The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-08
HARRISON A DEADREAD.
The Expense OF His Junket More
Than $4,000, but not
to Him.
Ttemized Statement of tho Cost of
the Trip of Nine Thou
sand Miles
The Extravaganza of Royalty Exc ed
Corporations Attach an Anchor to
Harrison and the q. o.. +.

WAsHINGToN, May 7.--By tho end of the
| week the "paiatial' train Of tho president
will have begun it's homewnrd trip. ~ il
steans rapidly over the country between
the Pacific coast and the national capital
the president will have IN opportunity, be-
tween stations and speeches, to calculate
1 the coat-to some one--of the excursion oil
| 5000 miles in style that no czar of the
kussias could travel in, if he were 80 dig
posed. Tho chief executive and his party
| including twelve persons, arc distributed
in five cars, each of which il splendid
specimen of the last achievement of the
car builder in the direction of luxurious
comfort When the president has calcu-
lated the cost, will he pay it? If he does
not pay it, who will? And what will it be:
If any private citizen who had twelve
friends whom he desired to treat to long
| and pleasant journey were to decide to take
them on a trip of 5000 mil es by rail, with
i've cars of the sort at the disposal of the
president, including Que to dine in after
the fashion i'll which passengers are treated
in the Chicago limited, he would find out,
upon application at the Pullman general
office, just what the trip would cost. He
car attached to q regular train would cost
absut $40 to $50 a day, with the necessary
attendants, and that the motive power
would have to be paid for in addition. If
he selected cars of a special pattern, con-
strncted for a limited number, and insisted
upon having separate dining car and an
observation car, the price would be larger.
Having engaged his special cars and his
special locomotive over each road. the pro-
moter of this excursion would be obliged to
buy for each of his passengers a ticket at
regular rates, to be surrendered to the con-
ductors of the different lines. Assuming
that the average rate of fare WAS 3 cents n
mile, for a journey of 3,nN3 miles, over roads
| upon which the fares often exceed 3 cents Il
mile, he would find that the cost of tickets
for twelve passengers would be about
So, 200 IL it can be imagined that PFee-
dent Harrison, out of salary of $4,000 a
year. has expended $500 in car fare for Il
single month OF jaunting, the man who i'll
dulges in that belief has certainly not lived
| in Indianapolis or heard of the Cape May
| cottage incident or the Glen Eclio Heights
| speculation. But the fares bv ticket and
the cost OF "palatial'' saloon and sleeping
cars do not begin to accoaut for all Of the
expenses that would have to be met.
There is the dining car, with it's outfit Of
kitchen and cook and Wliters, which woud
cost private citizen not less than SlGo n
dav for twelve people. That would be
5000 month for the man who was pay
ing for the junket. If it were congress
sional party it would cost more, as the
wines would flow more freely and more
constantly between meals than they can be
assumed to flow oa the Presidents train.
The engines that would be designated to
take up this special train with the crews of
men of great experience, detached from the
regular service of the public, all under pay
by the companies, and set apart, perhaps
at some disadvantages to to tile regular trav-
cling public, would mean an expense of
perhaps 800 day more These expenses
foot up rapidly when you come to get them
all together, and to them must be added
some hotel bills that the self-respecting
private citizen wouiu insist upon paying
rather than be indebted to Il stranger for
something for which everybody is required
to pay if he is not too impecunious or too
economical.
kailroaa men of experience who know
what these things cost, say that the presl-
dents trip could not be repea ed by any
private citizen carrying along similar
number of guests for less than $4,000,
Ask any person who has known Benjamin
Harrison for the last two years, or the last
twenty years If you like, whether he be-
lieves that the president has So changed
since he became the chief executive that he
has generously taken a sum equal to to II
years salary TO spend it i'll showing twelve
persons a strip of the country 1900 miles
long. Besides the president, there are on
the "presdential speelal' the wife OF the
president, the daughter of the president,
the sister of the wife of the president, the
son of the president. the postmaster gem
era', the presidents secretary of agrioul-
ture. the Presidents marshal of the District
OF Columbia, the presidents private seere-
tsry, and two or three men representing as
,utjn hnp
railroad men along, but these are not sup
posed to be charged for, except as the gen
erai public must ba charged for everything
that the president gets III the way of free
transportation, the remedy tor the com
panies being easily applied in the way of
increases of faro or freight rates Ill small
doses over wide extent OF countcv.
The president is accom- panied by the
postmaster-generAi That officer is entl--
tied TO Il FREQ pass over all the railroads re-
ceiving the mails for transmission If he
produces his proper credentials. Some of
the railroads may feel greatly indebted to
the Administrations for under the rule of
MIR. Wauamaher they have been presented,
by the billion congress, with more than
100000 in excess OF the amount that the
postoice department. found would be ueo
essary to transport the mails over the fast
lines Mir. Bingham, the townsman of
Mr.. Wanamakef. who hus been character
partner Of the postmaster general. insisted
that Mr.. Wanamaker should have this large
sum of money to spend upon tho railroads,
and the railroads will see that they get 1T.
II the presidents tip costs 100000 this
gratuity will 60 far Ill the way of making
the corporations feel comfortable, and if it
costs only 100000 they will have natle
$50, 600 cteir and still have the repnbi an
party under Il SENSE of obligations to .nea
who always have money to spend when
there is a political campaign under way.
Then "kuss' Harrison, who makes di-
rectors of the mint and commissioners of
the general land office, and knows that
they Will not get III the way of any of tho
specuiations to which he is lending tho
weight OF his royal name, may feel as
sured that the Northern paoiiu and other
railroads that expect to do "A great Gland
olice business" while Harrison Is i'll Office
would be nssluuous III pretending TINT Har-
risou Ia paving, while they would he effect
tYely generous IN seeing that not ono cent
of anvbouys money, except that ut the
general public. should be received IN pay
msnt of this magnificent spring lunket of
the fatalist who occupies the presidents
place. and who has So much confidence ~
hlmsalt that he will regard IL IA mIslo
tuue To tho country rather than to hlinselt
If hs is not again chosen tn rule over tho
Offices IN the United states
II such u trip as that now IN PROCESS WAS
to hp pHi for 10y man of Harrison RI known
tendencies, uscertNinrd by peI-
sistent inqui,ies 10 bo FULLY developed ia