New-York tribune., 1907-08-05
10 TITLES FOR SALE.
San .NmiHo -Iboiishc& Traffic IN
.N0iillmH Ni9niti6S.

- Marin. viii me- Longer sol titles of nobility
r orders of kriShthcfri. II has officially pro
-re7nsod t1.s fact. and * acting in The matter
.c-arsarce ~ith ~. advice Of the Italian govern
,,.-. 5nrarted on tho occasion of he treaty TO
.rtfv 7ego5atel between the latter and the oldest
r.-..,lrr in the world Tn. democratic progress So
,.-ano-ncel Italy has invaded San Marine. which
i,a< managed retain irs Independence unimpared
,f-ovSf 80 many centuries. About six or seven
,-oa-s AGO IL enacted Law providing rhat all pryi-
legs heretofore conceded TO its mobiles should he
Withdrawn and that the humblest born peasant
should - eligible the same Offices and enjoy
NE sarne privileges the mobiles And now. in
pursuance OF the same principle, it has abolished
7l.s sale Of titles, which has proved until now
YER prolific source Of revenue.
san Marino. although republic. has been the
caIy country in Europe that deliberately and
avowedly, sold these dgnites, from dukedoms and
princedoms down 70 hereditary knghthoods and
decorations In fact. there are large numbers Of
observation-disclosures 81 them Americans-now pa
reding around With nohiiary titles who have OBJ
tanned them by means OF purchase from the gov
ernment OF San Marino. there being fixed tariff
Iste for each title A portion Of the money thus
oIcaine1 devoted 10 the maintenance OF the
iccaI hospital. home for the destitute aged and
founding asylum the description over the gates Of
~hich being 10 the effec: that it offering
O. human vanity 70 human Weakness
l. tllis connection II may be mentioned that in
svirze-}and Tot long ago the national legislature
lzs.nE itssif Article i of The constitution en-
acted 10 the effect that all men borne on the
roster - she army holding any government Of
e suust surrender and any orders Of
Hrfchtlood and decorations received from foreign
rore-nments during the previous three four
Racades Refusal 10 comply with this requirement
entails dismissal in the OF civilian officials and
-,,-r. martial where members beioUC sing to the
-,s-f-sa are con ncerned- That such a decree tins
..eiis be "a sSed Is due the Irritation what
. la called middle classes against the patrI
- element 10 Switzerland. As IL every country.
~ masses are always in the majority. and the
enforcement a. this laW against the acceptance Of
-,-esn deeu~,s--uus merely q demonstration on
he rs~- OF Ioi poloi against the caste prelu-
F5ces af the paIrIciau element Of The republic.
--bssa Swiss uarricianS are nearly all descended
from n0tIes Of Austria Of Burgundy and % France,
WHO settled IN Switzerland three four and five
centuries 90 and owing 10 the pride Or birth they
have always hean more careful 10 refrain from
-ksaianoeS than The a-5sIOcTaCies OF the monarch
ical countries of Europe. Indeed. the know ledge
o the purity e their descent irbUes them with
eyr-aorGirary amount Of arrogance with regard 70
Their EDeaG0
France vi" from be the only old World
republic that stfn continues TO confer decorations
srd orders of knigfthood. No French titles q
fity have been created since the re-esta bishuent
= the republic in 1870 the downfall Of the Ma
7oeo7ic empire and oDIE very few foreign titles
have beer -EIstered since then. these titles being
Pspa1 hoaors granted during the early years OF
the republic. But since the last quarter Of cen
tu-y the French government has refused 10 reg
istar any foreign titles conferred French citi-
gems and those obtained since then by French peo-
gie from any foreign monarch. tho Papacy- or from
Republic of San Marine devoid Of any legal
value and cannot loo used in any oficial document.