The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-02
ESQ" SHOULD BE ABOLISHED.
We Don't Have Them Here. or Excel
Iancse~ Either.


To the Editor 90 re Sur-Ssr. notscs
that YOU usually prefix 'Hon- 20 fas
names Of Grover Cleveland ard Re14a-
min Harrison. and some cad frequently
uses Mr." and ESD in connection
with these names Is tbs correct ell
wnen Abraham Lincoln became 7resi-
5ent there we're the unusual number Or
ave living ex-presidents, namely; var
REreu. Tyler. Fillmore. Pierce and bsl-
chsrsn. As the secession movement
took shape. II was proposed that these
venerable men should Se h-c1SAt TO-
~erher and attempt an adjustment OF the
DISPUTE They were addressed on the
sgbjsrt- Ex-PresSdsnt Pserce was al
dressed as Franklin Pierce SOMEBODY
took GurSrage az this. ana discussion OF
the suoject followed. bringing out the
fact tfar il had been decided that Meth
or Hon -.Nr'' nor Esq" should -
used IN addressing an ex-pressdsut, his
full Christian name and surname being
all that etiquette permitted. Therefore.
according 70 this authority. you are 10
sneak OF ex-PreStGent Harrison as Ben
jamin Harrison" and 1t was decided il
TIE constitutional convention OF IN. taat
the president should have no title what
ever, though many people address him
thus,
His Excellency.
Grover Cleveland.
Executive Mansion.
Washington.
u. c"
Please Ter US know what's whsr
A. DELAFfELD.
Custom prehxss Honorable 20 almost
every holder OF public Office, yet, 50 Tar
as We know. no citizen. not even an ON
ciai OF the past or present, IS siyisd
Honorable by legal authority. In the ora
commonwealth of Massachusetts tne
governor is His Excellency. and the lieu
tenant governor IS His Honor. by me
constitution He might perhaps, be ao-
dressed as Hon. All other HonoTaelss
are so by impnlsixe courtesy. Happily
the president of the United States Is the
model for the manner of addressing every
one Of his fellow citizens. To send a tet~
ter 70 the president properly today, you
must write Grover Cleveland, Buz-
cards Bay To say His Exceilency.
Grover Cleveland. would De an ofense
AGAINST the specific decision OF the fain-
e-s of the republic. To write Hen. Grover
Cleveland Is to follow an old custom
without satisfactory Justification
Il is harsh 10 charge caodlshhsss
against the use Of the saffix esquire.
after II has spread so universally among
English spaaking people, but IL ought 10
he stopped as ca1fish. as unnecessary
and as contrary 10 the genius CT the ia-
ture Originally Il denoted a certain che
of the many social ranks among the
English. which was higher than some and
lower than others. That distinction has
scre out, but IL Is SIN used in England
to denote a gentleman" IS contras'ed
with a "tradeSmsn." \ gentleman IS
ESQ and Mr. is tradesman. Roscoe
conklins. BIZ the way of condemni1g tnis
sort OF caddishness. and perhaps OF
throwing a higher light on his own indi-
viduality, once struck of the Esq when
the printer of one of his speeches hssd
placed ar the end of the authors name
Mr. has stili the usefulness OF enabling
married women 10 be known as Mrs.
but Esq is piece Of SOCIAL frippery and
should be abolished.
John smith is the best form of title for
every citizen OF the United States, whe.h-
e. president ex-president. judge, gov
ernor, alderman or only plain John Smith.