Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-04-15
PRESIDENTIAL PERQUISlTIEs.

preparations for the Executive Mansion
being part OF the one which has cost his
party its existence, it is proper that it
be spread before the tax paying public
in its details Despite the doubling OF
his salary by Congress at his own in
stance and urging, the perquisities al>
lowed the President have been contin-
ually increasing, until, like his salary,
they have fully doubled those of any
other President. An exposition OF
the matter by the New York Sun rep
resents that President Lincoln laid up
from his salary of $4,000 the sum OF
$4,000, while he entertained freely
and that President johnson, who was
yet more generous in entertainment,
saved about the same sum. Yet Linz
coin was President through the Whole
rebellion, when gold went up to pre-,
MUM approaching 500 In the appro-
priations made at the last session OF
Congress for the Executive occurs
such items as the following: For com
pensation of the President, $5O,000
private secretary, $500; assistant secs
rotary, $2500; one Executive clerk,
$500; steward, $1,000; messenger $1,000;
furnace keeper, $S6f-last year $720
one policeman, 1920; one night watch
man, 5000; one night usher, $1,000; one
door keeper, $1,000; one door keeper,
$1,000; contingent expenses $4,000 (;
postage stamps, 5000; repairs to Exec
utive Mansion, $4,000; refurnishing
Executive Mansion, $4,000; fuel for
same and greenhouses, $4,000; care and
repair of greenhouses, $4,000 filing
ground south OF Executive Mansion,
$4,000; taking up and relaying of
curb of Executive Mansion, $l5U0; cut
ting down embankment in nursery,
$3.50; repairing fountain south of Ex-
ecutive Mansion, $4,000. Total 1924, 154
this for single year. 1t is $74,154
with the double salary left out.
GLOW do people who, from. one end
of the country to the other, have for a
year and more been pinching to make
both ends meet, like to contemplate a
lavish profusion like this, that has new.
er had its parallel In our national exis-
tence? No suggestion or suspicion of
economy about this The bigger the
salary, the larger the perquisities. In
laying thirty FIVE millions more of taxes
on the backs of the people, nothing was
attempted by Congress in the way of
cutting down the expenditures, and
least of all in reducing these wasteful
perquisities of the President Labor
ing men, whom heavy taxes and de.
preciated currency keep in state of
vassalage to poverty, may reflect upon
the princely luxury in which Repub
ican President is maintained, and upon
the increase of his fortune annually
from money absolutely given him by a
partisan Congress, and contrast the spi
rit Of such life with that which gov
erns their own. If plutocracy succeeds
in getting the supremacy in this coun
try, its reign will have to be dated with
the Administration of President Grant.
There would be no apology for this ex-
travagance On the part Of the Execu-
tive, even if it showed in the public en-
tertalning that at least .gratifes pop
ular complaeency, but the dly
spirit of President Grant offers sur
prising contrast to the grand total Of
perquisities. Ten thousand dollars ev'
cry year for furnishing the White
House! Ten thousand dollars more
every year for ''repairs y And still
another ten thousand dollars for ''filline
ground" south of that expensive edifice
Congress itself knows that no such use
is ever made Of this $4,000; nor is much
more than meagre part Of the tota
amount devoted to the support of the
President OF the repairs on the White
House and grounds. So that besides
the $4,000 annual salary an equal sun
is capable of being choused out of these
prodigal perquisities, misnamed appro-
priatlons, and riches are poured into the
lap of the individual who lives in the
thought that his country can never dc
too much for him, 1t is patriotism il
the form of perquisities.