New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-09-28

The Mdepcndenf SAYS:

! THE PRESIDENTS SALAgY-We hold 70 economy
in public well privete affairs but fsir aud sven
liberal alt'sance Is bester baa pnching parsimoni
Gus hospi' ty. The President Il obliged 70 entertain
dsii1gu ed strangers and travellers visiting the seat
Of Government Members Of Congress the Cabinet.
Judges of the Supreme Court Of the United States and
Court Of Claims clergy, ehgplaips Of the army and
navy foreign embasssdors officers Of the army and
navy Ia fact, all but Office seekers and contractors.
These costly entertainments are !ncessant. The Pre
dents salary fixed the beginning Of the Govern.
ment In cheap times. when travel Was slow aud dim
cult and hen few visited the seat OF Government and
hes nSyer been increased Prices have doubled and
qusdruplcd and while the salaries of members OF the
Cabinet Judges o. the Supreme Court and clerks
and MESSENGERS, who DO not entertain have been in.
creased, the Presidents salary remains the same Tho
President must devote every moment to public affairs,
ard look after the economies OF the White House.
II il but reasonable that be should have salary enough
to dispense with the Of kitchen. and 10 dispense
dents retired poor and ia debt Let the next Con-
gres fail 10 ooA into this subject fsf the credit OF tho
country.
The reasons Lere given for increasing the
Presidents salary seem to us conclusive against
the project. We protest against the suggestion
that our country's Executive head should dis
pcnse always a liberal hospitality to "distin-
guishei strangers and travellers visiting the seat
ofGoyernment, TO clergy chsplsins, and other
officers ofthe Army and Navy" &c, &c. Thedu-
ties Of the sfiices are such ~ leave its incumbent
no time to keep q restaurant or soup-houe. In
countries where the constitutional king or
queen is q mere lag figure, this might be posi-
BILE; here, it is not. Our Constitution knows
no Premier, no CabinBt, the President N alone
responsible. We are confident that Mr. Lincoln
has given not less than an average Of fourteen
hours per day to his public duties (diDner-giving
not included) ever since his Inauguration. The
salary is sufficient for the office as il ought To
be- whereas. if the incumbent Is TO he required
to dine and wine all distinguished strangers
and travellers visiting the seat OF Government"
"army and navy chspIains and other officers"
Half Million year would be too little. 1t
nav be well that a President should know
enough to keep hotel;" but he cannot attend
TO this business while tenant Of the White
House.
II any Of our early Presidents retired poor
and in debt" they certainly did not incur such
debt while in Office. We believe every Presi-
dent saved money while in Office; though seye-
raj asp.rants to the post ruined themselves by
expenditures incurred in their wld attempts 10
reach il. Mr.. Jefferson bankrupted himself BY
profuse, indiscriminate hospitality sitter his re-
tiremen,-very absurd but bis own affair alto
gether Either Adams saved money while Pres
dent; so did Martin Van Buren. John Tyler
lived like a gentleman for nesrly twenty years
GU, Of his Washington savings. Fillmore,
Pierce and Buchanan are understood 10 have each
brought away nugget, though tse first was
well of and the last nch when inaugurated.
Do " let well enough alone"