Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-06-27


Surely Americans cannot complain
at the lack Of honors which foreign
countries and societies are bestowing
upon citizens of the United States for
gushing services. And while there is
no undignified eagerness on the part
of Americans for medals and decora-
tions there Is still a warranted pride
In receiving such marks of distinc-
ton. The already long list OF those
who have been thus honored is grow
ing apace, and IL all whose names ap.
pear there were to form a society of
decorated Americans 1t would start
out with a membership far in excess
of that with which most organizations
begin.
Such a society would not be In
much favor with intensely democratic
Americans who have been wont to re-
gard decorations almost in the cate
CORY of brides, but such feeling is
surely without warrant and Is growing
less each year. Said Count Cassini on
this point not long before he left
America for Spain: 81 have received
SO decorations, and can 1t be possible
that according to the old notion l
have been bribed 33 times? / have
recommended the bestowal OF many
decorations, but they were given In
recognition of favors rendered without
a thought of a return. Indeed, l have
many times during by life been very
glad that / could make use Of such
orders. Men have done me very kind
and substantial favors. / could not in
honor offer them $10O or $500. They
would have been insulted by such a
crude form of gratitude. The only re-
course at my command was to give q
decoration or a gold snuffboX. The
latter the recipient would never use
and could find little pleasure in, 80 /
have chosen to give the decorations
where could"
Congress has but twice in 20 years
given its consent for officers of the
government to accept decorations that
have been rendered them. Further
more, 1t is the law that all decora-
tons that foreign governments may
wish to give to American officials must
be deposited with the state department
until the question whether they may
be accepted or not Is decided.
Thus it Is that there is beautiful
order in gold of Grand officer of the
Legion of Honor lying in the vaults OF
the state department for Gen. Chaffee
Some time congress may allow him tC
receive 1t. The time may come when
as with Admiral McCalla last March
he lies on what his fearful family OF
dearest friends think is his deathbed
Or 1t may happen that even then the
desired permission will be withheld
and only after the brave old soldier Is
dead and gone will the decoration pass
| to the hands of his wife and children
to whom 1t will be treasured testi
mony to the worth of the man whom
1t was intended to honor And yet 1
the order were to be allowed to bt
given to Gen. Chaffee he could no
wear 1t as other men wear theirs OF
public occasions. No officer of tn,
army or navy nor any civil employ,
of the government is permitted by Law
to wear such an emblem of favor witt
foreign potentate. This applies +
the retired officer as well as those Il
active service.
Once in long while an official ha
q chance to get decoration by wha
Is at least pardonable evasion of tn
law. Secretary III. II. ID. Pierce las
year, when he resigned his post of a!
sistant secretary of the state depar
ment to accept the appointment a
minister to Norway, spent a day |
private life between the two position!
and in that choice interval took goo
care to call for his decorations, whic
had for years, in some cases, laid /
the vaults of the department Anon
them were the Order of the Doubl
Dragon, conferred by the Chinese go,
eminent, and the cross of a commar
der of the Legion of Honor.
In the same way William F. vii
oughby, formerly expert of the burea
of labor, and lecturer on social &c,
Monies at Johns Hopkins and Harvar,
stepped out of government employ
few days before accepting hig appoin
ment as treasurer of Porto Rico. an