The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-03-20
HOW ME. HAYES LIVES.
The President Saving His Money.

A correspondent writing to the Phila-
delphia Times from Washington under
date of March l says that the Presidents
treatment of the Washington journalists
on the occasion of his recent reception
has been the subject of more comment
here during the week than any other
topic, however important. The cass may
be briefly stated here at the risk of repe-
tition. The President decided to give q
large party for the entertainment of the
several members of the diplomatic corps
in place of the usual round of diplomatic
dinners which have been the fashion in
the White House since the Government
began. His reasons for adopting this
course were no doubt suggested by econ
omy and the fact that it was less trouble.
Several hundred invitations were issued,
the intention being originally to con6ne
them within official circles, but this was
subsequently abandoned. The strange
part of the case is that not single jour
nalist was invited. Word was sent to
several of the correspondents that they
could come to the yestibule, and tickets
to that exclusive portion of the house
hold were actually issued and signed by
Col. Casey. If the Presidents course
means anything, it means that the White
House people wanted the party to havea a
"good show" in the newspapers, but that
the correspondents were not fit to 60 be-
yond the vestibule, where were the foot
men and body servants of the foreign
ministers. Think of Charles Nordhoff,
Gen. Boynton, Benjamin Perley Poore,
and half dozen others / might name
think of those gentlemen going to the
White House, and not being allowed to
90 farther than the vestibule where the
servants stay. 1t was the Presidents
privilege to invite whom he pleased, no
doubt, and the journalists would not have
objected to being excluded as class, but
the President had no right to insult them
by issuing to them tickets for the yesti-
bule.
HOW THE PRESIDENT LIVES.
The course of the President has, of
course, set people talking about his man.
ner of living, and the comments are not
very complimentary. Indeed, the Presi-
dent is accused of being unbecomingly
economical-not to put too fine point
on it. The President receives an annual
salary of $50, ,000-a good, round income,
it must be confessed. There is no way
of finding out all of his pickings or al
lowances, but some of them am able to
mention. In the first place he gets his
house rent and furniture free. Not q
curtain or chair or blanket or napkin or
towel does he have to buy. All his fuel
is furnished by the Government, and not
a cent does he have to pay for gas. His
vegetables are raised in the public gar
dens by a gardener paid by the Govern.
ment. His steward is paid by the Gov
ernment, and so are his cook and his
coachman. How many other servants
our good government pays for do not
know, but so far as I can see, Mr.. Hayes
only expenses in the White House are
for meats and groceries. Even his doc
tor and his medicine are paid for by the
government. Even his beef comes from
the government butcher, and he pays
only the cost price which the government
paid on the hoof. In other words, the
government buys an OK alive for beef,
paying, say four cents per pound. The
President gets the beef at the same rate,
but his steward is not fool enough to take
the legs, the neck, the head or the rump,
and so the White House table is supplied
with sirloin steak, tenderloin steak, por-
ter-house steak and rib roasss for four
cents per pound, while the department
clerk, on 81, 200 a year pays from fifteen
to twenty cents per pound for his beef.
The commissary of subsistence has to kill
beef for rations for the soldiers, and it
has long been the practice to give the
President, the army officers and the high
civil officers beef and groceries at prime
cost. The reader has now pretty fair
idea of what the President has to buy !!
The President does not buy wine or
liquors-how economical temperance is!
Wines have always been big item in
the White House, for it was never con-
Quoted on temperance principles before.
Wines being out of the question and all
the advantages counted, will any head of
q household, who is accustomed to good
living, tell me that it costs Mr.. Hayes
more than $4,000 year to live? If the
family is charitable I have not heard of
it. True, q bouquet of flowers is occa-
sioually sent to fair or hospital, but,
bless you, the flowers were raised in
government conservatory cared for by
a government florist. Even in the sum-
mer time the President pays no house
rent, but lives in house belonging to
the old soldiers of the country, and sup
ported by contributions from the soldiers
in the regular army. When the question
is solved as to whether the President is
not living on $4,000 q year, will some
body please tell me for what purpose
$4,000 year is given to the President?
Is it not to enable him to live in man
ner becoming a Chief Magistrate? 1
have talked with many experienced gen.
tlemen, and it is the common opinion
here that Mr.. Hayes is saving from his
salary about $4,000 q year. True, it
will be good thing for young Mr.. Webb
Hayes and the two other sons, and this,
no doubt, is a sufficient reason for Mr..
Hayes course. Would it not be in keep
ing if he would just before retiring from
office, recommend the reduction of the
Presidential salary on the ground that
the services are not equal to the compen-
sation?