Show THE STYLE OF ALDERMEN people U ho do address them as tho honorable in spite of webster in none of tho the ready letter writers are directions given as to the prefix which it is proper to put before the tha name of an alde alderman and it is for this reason perhaps that a controversy con has recently arisen arisen one of the tha disputants disputant 3 says sats when writing to a mem member berof of the board of u or a commissioner missioner cam in in one of the city departments it is i highfalutin I 1 think thil to address him with 0 13 e prefix hon 1 tt I in proof of tho the correctness ness of this view of tho the case this correspondent invokes tho the testimony of webster the dictionary compiler who said of the uso use of tile the honorable an american usa usage e it is a title of courtesy merely bestowed upon those thosa who hold or have held higher public offices especially governors judges members of congress or of the senate and mayors mayor webster was born bom in connecticut in 1758 1753 and died in the ume same state in 1843 langbe long afore before the establishment as uch such of the present new york board bc ard of aldermen and at a time when that body was generally known as tho the common council and any opinions which he may have express expressed ed in his dictionary or any views which he may have entertained personally on tle the subject of honorary titles tides ln in uso use iu in the tha united states could have no especial bearing upon the one cas caso se of the new york aldermen whose fame as legislators has now spread to confines v where here the same ne of webster is quite unknown the title alderman is derived from the saxon word eal dorman otherwise elderman or elder it was a title of honor in early days in england and tho the elderman elder maa or al alderman deran was a local function functionary arT responding somewhat to the present justice of the peace in england the alderman was usually a judge but afterward the office came to be an elective one and from the english word has como come the american title alderman so BO valiantly upheld by the aldermen of new york who insist upon a full share of all political honors perquisites privileges rights advantages and immune ties and he would be a courageous man indeed who would omit from tho the designation of an alderman aldean especially an alderman recently elected the title the honorable the legal duties of aldermen aldeen are so 60 few their exercise ia is EO carefully guarded by acts of the legislature that it is necessary essai y so to speak for the alder aldermen nien to find if the expression may be used without offense work for themselves accordingly from time to time resolutions aro are passed by the L oard loard taking talan the form of ordinances which by tacit agreement among the members it is arranged shall not bo be acted upon unless the alderman of the district in which the applicant or applicants ap p licanto reside assents to action in this way the powers of an alderman in a di district brict are very considerably enhanced and in such cases the petitioner realizing the full force and importance of the aldermans alder mans office is glad of the opportunity to address him as the honorable and rea realizes lizea the futility of another course new york sun sum |