Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-09-26

life. But how can man in such posi-
ton save any money at all?
He must receive and entertain the
representatives of all the nations of the
world. He must give public receptions
to the senator's, to the representatives.
to the ambassadors, ministers, consuis.
and other foreign dignitaries. All OF
these state functions, which are neces-
sary incidents of his office, must be paid
for by the president out of his salary,
and they are very costly. Moreover, on
the first day of January of each year.
the president gives New. w.Year'&4recep-
ton which costs not less than $1,000
The president is obliged to buy his
own horses, keep his own carriages.
maintain the expenses of his equipages
and provide for his family besides.
There is one private citizen in Washing
ton who expends upwards of S5O.O0a
annually in the maintenance of his
family according to social customs. In
New York and other large cities. there
are men who eXpend more than 500, ,OO1
per annum on their families. And yet
the president is expected to maintain
his family better than the bes.. The
man who receives S35 per month can
not very we'll maintain wife and family
on the same style with his neighbor
who earns 500 per month; and you will
readily see that it is difficult for any
man with salary of SIS. 900 per year to
keep up a social equality of appearance
with the man who can afford to spend
100000 each year out of his i-.come.
Thus you see that although the presi
dent apparently has salary of $50 900
per annum it dwindles by comparison
and by virtue of his circumstances. A
millionaire may wear a shabby coat and
give cheap dinners if he chooses 70 do
so; but president cannot wear q shah
by coat, nor allow his wife to appear in
public with anything but the best in
the land At all public receptions the
presidents wife appears by his side
She must not appear like a neglecte1
wife. On the contrary she must have
the best of everything; and the people
want her to have the hest. too.
Some of our good old-fashioned peo
pie, who believe in simplicity. will say
that because others wear diamonds and
silks, and costly ornaments, that is no
reason why the presidents wife should
have such things But if any good man
who entertains such views will Ask his
wife or daughter for an opinion. he will
find that the ladies will tell him that no
woman can afford to go into society
without keeping pace with the society
in which she goes 1t may not he eN-
actly the kind of society the old gentle
man would organize if he were creating
the world. But it is the kind of society
which exists. and the majority of us do
not want our president or his wife to
feel like paupers in the presence of
princes. Rather would we have our
president and his wife appear as princes.
and let the gentry from abroad
feel like Paupers in the presence
of the man and wife whom we
have sent to the white house by the
power of our votes cast at the ballot
boxes, thereby expressing the will of \
sovereign people. who. in their majesty
and in the aggregate of their unity. are
greater than hereditary sosereigns.
None of our ex-presidepts has ever
suffered financially. because all of them
have been sef-supporting. seif-sustair
ing men before and after accession tn
the great office. The only living ex-p-es-
ident is a lawyer, and he recently re
eeived a fee of SIS 900 in one case. In
1889 or 1890, while he was an ex-presi-
dent. a lawyer named Grover Cleveland
received a fee of $4,000 for arguing =
case before the supreme court
SMITH d. FRI.