The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-12-19
FLORIDA PAPER VIOLATES
CUR SACRED TRADITIONS

r6aOcrS nave taken OHcnSC BECAUSE
this paper has followed the lead of
tie metropolitan press and dropped
tie ancient title Of Mister" alb
treviated to Mr." and borrowed
from "magister" of the old Latins.
Fecause the Journal has referred to
ister John Brown, Mister William
Smith and Mister BENJAMIN Jones
as John Brown. William Smith and
Eenjamin Jones it has been ripped
UP one side and down the other and
chloride of sodium II not capsicum
rubbed In the rip.
Not SO fast. "Mcssieurs:" let's ar
gufy a little. So large a majority
OF the best papers Of the country
have dropped the Mr." that the
Journal feels 1t would be a minority
back-numbcr to use the abbreviated
title longer.
You are familiar with the express
sion between the D. and the deep
I blue sea-" That's the Journals fix
in this case. Sticklers for the use OF
this ancient form, fast becoming OBJ
scicte. insist that We use Il. while
ae-l00th of the present day press
would laugh a derisive ha. ha- II We
did.
The Journal wishes very much to
be respectful to every one deserving
Of respect whether he be an especial
friend of the paper or not and We
want to give you the most positive
assurance that If your name appears
in these columns as plain ]. W..
Smith, we mean to be just as re-
Ispectful, just as courteous as II We
/ said Mr.. j. w. Smith, j. ". Smith.
Esq. Hon. J. W. Smith, Maj. Col. or
General J. W. Smith. The journal
has just as high regard for J. W.
Smith, II he be a good upright citi-
zen as it has for J. W. Smith, A. M,
PHI. D., F. r. s.. Ph(ool), etc.
Apropos Of this very subject editor
Chris Codrington, while a little on
| on county division, is abreast Of the
procession on the use Of "Mr." In
recent issue Of the DeI.and News
he made this forceful observation
Some men feel awfully hurt II one
writes notice about them and doei
rot use the "Mr." Did you ever heal
of Mr." William J. Bryan, "Mr.
Theodore Roosevelt, "Mr." Abra
ham Lincoln, or "Mr." George Wash
ington? The "Mr." is a handle useS
mostly by colored people and In pc
lite society.
Since this question was brough
home to the Journal it has examined
numbers Of its exchanges and f0un'
hut one SO far clinging to the oil
style and he is an old soldier nearl!
ripe for the grim reaper. Sorry, too
that he happened to be IN old sol
der fer they, like the Elks. are EN-
titled to the b. p. o. e.
10 you recall how harsh and graf
ing it sounded to your ears whcr
many Of the schools of the North am
many of the fathers and mother;
supplemented the teaching Of tn.
children and they were taught tt
drop the sir (sire) and madam and
instead of saying "yes. sir" Eyes
madam" they responded with cur
yes or no?
Yes, "Mr" is passing and in ordcl
to keep in line with the onwar'
marsh OF the journalistic procession
this office has 'cut it out" not ever
allowing its application to the "col
orcd people"
Having been accustomed all thes'
years to the use of Mr.. the JOurna
is free to confess that 1t discontinue
its use reluctantly. It does yet sOun'
a little blunt, in speaking Of digni
fed, elderly man to drop the miste
but 1t seems best to do 80. Yo
observe the Journal and other paper
still say Mr.. and Mrs. Smith. An
as for other titles-Dr., Capt., Col
a Prof., etc., the woods are full Q
? them. They too. are doomcd.-Day