The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-05
AMERICANS CRESTS.
WARD M'iLLiSTER FAVORS A TAX
ON COATS OF ARMS.

of Americans to Wear Crests.
Inc number of persons using crcsts
and coats of arms in this country is very
large, and there Is no way of ascertain
ing how large il l.. The American who
wants n coat of arms and has not got
n usually adopts one which pleases his
eye, without regard To any other consid-
eratiops. IL ENGLAND Importers are sell
lon granted with coats of arms to any
but members of the peerage. But Amer
ms must have everything of the finest,
and therefore they usually take support
ers to themselves. There is one very
rich and famous family III this city,
though Of humble origin, which displays
IA coat of arins with four supporters in
stead of the two which usually satisfy
English ducal families.
There is, however. a great deal of dis
satisfaction with this irregular state Of
things. Mr.. Ward McAllister, the ar
bitter of fashion. said il should not he toll
Grated. Coats of arms, he says, should
be registered at a herall's Office, as they
are in England and other well regulated
European countries. Then we should
know who were entitled to them, how
they got them and SO forth.
II propose, said Mr.. McAllister, "that
the American herald's office should I've
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 armorial bearings and in that way
pnISA N lr.,r axyanpr nc tho E,,rr1,.l,
Cavc-nment does. 1t is one of the hap
piest ways of raising a tax l can think
Of. Members Of fashionable society and
all the other persons taxed would be
pleased by it, and NJ one, l think, can
show any good reason against it.
Il know it is easy for % to assert
that Americans have no business with
coats Of arms and such things because
they are rclIcs of fcudalism, bur that is
nonseuse. ute not any more harm
full relics Of . .ldaiism than many of our
social customs. Fashion requires us 10
use them. and fashion must he obeyed.
1t is merely Il mattero fashion. man
with IL GOA of arms is not likely To be IA
more dangerous p%lutocrat than a rich
man without one Besides. arnoriLl
bearings are ornamental and look well
on silver ana china. That is one Of the
best reasons for having than.
Il must say a few wor,re as to who has
the right to use them. 1t is not neccs-
sary that u family should obtain them
by grant from the English or some
other European king. 1t is enough
if they have been used since the begin
,,i,r of fhn .,,,,try', l,ut,,, 90 e.,
three generations. In England NY re-
spectacle person not III retail trade can
get a coat of arms by paying for it.
"Unquestionably many younger sons
came Yer to this country who had "A
right to bear the arms of their family.
Their descendants settled III different
parts of the Union and are now in the
fullest I'M entitled to use arms. On
h other hand, many men of wealth and
high social standing, but not of aristo-
cratic origin, have adopted them since
the practice became fashionable, as they
have a perfect right to do. These fami-
lies will transmit their arms to their de-
scendants until they become as interest
ing AS those of aristocratic European
origin.
There are some interesting anecdotes
20 be told of the introduction of coats of
arms into the general society of this city.
OF course there are few New York fam
lilies who have used them continuously
since the creation Of the colony, but
when the practice first became general
it was received with a good deal of OPP
position. Gordon Hamersley used to
say that his crest was useful to tell him
which was his carriage. Colonel Thorne,
wiio married Miss %Jauncey, went to Eil-
rope 80 y.ears ago and established HIM
self in Paris, living as no other Amer
lean had ever done. He took the British
minister through his hotel, who, after
viewing its interior and its stables,
turned to Colonel Thorne, exclaiming.
And you say you do all this ON ila, 900
a year! 1t is marvellous" On return
ing to America to live the colonel turned
out i'll this city Positions with his coat
Of arms embroidered on the left sleeve
of each position. This created such "A
rumpus, the population hi sing him as
he drove by, that he was compelled to
withdraw them.
Some Of our best people We're pill.
grllns and Hugueuots, who on reaching
this country and establishing themselves
here abjured such vanities as coats of
arms, rs IA monarchical institution. This
was all very well in the beginning, but
the blue law have faded. We no longer
cultivate primitive simplicity, but with
wealth and age we turn To luxury and
find among i's necessities the use of coats
of arms. The necessity and love of the
American for title or some designation
Of distinction. plain Mr.. mo filling the
BILL is illustrated i'll the west and
south. For 30 years or more it has
been a universal custom to bestOw "a
military title on all men who have risen
above m~ediocrity, such AS governor, gen
eral, captain, colonel, it being purely |
honorary. Such titles men carry through
life with this love Of ours for individual
distinction, which is one Of our marked
characteristics. When u man wants to
zeal his ~l.tters ppark his nj .ta nr Iar,r-