The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-04
TITLES NOW ABOUND.
Very Plentiful in America, Though
Without Authority.
How the Founders of the Government
Regarded Those Flowers Of Eth
ouette-Adams' Fight for Titles.
From the Chieago Record. Il

From fhe Chicago Record.
Washington; d. c., May 20.--An Eng
lish peer, whesis making his first svisit to
the United States, was asked at the
Country club the other day what peculiar
characteristic of the American people
impressed him more forcibly. Without
the slightest hesitation he replied "Their
love of titles"
Il always fancied, +" he said, sthat you
were all democrats and republicans, and
hada contempt for titles and that sort of
thing; but I'll be blessed if I've seen a
dozen men in Washington without
handles of some kind to their names. The
whole population seems to consist of gen.
erals and colonies and senators and judges
and governors but fancy III find the.
plain>people when get out into the pro-
vinces south and west. -.s
ION the contrary" was the reply, ''you
will find the colonels amp judges and gen
erals getting thicker and thicker the
farther you 60
Emery Storrs when he first came to
Washington said to Gen. Grant: II have
found here men called general who never
uusheathed a sword or wore d uniform l
have found men who never opened a law
book called judge: men who have been de-
feated for the United States Senate called
senators men called governor who have
aspired to the govetnorshipof their states
but never got even so far as a nomination,
and now I'd like to know what sort of title
is given to a genuine, straight-out bona
tidenotary public
All this satire is Just. There is no coun-
try on earth where so many men have
handles to their names, as my lord re-
marked, although titles are supposed,
theoretically, to be 'repugnant to repub-
lican Institutions" Many of them, no
doubt, are applied and stick without the
sanction and TO the, discomfort of those
who wear them but great many are as
sumed as giving additional dignity and in
fgence.
The assistant commissioner of Indian
affairs under Cleveland's administration
Sky years ago always insisted upon being
called general" and informed those who
neglected to give him the title that he
had once been member of the military
staff of the governor of Tennessee, and
had a right to it, Lloyd Bryce, the edi-
tor of the North American Review, used
to register himself as general" when he
stopped at a hotel as he had been pay
master general on the staff of Mr.
Cleveland when the latter was governor
of New York "A gentlemen who served
istratiOn as assistant postmaster general
has ever since been known as general"
and always refers to himself by that
title. 1t would be easy to fill several col
umns with a recital of similar little vani-
ties and weaknesses on the part of men
we know.
The fact thatwe have no lawful titles
in this country permits any person who
chooses to wear, one without the fear Of
lint if he 70 t,ir h.,
erty in England or Germany he would at
least be expelled from his club. And the
same absence of laws or regulations on
this subject creates confusion and en-
barrassment among conscientious foreign
ers who visit this country for the first
time and are anxious make no mistakes.
The United States is the only nation on
earth without a fixed Official etiquette
AT every other capital, even in the MOST
insignificant countries of Europe or Asia
or South America, there is an official Of
the government whose duty it is to see
that social forms and precedents are ad-
hered to- and TO give information to
strangers on the subject when they apply
for it. There is no such functiouary in
Washington. People whowant informa-
ton of this kind go TO the chief clerk of
the state department or to the superin-
tendent of public buildings and grounds,
who acts in the place OF a master of Cere-
monies at the white house, aud the dean
of the diplomatic corps is appealed to by
new minister's when they come here, and
he tells them what they>are expected to
DO. Our government recognizes no such
thing as Official etiquette, and the Presi-
dent can change customs and ceremonials
as often and as much as he likes. There
Is nothing but public opinion TO encourage
or RESTRAIN him.
The presentforms that are observed in
oficiallife were prepared by Alexander
Hlmllton, although there have been many
changes sinceJhis time to conform to the
evolution of customs and conditions
Shortly after he was inaugurated, realiz-
ing that there must be some rules TO
guide the President and other high Off
Gals IN their social and official rela tiens
Gen. Washington requested the sugges-
tiOns ofsRGr. Hamilton, Mr.. John Adams,
MIR. Jay, Mr. Jefferson, Mr.. Richard
Henry Lee, Mr., Madison and others.
Several of these gentlemen prepared
elaborate codes of etiquette, which
differed materially. Washington Sc
leeted for 'si14s guidance that Of
Mr.. Hamilton as being sufficiently formal
and dignilied, and at the same time eX-
tremely simple, and in accordance with
his own tastes. MIR Adams Surprising
that he was 10 have exclusive jurisdic-
ton over such matters because of his
-S.-ca ANoldCAAIC dbEOdN anu lllo ldLullldLlGN
with usage in foreign countries, took
plenty of time and much pains in the
preparation ofhis code, and was quite Of
Tended because Washington did not adopt
II. There is noaevidence that MIR. Jeffer-
son ever made any suggestions on the
subject II heGdid they were undoubt-
edly Informal and were not preserved
Some years ago Nine. Dalghren, widow
OF the famous admiral, undertook to es-
taollsh code of social and official ETH
.quette in Washington and prepared an
elaborate work on the, subject, which she
desired to have adopted, but aside from
newspaper gossip and parlor talk it re-
ceived no attention A little book on
Washington etiquette is sold at all the
newsstand and book-shops, and is use
1nl to newcomers who want to know the
customs of the capital 1t Is fall of
funny things, as Guides to True Polite
ness always are, and is in no sense
Neither the constitution of the United
States nor the statutes of congress
authorize or recognize titles of any sort
Tor officials of this government other than
The lawful designation of the ONCE they
hold. The head of the government is
simply 1.-THE PRESIDENT the person in
charge Of the finances is ''t1feN secretary