The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-11-18
The Ex-Prssidential Fund

The New York Times proposes to raise
by private subscription a fund of $3.50,
600 or $500. COO, the annual income of
which shall be given to the oldest ex
president, so that he may live without
work in style becoming the high official
position he once filed. As this fund, if
raised, will come voluntarily from individ
ual pockets. there can be no objection to
it; and as it will benefit future ex presi-
dent as well IS the present on.
it may be the means OF saving
some deserving man from the harsh grip
oil d )verty. But why the oldest living
ex president? We have occasionally
had two or more living ex presidents. and
the Juniors were poorer than the seniors
Would it not be better to so arrange the
matter as to have the ex-president who
most needed financial aid, get the income ?
The propriety of such an arrangement
would probably have suggesteditself to the
Times were it not for the fact that the
main object of the proposed fund is to
assist Gen. Grant. who is represented as
being in state of dire and Lnoble power
object of public charity. Oh
course the subscribers to the fund
have q right 10 do what they will with
their own, and it they choose to give the
principal as well es interest TO Gen. Grant
Letting future ex presidents take care OF
themsclves-it is nobody's business, We
do not know the exact depth of pauperism to
which the present ex-president has fallen,
but his pecuniaTy circumstances cannot be
severely uncomfortable whea 30 10 able to
rent an elegant mansion 10 the fashionable
quarter of New York and live IN a style
BETTING his surroundings, Two or three OF
our ex-prssidents would have been glad to
have the proceeds Of his kitchen wastsge.
and bis daily outlay OF oigars-supposiug
shat he buys them, would have spared
Thomas Jefferson bitter humiliation.
Certain it is that Gen. Grants poverty.
whatever it may be. is not due to the
stinginess of his country. The country
took him when he was getting $500 Ter
annum as CLERK in a Galeua tannery, and
| before he left the army gave him larger
annual salary than any Amerl-
lean soldier bad ever received before.
The presidential salary was doubled for
him, and If Mr.. Hayes-as it is ssid-has
| been ebls 20 save $I25 900 from that
salary in four years, bis predecessor should
have left the White house with a hand
some amount of cash On hand, without
| including the donations Of generous
| III OCl4 vi VII b3s OA " IA
in one way and another. far more of the
public money than any other of our public
| servants ever did, and if he has wasted it
he mas nobody to blame but himself. His
three sons and daughter have Gil married
rich; so he has no demands to meet from
| them.
But, as we have said. if private individ
uals are willing to relieve Gen. Grant from
the alleged dire and noble poverty" lei
| them do 50, 1t is to Be hoped, however
| that the Times proposition is not an enter
| ing wedge-of the centennial soEt-for 6
congressional appropriation. The iD pres
sion prevails among tbs people that this
| ex>presdent has already been paid all BIZ
has earned, and they will hardly consent
| if consulted in the business-to pay any
| more.-sSt Louis RepuJlican.