The Washington times., 1901-09-08
THE PROPER USE OF TITLES
Government Officials Discuss the
Subject of Addresses.
Those to Whom the Prefix "the Hon
orabIe" Should He Applied-Correct
Ways to Prepare Comma n ications
to Persons High in Authority.


| Two officials in one of the Government
departments recently engaged in dispute
over the proper method of addressing Tho
| head of the department and of referring
to him in the body of a letter which was
being written at that time. After consul
tations were held they agreed the letter
should be addressed ITO The Honorable
The Secretary OF -" and that in the
body of the letter he should be referred to
as THE Honorable Secretary OF - al
the words being capitalized and no comma
being placed after honorable. The fact that
after ali these years doubt should exist
as to the proper method of addressing and
referring to members of the Cabinet even
| in the departments of which they are the
chiefs, led to an enquiry which was broad
| ened to include all the Government de-
partments and most OF the bureaus.
OF all the departments the State Depart
ment is the most ceremonious, the Navy
the most punctiiious, the Treasury the
most generous and the Postoftice the most
democratic in the matter of correspond
ence. 1t is interesting to note that by
common practice the title honorable is not
applied below the grade Of Presidential ap-
| pointees by the Treasury Department al
| to the heads of bureaus. In still others 1t
| is given only to members of Congress or
| those holding Office TO which they were
elected. The title Esquire or Esq.,
| as it is most commonly written. is eschew-
ed by almost all department officials. Di
vision chiefs are addressed by the plain
Mr. when given any title at ALL
Letters pour into the Executive Man
sion addressed to Hon. William McKin-
ley, President of the United States" ITO
His Excellency the President of the Unit
ed States ITO His EXcellency the Pres
ident of the L. S." and in divers fash
ions But all official correspondence is or
should be addressed simply THE Presi-
dent or The President of the United
States" This is the only known instance
where the official designation is fixed by
action of Congress. The question of how
officially to address the President arose
during the first session of Congress and
was fiercely debated The Senate wanted
a hgh-sounding title and the democratic
House insisted plain address. a
joint committee agreed upon His Ex-
cellency. but this was not adopted by
the Senate. which proposed His High
ness the President of the United States
of America and Protector OF Their Liber-
to yield, until the Senate settled the mat
ter by adopting resolution that not
wishing to be at variance with the House,
the Executive should. until further or
dered. be addressed THE President of
the United States" The departments all
hold to this form of address. al
though sometimes it is considered even
more dignified to use simply "The Presi-
dent" OF course this does not apply to
personal correspondence, and there is
nothing to prevent an intimate friend
from addressing the President differently.
On unofficial communications, however,
whether from friends or strangers, it is
customary and proper TO write:
Hon. William Mckinley,
Executive Mansion,
Washington. d. c."
On the other hand, when invitations are
addressed to the President his name does
not appear. In such cases the proper
form would be THE President" or, If
Mrs. Mckinley is invited, she would
be to everything but stag affair, such
as Gridiron dinner: THE President and
Mrs. Mckinley. Distinction must be
made between official and unofficial COM
munications, for in official life the Presi-
dent is always the same.
address communication to Secretary
Gage he would write:
ITO the Honorable the Secretary of the
Treasury
In the Treasury Department all official
communications sent to the Secretary are
so addressed and the title of THE Honor
able is extended to the three Assistant
Secretaries, their communications
read: ITO the Honorable the Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury" All Cabinet |
members are entitled to have the Hon
orable" prefixed to their title, and this |
custom is always observed with the ex- |
ception of the Attorney General. In the |
Department of Justice 1t appears favor is !
shown the palmer address the Attorney |
General" The words ''of the United |
States" are never used in addressing a
Cabinet officer, officially or unofficially. |
In private conversation, of course, the ad- |
dress is to all but intimate friends "Mr |
Secretary" as it is also Mr.. President" |
After the address In a letter to Cabinet !
officer the single word Sir is used but /
this is omitted when addressing the Pres
ident. Dear Sir is very bad form in |
either case No department but the |
Treasury gives the Honorable to the |
assistants to the head of the department !
In the Postoffice Department the assist |
ants are addressed by name with their |
official designation following, as:
'.Tton. Joseph L. Bristow.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General,
Washington. d. CT
Here. too. the head of the department
Is usually addressed without the prefix
the Honorable" preferring the plain
the Postmaster General" On the other
hand Hon" is given to officials down to
and including heads of bureaus; Mr." to
division chiefs. In addressing postmas-
ters the name OF the town is used. as:
Postmaster New York, N Y" Heads of
great bureaus are addressed thus: The
Commissioner of Internal Revenue" " THE
of Pensions" etc.
In the War Department when Lieuten-
ant General Miles addresses Secretary
Root he says: The Honorable the Secre-
-ary of War. Sir But when Mr.. Root
writes to General Miles on official busi-
ress he says: THE Lieutenant General
Commanding the Army, Sir just as he
would address Adjutant General Corbin.
luartermaster General Ludington, and
,thers as THE Adjutant General L. s
Army The Cluartermaster General u. s.
Army" etc. The Assistant Secretaries of
he Navy and of War are also addressed
The Honorable" Commandments of posts
II the army and navy yards in the navy
are addressed by tile and without their
names the Conmandant of the Ma
inc Barracks Washington, d. c." But
subordinate officers in the army not hold
ng independent commands. such as colo
lels and captains, majors and lieuten-
Ints are addressed by name and regi-
nent. as col. John Johnson, Fourteenth
L. S. A, Fort Washington, d.
="