The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-07-25
Decided Scruples.
A DELICIOUS DIsoUIsrTIoE ON OFFICIAL
PRoPRIETY.
THE PRESIDENT ACCEPTS A HOUSE, FURNI-
TURE AND GROCERIES, BECAUSE 1T
WOULD BE INDELIoATE FOR HIM
TO PAY HIS WAY.

WOULD BE INDELIoATE FOR HIM
TO PAY HIS WAY.
Mr.. Randolph Keim has written a
letter about Mrs. Harrison which can
hardly fail to close the doors of the
White House aud the Gift House to
him, though it might be argued by an
scute lawyer that to dsny this gentle
man the right to bask in the sunlight
of greatness, aud to disport himself 10
proximity to Presidential families was
a cruel and unusual form of punish
ment from which the Constitution
protected him. II it be true as Mr..
Keim says, aud say correctly as we do
not doubt, that "If any one supposes
that Mrs. Harrison courts prominence
he is greatly mistaken then Mrs.
II lrirson can not too promptly Danish
the aforesaid Keim from her train. II
was Keim, we believe, to whom the
world is indebted for the imaginative
picture of Mrs. Harrison, with hand
kerchief wrapped around her head
sweeping the White House. 1t was
Kem who attributed to Mrs. III H,rrisoa
remarks about bad housekeeping 10
the White House previous to her ad-
vent which lady would not have
been likely to make. 1t was Keim
who has at divers tim, represented
| Mrs. Harrison as making complaints
10 )ut the Insult i,iency and iuconveni-
ence of the House which would not
rave been in very good taste if she
lad made them. 1t is Keim who in
the Philadelphia Inquirer of last Sun
day represents her as saying:
"The Executive Mansion, as every
one knows who is at all advised, is not
suita ,ls tor the occupancy of a large
family. The President should at
least have the consideration of any
other citizen, when he takes enjoy
ment in having all the members of his
family around him. Some persons
having taken exception TO our having
large family. enjoy the presence
of my father in his declining years.
We enjoy our children and our grand.
children and wish to have them about
us all the time. 1t would be unnatur-
al for any father or mother to feel diff
ferently. The Government furnishes
inadequate accommodations for the
family of the President and besides
during the summer, with the conven-
| ton u restraints put upon the Presi-
dent and his household, the Executive
mansion is very uncomfortable place.
Senator Harrison's family was not
large; it is not perfectly clear why
President Harrson's family should be
so large that it cannot be comfortable
in the Executive Mansion. But this is
mere trife; it is simply singing the
old song which Mr.. Keim has be an
sing ng for year because he knows a
| good architect to supervise the erection
of large addition TO the mansion
, Mr.. Keim has made all his previou.
, attacks upon the good sense and gooo
t taste of the Presidents family seen
e small by inserting the following IN hi
letter to the Hquier of last Sunday:
On the subject of the acceptance o
, cottage, Mrs. Harrison said: sLas
1 year the President thought best to oc
cupy cottage at Deer Park. Thi
n summer the prospect of late adjourn
e ment, possibly extending into earl
autumn, neccessitated the selection O
" nearer point to the Capital. Ther
!, have been suggestions from variou
. sources about purchasing a summe
!. home in the suburbs of Washington
;, which at the end of his official teri
; might be sold at a considerable &C
! vance. We have had an example {
I this, but the President will not use hi
:, official rank as a means of maxim
~ money, even to the extent of purcha,
70 ing home for his summer use an
- selling it when he retires from offic
The President has decided scrupl,
W about that. The Commissioners
'r the District, his own appointee
Y! would doubtless feel disposed to NAL
W Improvements in that direction whiC
'n would still further give the transactic
y the appearance of deliberate none
e' making scheme. 1t happe
, ed while we were considering VIII
u plans it would be best TO make that
e. was surprised by the tender of th
y beautiful cottage, fully equipped al
ready for our occupation. Its acoer
NJ ance seemed to me to be the best tn
could be done. None of the gent
~ men concerned could have any obje
other than the courtesy OF making
" comfortable. As Ear as their nam
ou are known none of them seek office.
y does not involve the President in a.
:. money-msking for his personal benef
vi How Others may be benefited does n
a7 concern US"
wi 1t is inconceivable that Mrs. Har
90 60 son should have made any such offe
5" sive and untrue allusions to her hr
o' bands predecessor, or that she shou
ne have made these absurd remarks abe
'e' the superior "del.cacy" of accept
"a "a "this beautiful cottage, fully equipp
au and ready for our occupation" as
;" present, as compared with Preside
u' Cleveland's purchase of his home,
ls' furniture and his food. This must
I" Mr.. Kelm's own idea of 'delicao
~ and we can imagine the anger of
sensible and intelligent gentleman Il
d. the President of having this extraor
49, nary view at official proprieties at
tie buted to Mrs. Harrison.
to "The President will not use his c
'ut cial rank as means of making m,
YER ey." No, indeed; he will simply
OF his Official rank as a means of getti
Inc a "beautiful cottage" of twenty rool
ard "fully equipped with furniture 4,
food, and possibly clothes, for nothi
mp "None of the gentlemen coueerl
could have any object other than
Mr.. courtesy of making us comfortab
ght Of course not, but some how or OF
mt it happens that these consider
he entlemen never thought of max
les President Harrison comfortable w
ted he lived in the Woodmont flats,
we was only Senator, and did not h
and the Federal patronage to distribl
80 alt doesn't involve the President
but any money-making for his persc
ine benefit" Far from it; it only invol
ing his making house, a quantity of