Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-04-14

regular appropriations OF S5O,OOO Tor
lighting tho Capitol and the ,Exocu-
tive Mansion IN tgioss, without dis
eliminating us to the consumption Of
either; and for repairing and extend
ing water pipes : and cleaning the
springs that supply tid Capitol and
Executive Mansion, $4,000
Before Gen. Grant became Prcsi-
-dcnbthc practice WINS l,Ql trnish the
White House anew at the beginning
of every term of four years. Since
then an annual appropriation Of ten or
fifteen thousand dollars has been reg
ularly made, and applied to other OBJ
icets under the name Of furniture. So
too an appropriation Of $40, 900 II year
has been made tor repairs, which
could not be expended and never has
been, no matter what Measurer Bah.
cocks vouchers may pretend to show,
which have an elasticity as remarka-
bic as his Ring measurements.
Every year some new charge has
been smuggled into the supply bills
and thus made the basis of standing
appropriation, like that of $4,000 for
the grounds south of the Executive
Mansion, upon wlanh hot snle.tenth
part of that sum was expended last
year In the height of the war the
contingencies Of the. President were
iniseil from oiie ID three thousand dol.
lars and now they are six thousand
in the face of the double salary enact
ed by the back-pay grabbers of the
Fortyssecoih Conglcss tlBS8
There is great delusion in the pub
lie mind purposely created at Wash
ington in regard to the expenses which
the president is supposed to incur by
his official functions. The receptions
do not cost him single dime The
lights, heating, music, flowers, atten-
dants and ushers, are all provided for
from the Treasury, and no refresh
ments of any kind are ever served.
The so-called state dinners are moro
limited in number under Grant than
any of the other Presidents. They
are confined to certain selected
members of Congress, the heads of lc-
cations only, the Judges Of the Su-
premc Court, and few ,iavorites. AL.
together notmorc than one. hundred
and fifty guests were entertained at
them last winter.
Heretofore, the usage has been for
the President 70 invite both branches
of Congress at regular intervals TO
dine with him, without regard to pol.
iiics at all Gen. Grant has narrowed
this honorcd custom down TO his own
partisans and a small selection from
the opposition, who have voted with
out scruple for Ring measures and lib
eral appropriations
The private hospitality of the White
House is niggardly, if not actually
mean. All the groceries and other
supplies are obtained from the army
commissariats at wholesale prices. OF
course the President gets the pick of
everything. Subordinates seeking pro
motion take care of that. A large
kitchen garden attached 10 the White
House, kept at the public expense, fur
nish vegetables for bis table. The
green houses, maintained at cost of
$4,000 year, provide the ornamcn-
tai flowers, and the horses in the sta
BILE are fed free. -IdaS liiH
There is good reason TO believe that
a large part of cortain appropriations,
which were never made, until Grant
inauguratcd the scandal is diverted to
maintaining his household, so that he
may be said TO live almost without
cost in n princely style. Yet he soil.
cited the increase of his salary and
laid the foundation for the indecent
grab which contributed largely TO the
downfall ofthe Republican party
Every President from Washington
TO johnson was content with the old
salary Some of them, who were by
no means penurious, and maintained
generous establishment, retired with
a considerable balance on the cred.
II side Of the bank account. Mr.. Bu-
chanan always lived like gentleman.
entertained the Prince of Wales and
suite as guests without sending bill
to Congress, and kept hospitablc
house. He did not spend all his pay.
Mr. Lincoln saved quite $4,000, aud
Mr. johnson nearly as much, although
his guests were more than treble those
of his greedy successor.