Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-02-03

Mrs. Lincoln wants u Pension.
Mrs. Lincola at least serves ono coed
purpose. She stands as a monument, con-
tinuslly pointing to her husbands grave.
While she lives the nation caunet be per
m'tted TO forget l,s murdered president.
We say ,ais with all rsspee, FOR the dead.
but We do hate 20 see bic widow trading
upon his assassination and his memory,
as i; were 80 mt h merchandise, to be
carried to the best market and disposed Of
at the highest price. Since Mr.. Liacoln's
death Mrs. Lincoln has been netting else
than national bsggAr. aud she has scan
dalised the whole country BY the unseemly
exhibition that she has made Of herself.
She hes first bored Congress for money 70
maintain her ex,rsvsgant habits, then
bored the personal friends Of her lamsntsd
spouse for donations, and Afterwards bored
everybody by exposing her old clothes TO
the public gaze, as . means 81 raising the
wind Now she is importuning Congress
10 give her pension. And, ~ usual with
her, she 10 neither modest nor moderate in
her request. The ordinary pension Of an
officers widow, no matter how high his
position, will not. satisfy Ter, and 50 che
likes the sun to suit herself She asks
for five thousand dollars--and don't she
hope she may ge,it Here is thu. portion
Of her petition which sets forth her "sps
cia" claims
herewith most respectfully present 10
tho honorable Senate Of the United States
an application for . pension. l am widow
cfa President Of the United States whose
lie Vas sacrificed in his country's service
That sad calamity hes greatly impaired my
hsalth, and by the advice Of my ply sicians
] have come over 10 Germany 10 try the
mineral waters. and during the winter to
10 to Italy but my financial means do net
permit me 10 take advantage Of the urgent
advice given me. nor can live in . style
becoming the widow Of the Chief agistrats
Of great nation, although live ~ eco.
nomicAlly ~ | can. In consideration OF the
great service my deeply lamsntsd husband
las rendered to the United States, and Of
the fearful loss have sustained by his I'M
timely death-his martyrdom, l may say
l respectfully submit 10 your honorable
body this petition, hoping that an early
pension may be granted mo so that may
have less pscuniary care.
Mrs. Lincoln bears her fearful less -"
wonderfully well. She has managed to
mourn" away upwards Of a hundred
thousand dollars slncs the period Of her
w'de~hood commenced. But for all that,
if NC could, by giving her this pension, re.
lisvs the country OF its national scandal,
ws should favor the pension. Il would be
good bargain. But there 10 no likel hood
that shs would keep quiet. Those old
clothss would be the public's Bsnquo, and
their temperance would constantly be
dreaded. Yet why give Mrs. Lincoln a
pens'on' Her husband lot above seventy
thousand dollars worth Of property, as was
shown bv tho published statement Of his
executor. Besides that, Mrs Lincoln had
several thousand dollars worth Of presents
taat were given her. according to her own
admission, by parties for whom she had
secured favors from her husband, in his
o.fic Al capacity. Her means were ample
ias IN, support Of the family, and but for
hsr inordinatc cxtravignnce she could have
live in ease and confsrt. Mrs. Lincoln
lost her husband by reason Of the rebellion.
One hundred thousand other women, most
Of them very poor, suffered the same loss.
Congress gave Mrs. Lincoln her husbands
salary for a year in advance twenty live
thousand dsllars and she now wants Eve
thousand year mere during the term Of
her life. What fort Why not give to the
wife Of tho. Posr soldier who fell in the
midst Of battle. = 1--we thousand dollar pen
sionf No. lf Mrs. Lincoln mua lead .
life Of extravaganco aud fashionable dissi-
patton, let her get the means from the con-
tractors and other swindlcrs whom she
helped, by the incentive Of rich presents,
to &c, what they want from her confiiing
husband.