Evening star., 1926-06-15
Public Has Its Laugh Over
Burnside's Whiskers Suit

The recent suit for 81 30. 900. brought
by niece Of Gen. Ambrose f.. Burn
side against an advertiser who used a
picture of the Civil War leader with
his famous whiskers, aroused chiefly
humorous comment in the press In
some quarters. however. there is a dis.
position TO question seriously the pro.
priety Of exploiting peculia rites Of
public characters in such fashion.
The big part played by whiskers in
the world history is set forth by the
Brooklyn Eagle. which reminds its
readers that the bea rd of the Prophet
Mahomet for centuries has been the
talisman by which men swear in the
kashmir vale and In the fountains
of Afghanistan. not TO mention the
deserts of Arabia and the "a nds of
Egypt" The Eagle also cites the his.
tOric facts that the Vikings sailed
into the unknown seas. tugging at
their enormous muStaches: Moses
handed down the tablets from Mount
Sinai. his locks g nd beard flowing like
the River Jordan; the ancient philoso-
piers needed beard to pull while
stepped in deepest reflection. a nd il is
signiflcs mt that the great men Of
Greece were bearded. Consequently. .
the Eagle concludes. one maryels
somewhat that a niece of Gen. Burn.
side. whose luxuriant whiskers gave
rise to a name for such facial decora
tion, should take umbrage at an ad.
vertisement."
1T IL generally considered" saws
the Peoria Transcript. that a public
parsonage has lost certain rights Of
privacy which are the property of
lesser persons. The Nation will be
sympathetic in the face Of Miss Pat
terson's complaint. but public men will
always pay the penalty OF prominence
even after death" The Psrkersbure
News finds ii dificult to understood
just how an advertisement stressins
the intricacies and peculiarities of the
generals justly celebrated hanging
gardens could. by any stretch of the
aeina ton. be construed as an in.
vasion' of the prerosstive Of privacy
OF any member Of the generals fam.
ily"
The issue in the case. accordins
to the Knoxville Sentinel is
whether a mans beard is his own
or whether 1t belongs 90 posterity,
and also how fe nous man must he
before his beard is sacred: also the
momentous question as to how a rel
tive today, being awarded SI5O,00V
damages, could possibly appease the
ruined feelings of the honored Gea d. :"
The Christian Science Monitor also
supports the defendant with the
statement: The pioneer. either
man or woman. who creates a mode
or sets style voluntarily subjects
himself or herself TO the tender mer-
cies of the cartoonist and the ca rica =
turist. Personal pecuiiarities lend
themselves to exagGsra ton. M
President. at least in later years has
escs ped the sridiron, upon which the
so-cslled humorists and iokesmiths
place their victims"
= 4
"A young man with a fully devel-
0ped set Of burnsides runs a sms n
chance OF being taken seriously to-
day. remarks the South Bend
Tribune. and the Waterbury Re
publican is convinced that while the
advertiser offered his plea that no
ridicule Of the generals whiskerS
was intended. the fact remains that.
Judged by coremporsry stands rds.
these famous whiskers were some
what ridiculous. The New London
Day. furthermore. looks upon the
suit as Just one Of long list OF
indios lions that America ms are get
ting altogether too touchy abouu
their historic characters.
Giving recognition 10 the fact that
"burnsides inevitably became an
imperishable part of the history Of
hirsute fashion," the Providence Bull
letin holds that they cannot be
erased from the records any more
than the man himself cam and that
Rhode Islanders can read the adver-
tisement without the least diminu-
tion of the affectiOnate esteem In