The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-26

served his country most faithfully FOR over
fifty years, and has held the highest ONCE
In the gift Of the greatest nation In the
world. There are nominalIy higher Offices
under the monarchy of Great Britain. saeh
as that of Archbishop Of Canterbury. and
lord chancellor. but the power they carry
with them is nothing like that welded by
the premier. The name of Gladstone is
known al over the world. and In all his
tory, past and present there is no other
with which he can be COMPOUNDED. In the
array Of grea. names that Of Gladstone is
as conspicuous ard distinctive as that Of
Shakespeare, Homer, Alexander the Great,
RicheIieu, Bismarck. Washington. merely
TO pick at random any names which would
az once suggest themselves as being known
to everybody. Yet in his eightieth year 1t
is proposed 20 hide his name and sink his
individuality I'm wha; is called title of
nobility. He may, because of an English
mans worship of title aud In the weak
ness of Old age. accept the honor from the
queen. because for the first time In English
history a commoner shall be raised to the
highest rank at one step. 1t cannot add to
his fame nor the esteem in which he Is
held now, and will be held 50 long as his
tory is read. and outside Of England he
viii never be known by his tple any more
than Disraen was or Is. Those who have
read Buiwer's novels or Byrons poems do
not care. and few know. whether they were
peers or not. title is to mediocrity what
all ia 10 he Gra
clothes mean nothing to the millionaire.
and titles nothing To genius.
1t Is claimed for Gladstone that he would
BE willing TO accept title for his grandson.
who is the real owner of Hawarden castle;
and probably both the young man. and his
! father. Giadstones son. may wish to iden-
| tify the honor with the Grand Old Man to
whom. as their ancestor. they would owe
| so much OF their family glory. That idea
| of kinship is no doubt at the base Of all
| desires for hereditary honors. 1t mani
| tests itself also in the desire to bequeath
property. II 1t were not. then the possess
| sion of a life peerage a life interest in
| an estate would be all that any man Would
| seek. IL II were not for that regard for
| posterity, a man would naturally wish to
| reserve for himself the entire credit of a
| tituiar distinction. K Gladstone had no
| concern buG for his self glorihcation. he
| would rather that all futurity should know
| he was the only peer OF the name. just as
| he VIII be known as the only one OF his
| family name There Is no justice. as a
| matter OF fact. In comforting title or re-
| ward upon the youth who has the good
| fortune TO be the son OF the son Of a man
| who has earned the distinction 1t is pro-
| posed TO confer upon the third generation
| from him.
| Consideration OF the subject shows
| however TO what an extent men are gov
| erned by custom. The same reasoning
| against hereditary titles might apply to
| hereditary estates. II man has the
| right To devote himself to the acquisition
| of property for the purpose OF endowing
| his SONS or his sons sons, why may he
not also acquire fame and distinction for
| the purpose Of so cndowing theme This is
| not only logical. but II is defended by
| Blackstone. so far as il relates TO the
| right Of beauest, when he SAYS that the
| transmission OF ones possessions 20
| posterity has an evident tendency to make
| a man n good citizen and a useful men,
ber II society. Il sets Tire passions on
the side of duty. and prompts a man 10
deserve we'll of the public. when he is
sure that the reward Of his services will
| no, die with himself. but be transmitted
! TO those with whom he IS connected by
the dearest and most tender affections"
| Could this reasoning. even this language,
not ne applied 10 pension sitler
| Although those titles or nobility now
seem so useless 70 the people OF reruh-
nean form Of government. they are very
ancient. The commanders among the
I.atlns were sometimes known as duces.
and the SAxous frequently adopted that
name. although they afteywara aban-
io,,ea IL for word from which the Ger
| man uertxogen, the ancient aprsllaiicn
| ~ dukes among the Germans. seems 20
have been derived The ttIe duke IS the
highest known in England, although the
| children Of the rcirnjng family have pre-
cedence. The nsxt title IA order thar ~
marquis. WAS formerly given 80 .hcse
whose Office il was 20 guard the frontiers
q the kingdom. derived frcn the leu
tcujc word marcia. "A lirait. The title cr
earl ia the most ancient ~ al. for Il can
~ traced hack as FAR sc language runs
! II "a rather a singular fast that although
tho enries az the Danes governed snir.s.
sat the NNrnsAas succeeded for a tire In
! changing the ;i'ie 30 count. the latter
never attached itself - she English no.
eslity. but shsrsS were changed into coun-
ties anG have almost succeeded in driving
os.s the older word THE en,y other titles
recognised IL England &re those q Wis
co0nt, which ralKht b. considered to mean
vice count or deputy earl" ,Aat OF
hsron which Was az ere tire TIE nos,
usual form - nobility and narone:.
watch is vsrteusly asershes'. ere version.
heseg TIA: II means ngi!e bav0a ard the
other that j: is merely a corruption -
tesras~cet. Tesss 1sSg named IS na. how.
ever : ute e noa!Hty. It's holder belug
commoaer. Taerv IS also slao knlsAtaoeas
bus taAt IS acg hereditary
In her generosity Win regard 70 titles