Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-09

or q small red rosette, according to their
grade.
Ceremony of Investiture.

| or small red rosette, according to their
Ceremony of Investiture.
Another marked distinction made be-
tween the military and the civil DICTIONARIES
Is seen in the Ceremony of investiture. The
new civilian legionary has only to indicate
to the grand chancellerie the name of the
member of the order by whom he desires
to be received. 1t is nearly always a per-
scnal friend, and the ceremony. which
takes place at the new members home,
terminates IN nothing more picturesque
than lively dinner. The military legion
ery is received at parade. His colonel or
his general strikes him on each shoulder
with the fiat of his sword, and then kisses
him on the right cheek.
The most striking military feature Of the
order Is found in its financial generosity to
Its military members. The ribbon Is not
altogether barren honor to the officers,
ncp-coms. and privates who are fortunate
enough to gain it. The rank OF chevalier
carries yearly salary Of $50 francs Qess
than $500: that of officer, 500 francs: COM
mander. 1000 francs; grand officer, 1000
francs, and grand cross 5000 francs (about
$500. The annual income of the Legion of
Honor. coming from its own invested capt.
tai, is 16.215,000 francs, expended princi-
pally as follows:
l. Francs.
Expenses Of the Chancellerie. .......... 21S,OOo
PENSIONS paid to $4,000 military MEM
The subOrder OF the Medaille Militaire,
800 titulaB at 100 francs each 8, $50 900
Financial aid to 800 persons. legion
aries. their widows orphans 600
Expenses OF three orphan schools. III uoO
These three schools of Saint-Denis.
Ecouen and Les Loges, for girls only. en-
joy great social reputation. not because
of the republic but in spite of 1t. Officers
daughters predominant, and whether pay
ing received in charity, their acQuaint-
anceship is sought for little daughters by
their civilian papas, members of the order.
To hn Il vote 10 lint in
tfcular, is mean start in life for the
poor soldiers orphan, even though she
should be only a school teacher gov
esness.
Number of Civilians.
The new law of 1896 limits the civilian
element of the Legion of Honor to 1900
chevaliers, 1000 officers 80 commanders.
30 grand officers and 20 grand crosses, In
all 14,32O members. The actual civilians
number 12,s14, without counting foreigners,
while the yearly foreign minations-mili-
tary and civian-are limited to $50 legion
aries of all grades. These must suffice for
European diplomats. princes and politi-
clans, as we'll as SavantS, writers, artists
and composers. This is why the ambition
OF every American in Paris"-accordng
to our present ambassador-cannot be
filled The only American nomination of
the present year was that of the German,
n. Y.
1t would be unjust to speak of the Aca-
demic Palms and the Merite Agrcole
the SlOp-over of the Legion of Honor,
unjust as to belittle the Medaille Miltaire
with the same comparison Nevertheless,
the military medal is seen oftener than the
cross of the legion on the breasts of pri-
vate soldiers; and the purple ribbon of the
Academic Palms is most familiar to the
buttonholes of savants, artists, writers,
professors and composers, who have not
known how to advertise themselves in the
faflS3n world, where advertising the
one thing needful.
"Order of the Leek.'
When the Merite Agricoe was founded in
1883 it was saluted with frank laughter, as
the order of the Leek.'' Its star and
wheat sheaf hung by a green ribbon with
red edges was said to be emblem of the
starry armament, whose stars are count
less. The government could stamp them
out by thousands and make good thing
on the price charged the farmers for their
baubles. 1t has been, nevertheless, re-
marked that up to the present no one
farmer or bourgeoiS-has refused the dis
tinction when offered it. Indeed, the farm
ers' pride-the farmer is a social power in
France-has raised the Merite Agricole to
higher place than hoped for it by a
government chiefly DESTROYS to relieve the
pressure on the Legion of Honor. There
are honest eountrymen in France who go
SO far as to engrave upon their cards:
Member of the Order of Agricultural
Merit preferred by the Titular to the
Cross of the Legion of Honor!" One would
suppose they had their choice. AS the total
membership of the order is now limited
to LOCO, and there are many thousands
OF rich and distinguished agriculturists in
France. there may be more of truth than
Boosting in the sentiment.
The Academic Palms.
They say that to cafe proprietors bar
bers and retail grocers have been accorded
400 Dol J,1,t I,
of friendly politicians. 1 have known the
proprietor of bath house to get it. He
was a good doucheur. On the other hand
l have known Parisans of wealth and
fashion to take pleasure in their purple
ribbon. Five years of service gives any
public school teacher the moral right to
claim the first grade, "Officier d Academe"
The palms hang in silver from simple
purple ribbon. For the rest, not school
teachers, it is supposed that they have, in
some way, deserved well of learning The
higher grade of "Officier d'Instruction Pub
lique" Is really difficult to the undeserv-
ing. Only 1900 may be issued yearly,
against an unlimited number of plain pur-
pie ribbons, unrosetted, which explains the
regrettable credulity of vast army Of
honest Frenchmen lately taken in by
designing sharper. He proposed to sell
the plain ribbon to them. So many Of
their undeserving neighbors had it that the
offer came as a revelation. Why certain
ly, their neighbors had bought it! So they
gave their money to the sharper You
sure to get the Palms." he told them,
wear the ribbon henceforth. Don't wait
for the certificate, for it Is often slow in
coming"
They wore their purple ribbons, as some
thousands wear them still, without
shadow of right; they had the hearts de-
of every Frenchman to be decorated.
But when they saw brave workingmen
pass by, with the tricolor ribbon of the
Sauvetage-the Life-Saving Medal-they
felt humble. 1t is the one decoration in all
France that cannot be obtained by infu-
ence. STERLING HELLO.
Stage Censorship.
From the Chicago News.