The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-06-08
POPULAR EpITHETs
FaRsiiiHr Namr. THAT Have stack 90
weii-kaown People aS Home
Had Abroad.

During the recent visit Of Lord
Charles Bercmford to Chicago he was
introduced 10 the members OF the
Hoard Of trade as Fighting Charlie"
The name bis sailors gave him IN AZ.
probation Of his wnrlike qualities,
and the democracy of this subtitle
drew the peer into closer aud more
cordial relations with the people than
BIS most coneilintary md effective
speech could have done.
II reminded them. too, OF children
nf our own soii, Fighting Joe" Hook
rr and others who have endearrd the
rplthct In advance uf the coming Of
our genial guest The English phrase
was 10 disiinctitcly American that II
readily takes liz place M a link In the
alliance, and proves that the broth
crhuod Of man Is n cosmopolitan asso-
citation. We may hold Lord Bcrrsiord
az arms length Ia respectful admira-
ton, but We take Fighting Charlie" 10
our hearts
The minimizing Of great name is
n test OF cndcarmrut Washington re-
mains alone on the heights OF fame
In nomenclature. possibly because he
was the first 10 wear the dignity Of
the highest Office Ia the land; or, more
than likely, because he lived In mn aris-
spcratic era, and playiuincss had not
yet entered into politics. But his
prototype, Lincoln, serene, august, Ts;.
ting inio history shenl.is- "a ahf,:s!si--
with Washington. is dear to our mcm-
Dries NJ "Old Abe" when that loyal
phrase Is qualified II is with the epi-
thct honest" prefxcd. II is not that
We lack rcspcct for him. hut whore
there IL love there Is liberty, and we
bring him down from the pedestal Of
fame 20 the level 81 our hearts with the
homcty diminutiycs.
The pages Of political campaign his
tory s-r !g;f,iiHUus with nsmrs icsitirs
which the haptismal eognomcn Of the
subjcv; grew dim and commonplace.
"'rippccanoc and Tyler. too" gave lus-
ter 90 the presidential records of two
heads ~ the nation, hut Harrison wore
che glory 81 the name ~ Tippccanoc
TO cnuiurc with. "Old Hickory" does
not need the name of jackson append
eel 20 let the American people know
who lee was amy more than yelling
ton needs his name in translation 81
the Iron Duke" The Little Cor
pornl" follows Napoleon !. like the
shadow ~ his better self. aud was u
not one Ia succession ia the throne M
France who WIS called Prince Pion-
piun?'
Royalty has frequently been called
on ~ wear the merry foolscnp OF n
comic maine. aud this fact WINS mos,
noticeable when a prince Of the royal
succession in England WIS tcndcrly
alluded 10 in n fearful obituary rs
~Princc Cuts and Collars" Not an
uukiud thought prompted the bestownl
~ the name, but the within uf an eX-
trasagant size in these articles led 20
iis nlli,cratiye repetition until II be-
came delightful substitute for the
real one. Nothing il more agreeable to
ihe Populnce than Ia give man Of
emiuencc nickname by reclamation.
IL makes him one nf them. aud they
do not hesitate 20 invade the divinity
That is popularity supposed to hedge a
king " they ran fasicn their favorite
rpithct so " viii stick.
IT hns been asserted that the custom
OF giving dimiuutiye names. ar those
which terEely or humoruusly express
qualities characteristic ~ individuals,
lacks dignity. liut does IL? Has il not
instead currrlatiyc value which en-.
hances the importance Of its suhjrcts7
Who would cavil ut the friendly free.
dom of the world honurrd phrase:
'"rho Grand Old Man" ar need to lie
told that Il stands for the name al
Gladstone? Sponsorial names are all
very Neil In their places, hut the nick
name uF pet name won by the yalur oS
great de, Us IL a diploma every man
should be proud 10 win. Teddy"
Roosevelt is bigger man than the
governor OF New York.-Chirnro
Timcs-tcrnld.