  We show that the degenerate positive-norm physical propagating fields of the
open bosonic string can be gauged to the higher rank fields at the same mass
level. As a result, their scattering amplitudes can be determined from those of
the higher spin fields. This phenomenon arises from the existence of two types
of zero-norm states with the same Young representations as those of the
degenerate positive-norm states in the old covariant first quantized (OCFQ)
spectrum. This is demonstrated by using the lowest order gauge transformation
of Witten's string field theory (WSFT) up to the fourth massive level
(spin-five), and is found to be consistent with conformal field theory
calculation based on the first quantized generalized sigma-model approach. In
particular, on-shell conditions of zero-norm states in OCFQ stringy gauge
transformation are found to correspond, in a one-to-one manner, to the
background ghost fields in off-shell gauge transformation of WSFT. The
implication of decoupling of scalar modes on Sen's conjectures was also briefly
discussed.
