The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-07
Frederick Haskin's Letter
e. Arvnal
Changing Names.

| New York City, March 6.-One OF
the convenient features about living
in the United States is that you
can change your name here as oft
en- as you like without getting into
legal difficulties. No one has 20
go through life squirming under
the burden of a ridiculous name be-
cause his parents were unkia.i
enough to bestow it upon him. He
can simply discard it and take an
other-two or three others. at in
tervals-if the spirit moves him.
No one will object, except perhaps
the parents whose judgment has
been questioned. Certainly the law
will not stop him.
There is a great deal in a name,
Will Shakespeare to the contrary
Notwithstanding. A rose would un-
questioaably lose some of its beauty
IL it were called turnip, and there
are names which obviously detract
from the glamor of a human per-
sonallty. A woman would have to
be extremely beautiful to live down
the effect of the name Lizzie BuL-
Zard-which is one selected at ran
dom from the telephone directory
aud a man would have to be scin-
tilating indeed to overcome the gen
eral impression created by the name
Peter B. Dull, another telephone
subscriber. Business men, espe-
ciafly retailers. cannot afford TO
have long and complicated names;
which explains why so many i'm
migrants eliminate a syllable or
from fhnir If IN,
in this country awhile.
1t is not uncommon for people 20
apply to the courts for permission
to change their names, but it is not
compulsory. They do SO only as an
extra precaution in case distant
relatives should leave them lega-
cies, and it should become neces-
sary for them to prove, beyond the
question of a doubt, that they were
once the owners of the names men
toned in the wills. This privilege
of regulating displeasing cog
nomen is one Of our many inherit
ances from English common law,
and one which is not enjoyed by
most European nations. where a
change in name is certain to ex-
cite the suspicion both of the police
and the passport authorities.
Unaware of Privilege.
Many people keep the names they
nave Inherited not because they
have any special affection for them, !
but because they do not realize how
easy it would be to get rid of them. |
They are under the impression that |
they would have to take the matter |
to court when, as a matter of fact, |
all they would have to do would |
be to make the announcement The !
possession of the me-changing /
privilege was definitely confirmed |!
in New York state in the case of i.
Smith vs.. United States Casualty /
when Judge Vann, who |
handed down the opinion, quoted |
some historical examples to sub
stantiate it.
"A predecessor of Honore de Bal
FAC" he wrote, was born a GueZ.
which means beggar, and grew to
manhood under that name When |
ne became conscious of his powers
as a writer, he did not wish his
works to be published under that !
humble name, so he selected the
surname of BalZac from an esetate
hat he owned.
''VoItaire. Moliere. Dante, Pet
'arch. Richelieu, Loyola, Erasmus
and Linaeus were assumed names.
Napoleon Bonaparte changed his
1ame after his victories had lured
lin toward a crown and he wanted
l grander name to aid his daring
aspirations. The Duke of Yelling !,
on was not by blood a Wellesley, |,
,ut a Colley, his grandfather, Rich
lrd Colley, having assumed the
lame of a relative named Wesley,
which was afterward expanded to
Wellesley"
Further instances of interesting
Idopted names are contributed by
mother authority, who writes:
All Actors We're Vagabonds.
In the days when actors were !
egally classified as 'vagabonds' it i
vas customary for every player to ]
ssume stage name and the Gus I
ON continued we'll into the pres l
mt era. But in these days. when
.ctors and actresses are invited TO I
ca in the best houses, they gen |