The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-12
RUNNING TO TITLES.
Americans Are Getting Too Fond
Of Handles to Their Names
Military Ufhcials Who Have Never Per-
formed Any Field Service some
of the ,Absurdities of an
Ina1e Practice.

In no place perhaps is the inclination
to affix titles to the names of public
men more prominent than IL Washing
ton, where the fields of American life
have unrivaled opportunities for devel-
opment. The stock OF generals, colonies,
majors or judges who never saw service
in the field or forum but who are not at
all unfamiliar with practice at the bar
of one sort or another, is unlimited, and
sometimes leads to confusion, amusing
or annoying as the case may be. In
most states, if not in all, it is custom
airy for the governor to surround him
self with military staff ranging from
general to captain. This is a custom
handed down from colonial days, when
the governor of a colony had his coun-
Gil. the members of which in the militia
~ organizations of the colony were COM
manders of the forces IN their respect
i've counties, with the title of colonel
AS militaryism declined it was perfectly
natural for the advisors of the governor
to inherit the military title, as dis
tinction from the mass of men who were
not thus honored with close friendship
with the executive. Later. under state
governments, the governors staff be-
came quite feature in the life of poll
tics. Many worker for the success of
the ticket has been appeased by appoint
ment to a place on the governors staff,
and has gone down to posterity with all
the glamor Of military title surround
ing him. 1t is not necessary for any
staff officer, with perhaps the exception
of the adjutant general, to have a par
ticle of knowledge of military affairs
beyond adeptness in making a salute or
acknowledging one. But quite fire.
quently he has not even that At the
Washington centennial in New York
few years ago the streets were full of
brilliantly attired staff officers, and the
Washington Post thinks that the men
on guard duty who brought their guns
to present arms whenever q ranking Of
ficer hove in sight must have been high
" amused at the questioning glance
given them by more than one of the
carpet knights as they walked or rode
past without acknowledging the salute.
AS governors are frequently changed,
say every AOoi year - III III ~ AOuA
states, the possibilities in the way OF
the manufacture of colonies and gen
erals are readily appreciated. Giving
each governor twenty staff officers and
aids-a modest estimation twenty
wears there would have been nearly five
thousand of such distinguished inGivid
uals, and when to these are added those
who bear the titles because their fathers
once had them, the number is expanded
much more The constitution of the
staff, too, allows of an interchange of
titles. The judge advocate general,
ranking as colonel, for instance, may be
called with propriety judge, colonel or
general, and so on through this list.
Other causes, however, contri bute to
the list of titles. In a neigboring city
gentleman connected with the editorial
staff Of newspaper had the distinction
TO Quit the army at the close OF the war
IS a private But under the luxuriating
influence Of newspaper work ne &C
quired a portly frame, developed his
good comradeship and gathered col
/ lection of anecdotes and witticisms
which always made him welcome ad-
dition to any party ont for fun In an
evil hour one of his younger associates
called him colonel, and colonel he has
( been ever since
| Not long ago, in southern city, was
raised a monument 10 "A confederate
/ leader. One of the newspapers pub
4 lished quite an attractive souvenir,
! which. by request, was sent 20 q Massa-
chusetts town for presentation 70 a
grand army post Along with the SOU
venir went letter Of the shake-hAnds-
across-tae- bIooGy-chasm order from the
editor. The presentation took place
and the local papers had quite an &C
count Of the event, including a repro
duction of the patriotic letter" from
/ the southern editor, who was called
Gen. So-and-so as he bad just
turned thirty years the editor enjoyed
the Joke on himself IN another city a
popular railroad Official was never
called anything but general By one who
was frequently thrown with him As
the Official vas quite . young man,
whose military record had never been
made. his friend was asked one day why
he gave him Z title and replied, Why.
don't You know he j. a genera. passen-
ger agent?" These are but few Of the
absur,.ittas outcroppinz from the insane
practice agai1s, which signs Of protest
are becoming apparent