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person who presides. This person may be the Vice-President of the
United States presiding over the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme
Court, the president of a city board of aldermen, the judge of a
court, the president of a corporation, of a lodge, of a church
society, of a club, the pastor of a church, the chancellor or provost
or dean of a college, the principal of a school, the chairman of a
committee, the toastmaster of a banquet, the teacher of a class. The
first remark of a speaker must always be the recognition of this
presiding officer.

Then there are frequently present other persons who are distinct from
the ordinary members of the audience, to whom some courtesy should be
shown in this salutation. Their right to recognition depends upon
their rank, their importance at the time, some special peculiar reason
for separating them from the rest of the audience. The speaker will
have to decide for himself in most cases as to how far he will
classify his hearers. In some instances there is no difficulty.
Debaters must recognize the presiding officer, the judges if they be
distinct from the regular audience, the members of the audience
itself. Lawyers in court must recognize only the judge and the
"gentlemen of the jury." In a debate on the first draft for the League
of Nations presided over by the Governor of Massachusetts, Senator
Lodge's salutation was "Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, My
Fellow Americans." The last was added unquestionably because patriotic
feeling was so strong at the time that reference to our nationality
was a decidedly fitting compliment, and also perhaps, because the
speaker realized that his audience might be slightly prejudiced
against the view he was going to advance in criticizing the League
Covenant. At times a formal salutation becomes quite long to include
all to whom recognition is due. At a university commencement a speaker
might begin: "Mr. Chancellor, Members of the Board of Trustees,
Gentlemen of the Faculty, Candidates for Degrees, Ladies and
Gentlemen."

Other salutations are Your Honor, Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Madame
President, Madame Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Stevenson, Sir, Mr.
Toastmaster, Mr. Moderator, Honorable Judges, Ladies, Gentlemen,
Fellow Citizens, Classmates, Fellow Workers, Gentlemen of the Senate,
Gentlemen of the Congress, Plenipotentiaries of the German Empire, My
Lord Mayor a