The Washington herald., 1908-04-12
NJ THE ARRITER.


The Arbitsr. The Washington Herald
Bx THE ARBITER.
It would astonish many loyal Ameri-
cans who prate much of liberty and insist
that America Is the freest country on earth
10 be told that in time Of peace this gov
ernment is practically an autoeracy or, as
Eugene Schuyler puts it In his 'Ameri-
can Diplomacy" "a nearly irresponsible
despotism, composed OF five or six men.
working under or through constitutional
forms, and subject only TO the penalty
which is always exacted for grave mis-
takes"
He then goes on TO name these men
and admirably sets forth the reasons for
this statement and what he proves true
OF our political system is equally true
OF our social system. only in a greater
degree; for, while our political life is
based upon constitutional law, there is
no recognized and generally accepted code
Of laws for the government Of society.
which Is an integral part of official life,
yet the power OF determining what is
right is assumed by q few officials and
their wives, who as often as not dlsre-
gard tradition, ard the rules they adopt
are in turn set aside by their successors
in Office.
Washington fully recognized the need Of
a uniform standard, and on becoming
President asked and received from the
members of his Cabinet their views and
advice concerning the administration Of
social affairs. After. considering these
and selecting the best from each, he
adopted a social code, which was not
departed from until the time of Jeffer-
son. who made many changes ia this
code. and jackson, who disregarded It
altogether, introducing a social anarchy,
which it has taken years TO control and
supersede by something approaching law
and order.
For q long period the three branches
OF the government, legislative, execu-
tive, and judicial, made laws 10 suit
themselves, and in every case they were
different. Congress adopted one order of
precedence, the Supreme Court another,
and still another was observed at the
White House. These three departments
have not yet entirely agreed upon this
until an especial commission IS legally
appointed to adjust the matter and
formulate laws for the government OF
official social life, but the unwisdom of
so many different standards has finally
Become so apparent that the ruling OF the
Department Of State is generally accepted
as final in matters of dispute, and this
department is now recognized as the so
Cial autocrat for officialdom
This matter OF social standards was
animatedIy discussed at an uptown din
ner table the other night spropos OF the
proper use or official titles, and It was
asserted by some present that since there
was no law regarding the use of titles
they could be applied as one listed. For
instance" said a member OF Congress.
the Department Of State addresses the
President simply by his title. Now. it
was formerly the custom to address him
as His excellency the President Of the
United States. To my mind. this form
Of address is much 20 be preferred, and
since there is no law against IT, shall
continue TO use II, whether the State De-
partment sanctions il or no."
This incident IS mentioned to illustrate
the haphazard way We have of doing
things and the national characteristic OF
resenting control and ignoring traditions.
There can be no order, which is Heavens
first law, where every one insists upon
following his own bent. There Is no OBJ
lection 10 the term His excellency." but
some other self-suff1cient citizen might
feel the inclination to call the President
Teddy" or Mighty Hunter" or by
some really offensive title, hence the
~
But some one Will ask. What Is the
accepted form?" The accepted form is
the one generally used In official inter
course and correspondence. and we have
not so many officials that It is difficult
TO learn how eacn one should be ad-
dressed.
The Chief Executive Of the Nation is
addressed as Mr. President. the members
OF his Cabinet as Mr.. Secretary. Mr.. Post
master General, Mr.. Attorney General;
the Chief Justice Is given the prefix of
mister, and the other members OF the
court are addressed as Mr.. Justice and
the Senators are spoken TO as ''Mr. Sena-
tori" the members OF the House Of Rep
resentatives are introduced and addressed
as the Honorable Mr." but in conversa-
ton the mere term mister is used. In
the military service # is not customary
for en- officer to use his title until he has
reached the rank of captain. nor is the
title Of mister in connection with the
title given as in Germany.
Women do not use their husbands title.
except the wives OF ambassadors, who are
privileged 70 call themselves ambassa-
dresses, but this is rarely done in Wash
ington. and at present there is only one
woman IN the diplomatic corps who has
this title on her visiting card. The mem
bers Of the corps in their official cor
respondenee ana intercourse use the vari-
Gus forms of address as given above
When any question as 20 the use Of
titles arises they invariably consult their
doyen, and It he Is not perfectly sure
regarding the matter he. In turn, asks the
advice Of the Department Of State.
The title OF excellency, which in the
early days of the government was SO
frequently used, belongs by legal right
TO no citizen OF the United States except
the governors OF certain States which
have officially designated this form of
address for their executive. New York
and Texas are the only States which use
the title OF governor without. prenx;
IN Alabama, Kansas. Maine, Minnesota,
Utah, and the Territories this official is
addressed as The Honorable, the Gov
ernor," while the proper form Of ad-
dress in the remaining States for the
executive is His ExceIlency, the Gov
ernor." The ambassadors from foreign
powers are also addressed as excellen-
efss, but 1t is not customary to so ad-