The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-01-09
ONE FIGHT DIXIE
IS SURE TO LOSE.


the tolonels who are not the real
article and WHO wear the title by
Virtue Of custom which some peo-
ul,. of a practical cast OF mind insist
Is NOR honured in the breach than
tne observance. Many a stout lance
has heen shiNered against the colonel
habit in the South, but it holds its
own and laughs to scorn every eHOrl
made tc abolish it, 1t is the one
aEsurdty in 2enteel society which
does no, yield to the mevriless weap-
ons Of satire, irony and ridcule,
Thackeray. himself, prince of satir-
ISIS, with Di, kens to help him, could
have made no impression on it. In
fact. dickens tried il in way in
his "American Notes" and in Mar
tin ChuzzleWit." but the immensely
Ct the Job discouraged him and his
oNslau.,ht was hope.essly Inadequate
Tn" strcn9th OF the colonel habit
les in its delicate tlattery Ii diff
felentiates the colonel from the
herd. so to speak. and invests him
with certain distinction in his own
mind and in the esteem of his fell
low citizens which gives him almost
nh ticfa - ho
had an unimpeachable title to the
honor and could show his commits
sion duly signed and sealed if any
body demanded it. And the habit
has its merit, too, for it carries with
ii fine sentiment OF "nOblesse OBJ
lige"' and is responsible for enough
true chivalry and added sense OF
civic duty to almost condone it's alb.
surdity
Quite proportion OF our best cit-
Mns carry this titular dignity and
carry il gracefully, and it is to be
said for large part of them that
trey didn't seek their titles, bu, had
them thrust upon them and they
we're helpless to escape the honor.
Seme OF theM protest in vain against
II and beg the newspapers TO omit
the military prefix when their
names are printed; but they are in
the grasp of an incxorable custom
and rarely s,icreed in shaking" the
unwel ,m" martial ontitlement
which cln"s 10 them like the Ola
Man OF the Sea
or course nc reference is MADE 10
that long and honored array of men
who came out of the war with their
commissions fairly earned on strick
en-, fields and elsewhere in the line
Of a soldiers duty, nor to those 9TH
ers who come by the title as officers
Of the State troops or as members of
old soldiers organizations. But, a.
We understand it. Dixie is seeking
only to abolish the colOnels, the ma
jOrs and captains who hold their
mmissions by the doubtful title O,
an ancient custom rooted in the
glOries OF the anti-bellum militia
rarades, and to reduce them to rank.
along with the great body of theiu
fellow citizens, because that is wher,
they are in fact despite their imagi
nary military distinction.
We enlisted In a crusade of mi,
character once upon time and ",
tOt the worst of it. They had IN,
numbers on us in that particular
tnwn, with the accompanying popu
lar prejudice in favor of the colope
habit; and in less than a week W
felt that the slow. unmoving fnee
of public scorn was following us lik
a Nemesis all over town whereyo
we went, and sense of deep gull
came upon us which made us fe,
thai we were an ontcast from goo
society because We had dared TO la
2 vulgar, desecrating touch upon
custom hallowed through gener;
fions and which was supporting N
dignity OF half the homes in II
community We presently retire
from that particular form Of icon'
ciasm and we've been out Of II eve
since.
Dixie may stamp out snecial priv
Iece in the administration Of n
government and win all its otht
c,ueades. but when il has finished II
v.ith the las, Of them II will sti
find the Southern Colonel on dock
rrave. assured. unconaurrable-not
n nere parsonage. but an institution