AMERICAN TITLES AND DISTINCTIONS. 313 



to suggest the question whether democratic America is not the richest 

 in titles of any country in the world; and, if so, why should it be so? 



Let an American visit Germany or Russia; any country of conti- 

 nental Europe where the encroachment of free institutions upon the 

 military control of society is less marked than among our people. The 

 first feature that obtrudes itself is that soldiers in uniform are to be 

 seen in every important town. The visitor is required to register at 

 police headquarters and answer a variety of questions, rational and 

 irrational, about his present, past and probable future. He learns that 

 titles of all kinds, but especially military titles, are protected by law. 

 The man who calls himself a colonel, or allows his friends to call him 

 so, is soon required to prove his claim to the title. Where is his uni- 

 form? If he is a foreigner, why did he not report his rank at the 

 police registration office? Is he not a suspicious character whose ac- 

 tions must be watched ? If he is a native jackdaw trying to wear bor- 

 rowed plumage he is lucky if he avoids arrest. The professor, moreover, 

 is an officer of the government, whose salary is paid from the public 

 treasury, so far as his income is derived from a salary. Any one who 

 assumes the title without official sanction does so at his own peril. To 

 hold such an office is presumptive evidence of marked ability, and it 

 carries with it a claim to social deference that is universally accorded. 

 'No colonel or professor in Germany can exist as such without having 

 stood tests of special training that prove him an educated man. No 

 such title comes by inheritance or courtesy. It means much and its 

 value is great. No such prize can be stolen by the unworthy, for 

 danger attends the violation of law where popular, sentiment sustains 

 the military power that ensures its enforcement. 



It must not be inferred, however, that all titles in continental 

 Europe have retained the meaning or the importance originally at- 

 tached to them. Everything depends upon the consideration whether 

 the title has been directly acquired or has been inherited. In a Ger- 

 man university where the present writer spent some time the physical 

 laboratory assistant, whose duties were exclusively mechanical, was a 

 count whose inheritance seemed to be limited to liis title. In the 

 duchy of Mecklenburg a traveler has found a count for landlord of the 

 village inn, a countess for landlady, young counts filling the places of 

 hostler, waiter and bootblack, and countesses for cooks and chamber- 

 maids. Indeed, in one village all the inhabitants except four were 

 found to be of noble birth. America therefore has by no means a 

 monopoly of cheap titles. 



It would perhaps be interesting to trace in detail the evolution of 

 iitles with the development of society ; but such a field is too extensive. 

 Originally a name or title was merely the suggestion of an association. 

 ' Young-man-af raid-of-his-horse ' was a Sioux Indian whose fame might 



