The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-01-16
The Presidents Salary,

ts
There are two grounds on which
the movement to increase the Presi-
dents salary can be put. One is THAT
the salary is in the nature of wages,
and that it is not large enough for the
services performed. The other. that
the emolument like the power of the
Office is trust, and is to be expended
i'm maintaining the dignity of the office
and the nation, and that the present
salary is not large enough for that
purpose. Mr.. Grant naturally takes
the former view. OF a man of whom
one of his first advocates has said that
be treated the Presidency of the Uni
ted States .'as if he had won it in
raffie," it is not to be expected that he
should rise to any other view. What
the, pecuniary worth of his political
services to the nation may be is a
question. Our readers know pretty
well what answer we should incline
for our part to return to it. But very
few of our previous Presidents, we
doubt indeed it any of them, have ia
ken this sordid view OF their function
and their pay. 1t is said that the sal
ary that Mr.. Grant receives from the
nation is much less than is paid by
many private employers in the nation
to- their servants; and very possibly
this is true. The inference we are
expected to draw from 1T is that the
supply of intellect and Integrity. here
or elsewhere, is governed by the de-
mand, and seeks the best market. In
fact many Presidents have accepted
the office at sacrifice of money for
the sake of something which they
rated higher than money. Mr.. Stew
art was anxious to accept the Secreta-
ryship of the Treasury at an enormous
loss OF money TO himself; and Mr.
Stewart has never been accused of an
undue disregard of money that we are
aware of. Nay, the emoluments of
Mr.. Grant himself in his Office as Gen.
eral of the Army were greater than
what he now receives in salary, and
the generalship he held for life, while
it is even yet doubtful whether his
tenure of the Presidency is for life
also. Since this proposition to in
crease his salary was made, it has been
sensibly suggested that nobody has
vet refused to accept the Presidency
on the ground that the salary was in
adequate. 1t is true as a rule in pri-
vate life and in material Industries
that talent seeks the best market. But
it is not true in public life. And it is
quite irrelevant to the case Of Mr..
Grant. AS general, indeed, he might
be worth IN ore than we now give him.
Some philosopher observed upon re-
marking the great appetite and the
general inutility of the Newfoundland
dog, that to make that animal profita-
BILE it was necessary to have a pond
near by with children continually fall
ing in. So, even admitting the value
of General Grants military services,
we must have an unfailiug succession
of bloody wars to allow him to earn
the value we used to pay him. And
we have not heard that any civic COR
poration or industrial individual has
offered him more than $4,000 year
for his services. Nor do we in the
least expect to hear it.
But as we have said, there is anoth-
er ground on which the increase is
urged. The dignity of the office must
be kept up, and the Presidents salary
is inadequate to maintain it. Ii MIR.
Grant were in the position of q pri-
yate gentleman who had to do his So
cial duties at his own expense, to buy
and furnish and heat and light his
house and keep his grounds and pay
his servants out of his own income,
Mr.. Grants income might be inade-
quate for what he has 10 do. But it is
not so, and these items from last years
official estimates prove that it is not
SO:
Furnace keeper at the Presidents house,, STe0
Two policemen at the Presidents house. s6i0
Doorkeeper ut the Presidents house ..... 1.sOU
Assistant dOorkeeper AT the Presidents
/. mouse = tsO
Annual repairs ut the Presidents house. 10 O0u
Refurnishing the Presidents house,. 10 UOO
Fuel for the Presidents house ............ 1000
Greenh use aud plants Acknowledgement. 5000
Care and improvement OF grounds ut the
Presidents house. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 5000
Total .................... .$3s. go
So that the Presidents real salary
and allowance to do hospitality with,
to say nothing of house-rent and num-
berless sundries," amount not TO
$25,000 only, but to S63.2S0. And we
think that is enough.-World.