The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-14
Hou the Account Stands.

In Gen. Grants recent letter, bidding
for third term and scofing at the exam
pies of Washington and Jefferson, he ar
CUES that the change from one Office to an
other is a business transaction only, and he
stoutly maintains that he made great
sacrifice in giving up his place as general
in order to become president. Since he
d uts it on this footing, he cannot complain
that his own scale of appreciation should
be applied as test in order to ascertain
what his pecuniary sacrifice really was.
We are not left in doubt as to the exact
figures, and hence the comparison is easy.
The pay of general of the army is fixed by
law at $l3,5OO. That of the president has
been $4,000 year since the 4th ofMarch,
1873, and was raised by the president
personal importantly. From Washington
to Grant it had never varied from S25, 900
year. Now, let US see how the account
stands:
Four years president, from 1869 to 1873, at IN oor
Four years president, from 1878 to 1877, at 49,.
$5O,OO..................' SZoO'Vt
$sOO,OOt
Eight years general, from 1869 to 1877 . 1OS,OO,
Excess in salary as president. ........ $192, coz
1t would have required more than TWEEN
ty-two years for him as general to have re
allied the salary he will have received fol
eight years as president. Or, in other
words, he could not before 1891. as gener-
al,have drawn from the treasury the $780,
600 which he will have drawn as president
if he lives to the 4th of March 1877.
But this is not all. The enormous sums
voted annually for the president by the
Republican majorities in congress, under
various pretexts of furnishing and repair
ing the White House, improving the
grounds, keeping up greenhouses, and the
like. exceeded all precedent, and more than
double the largest grant made in quarter
of a century before. These perquisities OF
emoluments average more than $4,000 6
year.
Everybody knows that the greater por
ton Of this money has been applied to the
maintenance of the presidents household
and that the vouchers filed in the treasury
do not represent the actual expenditures
Babcock is, of course, just as expert il
making up accounts, as he showed himsel
to be in measuring Boss Shepherds fraud
ulent pavements.
1t is we'll known that Grant has grown
rich since he entered the White House
In addition to the valuable presents
which he took without scruple, he has haC
large transactions without investing an,
capital, which have yielded most profitable
returns, He has never hesitated to im
prove the opportunities afforded by his of
fee, and it is notorious that members o
the rings which revolve around the Whit
House are the most welcome visitors AM
the most honored guests of the president
When these facts and others equally a
significant are considered, there will no
be much trouble in deciding what sort O
sacrifice" Grant made, when he exchang
ed an Office with a fixed salary of $3.50
for one of $37, 500 year, with emolument
to the extent of $4,000 per annum, and
gold mine in ring jObbery. No wonder h
seeks third term, and declares Il do nc
want it any more than did the first
He is the richest and the most expensiv
president that ever occupied the Whit
House, and this wealth has been accumr
lated since he entered it.