The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-03
AMERICANS CRESTS.
WARD EALLiSTER FaVORS A TAX
ON COATS OF ARMS.

i of HE Government ipartment.-Riu.,
of americans to Wear crcsts.
The number of persons using Greet
anu coats of ARMS III this country is veg
large, and there IS no way Of ascertain
! 'ng how large it is. The American VIII,
wants a coat pf arms and has not 20
M usually adopts one which pleases hi
eve. without regard t. a other consia
'ratiors. N England Importers are sci
iom granted with COILS OF arms 10 an
ont members Of the pe.rage. But Amer
cans must have everything of the finest
ana therefore they usually take support
US to themselves. There is one yer,
rich and famous family in this citv
though of humble ORIGIN. which displays
4 coat OF arms with four supporters in.
stead of the two which usually satisfy
English ducal families.
Iher. Is, however. Il great deal of dis.
satisfaction with this irregular state of
things. Mr.. Ward Mc.Allister. the ar
bitter OF fashion. said il should not be toll
Grated. Coats Of arms. he says. should
be registered at IA heral is office. as they
IRE n England and other well regulated
european countries. Then We should
linow who We're entitled to them, how
they got them and 50 forth.
Il propose said Mr.. McAllistcr, that
the American herald's office should be
established as one of the departments of
the federal government at Washington.
This Is a very practical suggestion. The
government would be able to put a tax
on arlnorial bearings and in that W.,
raise a large revenue. as the English
government does. 1t is one of the han
plest ways of raising Il tax l can think
OF. Members of fashionable society and
all the other persons taxed would be
pleased by it, and no one. | think, can
show any good reason AGAINST it.
Il Enow 1t Is easy for you to assert
that Americans have no business wiz
coats of arms and such things because
they are relics OF feudalisn. but that Is
nonsense. They are not any more harm
tut relics Of feudalism than manv OF orr
social customs. Fashion requires us 10
use them. and fashion must be obeycI.
1t Is merely IL matter of fashion. Amau
with a coat of arms Is not likely 10 be a
o dangerous p~tutocrat than a rich
man without one. Besides. arllorial
behring's are ornamental and look wei
on silver aud china. That is one Of tn
best reasons tor having them.
II must say "A few Wura as to who has
the night TO use them. Ii is not neces-
sary that q family should obtain them
by grant from the English or some
other European king. 1t is enough
l. fHIt- haXa ha1v ,,rDa .;,,,> IL - /
ning II tire country's history, or for
three generations. In England any Pc
spectacle person not in retail trade cal
get a coat Of arms by paying for 1t.
ENTHUSIASTICALLY many M sons
came over to this country who had a
right to bear the arms of their family,
lhelr descendants settled in different
parts of the Union and are now il the
fullest manner entitled to use arms. On
the other hand, many men of wealth ana
nigh social standing, but not of aristo-
cratic origin, have adopted them since
the practice became fashionable, as they
have a perfect right to 90. These FAM
lies VIII transmit their arms to their de-
scendants until they become as interest
Ing as those of aristocratic European
II are some Interesting anecdotes
20 he told OF the introduction of COATS of
rms ntof general society Of ills CITY.
u course there are q few New York fam
hes VINO have used them continuously
II c tie creation Of the colony. but
when the practice first became general
t Was received with "A good deal of OBJ
position. Gordon Hanersley used to
ay that his crest was useful to tell him
which was his carriage. Colonel Thorue.
saa married Miss J%auncey. went to En-
ope Do years ago and established him
elf IN Paris, living as no other Amer.
AN had ever doIe. He took the British
through his hotel, who. after +.
lewlnS Its interior and its stables.
to Colonel Thorne, exclaiminp.
you say you do all this on sla. 900 !.
year. 1t is marvellous" On return
IL to America to live the colonel turned :
ut IN this city positions with his coat :
arms embroidered on the left sleeve :
each position. This created such a !
lnpus, the population hi,sing him as r
g drove by, that he was compelled to !
ithdraw them. y
Some OF our best people We're pill =
ans and Hnguenots, who on reaching =
us country and establishing themselves {
ere abjured such vanities as coats of u
ms, as Il monarchical institution, This
as all very we'll in the beginning. but
/ laws have faded. We no longer :
litl:ate primitive simplicity. but with q
ea't.- anu age we turn to luxury and =
I'd among rs necessities the use OF coats a
arms. The necessity and love of the u
merican for title or some designation O
distinction, plain Mr.. not filing the !"
H. is illustrated in the west and q.
nth. For 80 years or more it has Ct
a universal custom to bestow a "
liitary title o IL all inch who have risen ei
owe meaiocrity, such as governor, gen r.
Al, captain, colonel, it being purely OF
Such titles men carry through y
3 with this love of ours for individual
itinction, which is one of our marked