The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-02-13
Other Mems Views
An Editorial That May or May Not
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Opinions.


The Christian Science Monitor:
The term Uncle Sam" is intended
to embrace, in a jochIar way, the
government and people Of the Uni
ted States of North America, just
as the term John Bull" is meant
to embrace the English nation, the
United Kingdom, and even the en-
tire British empire, according to
the circumstances and relations in
which that term is used. Uncle
Sam" as a nickname. is Of later
origin than the character he was
destined to represent and practical =
ly supplant. and upon whom was
bestowed the title Of Brother
Jonathan"
The sobriquet of Brother Jona-
than" was applied, first, in mild
derision, by the Loyalists to the
Patriots, between 1875 and 1888;
later it was adopted by the Ameri-
cans themselves to designate q
country pumpkin, and lastly, used
casually by George Washington in
speaking Of Governor Jonathan
Trumbull, Of Connecticut 1t came
into popularity as a term applicable
to the typical New England Yam
kee. This was probably because, in
the somewhat crude drawings of the
time, the native New Engiander
was pictured as a tall. rawboned,
wtry, chin whiskereds thoroughly
alert and Virile specimen Of human
ity.
There fs a tradition to the effect
that, during the War of 1912, some
one having inquired what was
meant by the initials ''U. s." seen
on many casks and barrels intended
for the army, a wag replied that the
letters stood for Uncle Sam Wilson,
of Troy, n. Y. a local character.
According to the tradition, this in
cident led to the term Uncle Sam"
becoming a nickname for the gov
ernment and the nation. There Is,
nevertheless, ground for the belief
that the term was suggested nat
uralIy and directly by the initials,
and, being a happy one, was uni
versally adopted.
The usual drawings Of Uncle
SAM" during many years. portray
ed him as Ah exceedingly 1.-THE and
active person, sharp Of sight, quick
OF hearing, genial, benevolent, al
ways democratic, but positive, de-
termined, and disposed to make
things hum" when stirred up" II
presented in colOrs, his cheeks in
variably showed a wholesome glow,
while the charm Of mature manhood
was in his smile. From the be-
ginning he was given a full head"
OF light not white. hair, which
sometimes was allowed to fall in
waves down his back. The prevail
ing artistic conception Of him was
what might have been expected in a
To- - - -
youth and vigoT and democracy Of
the nation. At least this was the
conception, until recent
Iy, or about the time the United
States entered the European war.
Since then the cartoonists have
nearly all fallen into the habit Of
depicting Uncle Sam" as a sort |
IL John Burns of Gettysburg" or, |
perhaps, the old friend whom Oliver
Wendell Holmes was thinking Of |
when he wrote:
But now his nose is thin.
And II rests upon his chin
Like a staff.
And a crook is in his back,
And a melancholy crack
In his laugh.
Just why the average present /
lay cartoonist draws Uncle Sam"
IS a man who has seen his best
lays, It would be interesting and in
tructive to learn. One might, per-
laps, easily make a good guess, but
his Is too serious q matter TO be
mixed up in a guessing contest.
There are people. no doubt, who like
o think, not only OF Uncle Sam"
Iut. Of the nation whose initials he
,ears. as having grown infrm and
ecrepit, and who would have the
artoonists go even farther than
hey do now in discrsdttlnR itsl
over, IL they thought IL prudent;
ut nation-respecting and nation
phoIding editors and publishers
mo may, IL they choose. determine
ow q figure characterizing Amerf-
an democracy shall be pictured In Il
heir newspapers and periodicals..
hould see to It that those cartoon
sts whose vision has been obscured
nd whose art has been perverted
ither refrain from miarepreBentfnE
r caricaturing Uncle sam" In the
utura. or return 70 the original and
rue conception Of him. For the
alton he q supposed to typify was
ever more vigorous than II tg to-
AZ. and never better qualified, or
aure determined. to malrh It's
traurEh count Tor the rzSht.