Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-07-09
Aaurastrr fnllt::srmere.
EVENING. July o. 1891
The GIFT TO the Presidents Wife.


nor should presidents wives. 1t is cred
liable to the hearts of those who are
now subscribing fund for Mrs. Garfield
that they are SO impelled, but it would
he more creditable to their heads if they
forbore. Should the president die his
widow will be taken care Of by the ma
tiOn, and she may then properly receive
all the gifts any of its citizens may
choose to bestow upon her. Now we
doubt the propriety OF their being re-
ceived or offered. United States officers
are forbidden by law to receive
gifts from foreign states. The
only reason for the inhibition is that
such gift may some time be offered in
the way of bribe. 1t can hardly he
disputed that an officer should refuse
gifts bestowed upon him as an officer {;
and that his wife should not I've Il medium
OF giving to him what he may not re-
ceive himself. The wealthy gentlemen
who have started the subscription list
for Mrs. Garfield doubtless want no presi-
dental favor and are inspired to make
their gift solely by their feelings of SYM
pathy and benevOlence. But their good
motives do not necessarily make their
act good.
There is such a thing as establishing Il
bad precedent with a good act. IL Mrs.
Garfield may take a gift from rich men,
not likely to be applicants for her hus-
bands favor, she may not be fortunate
enough to refuse them always from others
who make them with secret hope there
by to buy consideration and there is one
man at least on the list of the donors of
this present gift whose benefactions
presidents wives are taught to be wary of.
Jay Gould, who sought to hold President
Grant with share Of gold speculation
TO his wife and brOther-in-law, has
been shown to he Greek whose
gifts are to he always suspected.
With his many millions now he may need
no more to use his ancient devices, but
nevertheless he is not man for Il presi
dents wife to feel inclined to he indebted
to and there are others in the New
York millionaire list whose millions
have come to them too gracelcssly TO
make their gifts altogether welcome to a
susceptible person even though she was
not il presidents wife. 1t cannot he al
together agreeable to be the receiver Of
stolen moneys.
And it certainly is not pleasant to re-
ceive gifts from strangers. No one
thinks it right to do it in private life.
Why then should it be good form for i.
presidents wife to take 4 present from
private citizens We have already given
very substantial reason why she should
not, in that she may thus possibly expose
her husband to miScOnstructiOn, or
emlsirrass him in dealing with
applicants for presidential favors.
Perhaps this is the only good rca-
son, since it may he fOrcibly said that the
citizens Of the nations are not strangers
to the wife of its president, and that no
feeling OF delicacy need stand in the way
OF her accepting gifts bestowed upon
her in recognition of the services or
sufierings of the president. Concetling
this, nothing would exist to cause Mrs.
Garfield to hesitate to accept the gift
proposed for her should she be widowed
by the disaster which has prompted it.
But even then would it not be more
grateful to her to receive the peoples
Offering at the hands of Congress We
consider the proposed subscription i'll
judged, haYing entire confidence that in
case the president should die the nations
representatives are the fittest persons to
take care of his widow and that they
will do it with 4 liberality that will lie
entirely worthy of our great country
Popular subscriptions for objects of ma
tiOnal aid arc unnecessary at all times
and this ono is in addition of doubtful
propriety.
JUsTa week has p;.sseu since the ter
rible news of the attempt upon the
presidents life was flashed across the
country. The fears of fatal results to
him and alprehenled calamities to the
body polite have happily not been real
lied. Since the FIRST turning point in his
condition his improvement has been