West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-01-19


20 afilx titles 20 tho names of publi,
men more prominent than in Washing
ton, where the fields OF American m
have unrivaled opportunities for dcvei
opmcnt- The stock OF generals, coloncls
majors or Judges who never saw servic.
In the Geld or forum but who ere not a
al unfaciiliar with practice At the bsr
OF one sort or another, IS unlimited. ant
sometimes leads 70 confusion. amusing
or annoying as the case may be In
most states, IL not ia all. it Is custom.
cry for the governor to surround him
scli with Il military stat ranging from
general to captain. This Is n custom
handed down from colonial days. wher
the governor of n colony hal his conn
cil' the members of which in The militia
~ organizations Of hecolony were com
nntn6crs Of the forces in their reapeet
I've counties. with the title OF colonel
rs miiitoryiam declined IL WIS perfectly
natural FOR TIC advisors OF the governor
To inhcri, the military title, as dis
tnction from the mass Of mon who were
not thus houorcd with close fricndshir
with the executive. Later, under state
governments, the goycrnor's STAFF be.
came quite feature in the life of poll.
tics. Many worker for the success of
the ticket he's been Hppeascd by appoint.
ment 10 place on the governors staff.
and has gone down TO postcrity with all
the glamcr Of 9 military title surround.
ing him. II - not necessary FOR any
stan officer, with perhaps the exception
OF The adJutaat general, to have Il par
ticlo Of knowledge CT military Affairs
beyond ndcpiness in making salute OF
acknowledging one. But quite fire..
quently lac has not even that. AT Tho
Washington centennial in New Yorl, a
few years ago the streets were full of
brilliantly GttiTod staff officers, md tho
Washington Post thinks that the men
on guard duty who brought their runs
20 present arms whenever n rankin, Oh
fcer hove in sight must have been hirh.
~ amused at the questioning glance
given them by more than one OF the
carpet knights az they walked or rode
past without acknowledging the salute.
As governors arc frequently changed
say every four years, in forty-fsur
states, the possibilities IN tho way OF
The manufacture Of coloncls and gcn
erals are readily appreciated. Giving
ea-h governor twenty staff officers end
nid9--a modest cstinate-iu twenty
ycarSt there would have been nearly avg
thousand of such distinguished indiyid-
uais. Ind when 70 these are added those
who bear the titles because their fathers
once bad them the number is expanded
much moro. The constitution OF tho
stan, too, allows Of an interchange OF
titles. The judge advocate general
ranking a colonel, for instance. may be
called with propriety judgc. colonel or
general, aGd SO on through this list.
Other causes, however, contribute 10
the list OF titles. Ina ncigboring city "A
gentleman connected with the editorial
staff of newspaper had the distinction
20 quit the army at the close Of the war
as private. BRIT under the iuy,lt4atin,y
lnInence OF newspaper WORK he a.
CURED Il Portly frame, developed his
good ccrnrajeship and gathered "a col
lection Of anecdotes and wittieign.s
which always made him welcome adj
clifton TO any party out for fun. In en-
eFil honr one Of his younger associates
called him colonel. and colonel h. has
bcea ever ailice.
Not long ago. in q southern CITY, was
raised monument to q confederate
leader Ono Of the newspapers prb.
hshcd cutie an uttra. tive ,o.ivsu;r
which, ly request, was a-at 70 q Aassa,
chnscttS town Tor presentation TO q
grand army post. Along with the SOU
venir went q letter Of the shal,c-hnpds.
acro5%-thc blooey-chaern order from the
eoiVor The presentation took place
AID the local papers had quite IN ac-
count Of the event, including a rcprc,.
ducticn OF the patriotic letter" from
the southern editor, who was called
Gen So-cpd-ao. As he had ius,
turned thirty years the editor eni6ved
the JOKE OIL himself In another cite a
popular railroad Official YVES never
called anything bat general by ono who
was frequently tiAown with linn Al
the ohlci4l WAS quite q young man
whose military record had never been
made, bis fricnd was asked ono day why
he Feve him title and replied: "Why.
don't you know he is o general pasren-
ger agcntf' These are bnt few OF The.
ebsurtitics outcropping from the insane
practice against which signs OF protest
arc becoming apparent.