognition of the emf
nence of Sir Arthur Sullivan and Sir
Charles Halle, it is infinitely more than
q sufficient recognition of the eminence
, , of Mr. Parratt, DIR. Barnby and Mr.
Cusins.
1t is true that simple lSnighthood, as
/, distinguished from knight commander
ship of the Bath, St Michael and st.
George and the Star of India, to say
nothing of the Garter, the Thistle and
! st. Patrick, is not, and can scarcely be
|. expected to be, held in any great vener-
= alton. Custom has made it imperative
on the sovereign to confer it on num-
Der of persons whose social status is al
: together different from that of those
who are admitted to the royal orders.
But, however promiscuously enjoyed,
. !, the honor, such as it is, is invariably
- shared by the judges of the land and
y the law officers of the crown; and ever
" city sheriffs and provincial mayors have
some reason to complain when its value
!, is still further deprecated. No doubt
: the disrepute of knighthood is no new
y thing. Heralds are accustomed to date
its commencement from the reign o.
- James l., who created 800 knights il
% six weeks, and that of his son, Charles l.
who knighted among others Sir Jeffrey
y Hudson, the queens dwarf. But i
reached a climax under George w., whc
discovered in the mere threat of admin
'1 istering the royal accolade an effectua
IL protection against the presentation o
10 unwelcome addresses; and under Viii
liam w., who Rnighted everybody wht
p would allow him to do So matters il
this respect were not much mended. IL
d, the earlier years of the queens reign
t. however, when the counsels of tn
le lamented prince consort were in tn
ascendant, knighthood was very spar
le ingly conferred, and it's position as
e social distinction was proportionatel
in raised. But it is not too much to sa
Of that of late it has been distributed wit
a. SO little circumspection that it has be
as come almost valueless for the purpos
for which it is supposed and ought t
rs exist.
le So far, indeed, as lsnighthood is to b
as regarded as a mark of eminence in Ii
nd erature, science or art, the result az
nd pears pretty much the same as tho
ne which Thackeray describes in one of HI
fe Roundabout Papers" as likely to hav
at ensued if George Ill had instituted tn
ut order of merit, which he once had j
n, serious contemplation. That order we
as to have been dedicated to Minerva, an
nd DIR. johnson himself was to have bee
dis the first president or grand cross {
in grand owl of the society The member
lis were to be adorned with star of 81,
OF teen points and yellow ribbon, and a
ID, the recognized luminaries of the Ii
es erary, scientific and artistic worlt
no were to be enrolled among them. 81
OF how, Thacl1eray asks, when they ha
We all of them been admitted, could IL
ay door be shut against inferior clair
lg, ants? How could you have e
ed cluded Sir Alexis Sover Sir Ale
sandro Tamburini, Sir Agostino We
ed luti, Sir Anton 10 Paginnini (violinist
I'd. Sir Sandy McGoffog (piper to the mo
-or honorable the marquis of Farintosh
Of Sir Alcide Flicfac (premier danseur
Id. Her Majesty's theater), Sir Harley GU
his and Sir Joseph Grimaldi (from Cove
nd garden). They" he adds, "have q
he yellow ribbon. They are all honorabl
lr- clever and distinguished artists. Let
Xt elbow through the rooms, make a DO
to the lady of the house, give nod
;he Sir George Thrum, who is leading Il
om orchestra, and go in and get some char
jhe pagne and seltzer water from Sir Ric
me ard, who is presiding at the buffet
ion This was intended to be a caricatu
when Thaclseray wrote it. But it &C
ps, tainly reads great deal more like
Sc. prophecy now.-Iondon World.
l. TEST OF GREATNESS.
on
ors The Applause Lord Beaconsiield Low
Best.