Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-08-14
pENsIOylNG PRESIDENTS.

: The New York Graphic, an on
|. aud out Grant paper, favors the pen
sioning of the President on his retir
ing from office. II has been pro
posed by some adniring friends 4
make him by act OF Congress Presi
dent Of the Smithsonian Institute
with a permanent salary of $40. 00t
per annum. The Graphic thinks
that Grant ought to have a pure pen
sion without the burden of a sineeure
even.
We do not believe that many citi.
zens will jain in this view, whatever
/ party they may belong to. We hope
not, at any rate. 1t would be setting
a bad example, and would he alto
getner inconsistent with our demo-
cratic notions and practices. 1t
would I've 4 step toward an aristocrs-
cy that might prove dangerous For
if Presiden, be peusiened, a Chief
Justice might also he treated wit the
same consideration. long-experenced
Cabinet officers might with justice
lay claim to q like bounty. members
of Congress might ask it. and so on
until We should have a pension list
of ex-civil officers as expensive to
maintain Ms the Royal Family of
England. The Presidents family
toe, might by and by he regarded as
entitled TO some slight favor from the
public treasury in consideration of
the valuable services of their father.
until we should drift by degrees into
a system Of sristocrscy closely akin
To that of hereditary monarchies.
These are extreme views, Of course,
but the giving of an annuity to
Grant might lead gradually to those
conditions, especially when i, is con-
sidered that we are approaching more
closely 10 an ari>tocraey year 10y
year as the country becomes more
thickly populated and wealth more
closely concentrated. If President
cannot lay up enough out of his sal
airy while in office to supper, him |
for the remainder Of his life after he |
retires, he should be slowed t. take |
his place in the ranks of poor citi- |
gems generally and Struggle along MS
hes, he can. 4 President, when he |
has served his constituents ami re- |
tiIes, is no more to the people than
an ex-senator is. To maintain all |
the shelved Presidents IN opulence |
at the expense of the people would |
be little better than supporting Il
large family in the same Styi-, who
by the accident of birth, are entitled |
to govern in turn according to
seniority. One is just as di>tas;clul
as the other to Anyone who has a
spark Of independence in him and
is opposed TO special privileges with
out special differences.
If the honor that has been accord |
ed to Gran; does not satisfy him, let |
those who have made money out of
subordinate positions under him raise |
purse for the reported impecunious
President; or let the people at large
who believe in man worship contrib
ute, but spare the public treasury for
wounded soldiers and soldiers wild
ows. There would be more sense
and satisfaction in giving an annuity
TO Bryant. or Longtellow, or DIR. |
Draper, or r. W. Emerson, who have
done something toward entertaining
and instructing the people, and Who
have made place for American let
tiers in al languages, than TO bcs,ow
u like favor upon a man who was
4 Successful warrior "a matter often
determined by accidenD and = poor
President.
\ couple Of young men having
business up near the Summit Mill re-
l. i