The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-04
FAMILIES OF PRESIDENTS.
HOW THEY Rave JARED AFTER
LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE.
Widows Of Five Presidents Have
Drawn Pensions, and some Former
White House Tenants Have Lived
on Charity

White House Tenants Have Lived
on Charity.
From the Washington Star.
A son OF a President OF the United
states died a few days ago i'm this city.
where he had lived I'm poverty and OBJ
security for a number of years once he
lived in the white house and went 20 the
capitol with the message of the President,
his father. His name was John Tyler. and
he was the son of the tenth President Of
the United States. He drew a pension of
S a month for service in the Mexican
war until his death. For number of
years in the latter part of his life he
held position i'm the department service
in Washington. but the changes of poll
ties threw him out, and he was unable
TO obtain reinstatement.
The problem. What shall we do with
our eX-Presidents? is not nearly so inn
portant as What shall we do with the
families Of our ex-Presidents?' for Of late
years the ex-Presidents have taken care
of themselves, or have been cared for by
their friends. but this kindness has not
sbeen extended always to their families.
And the son of a President OF the United
States is handicapped for life. My great
est misfortune is that l am the son Of
the President" said the child OF a chief
executive.
Presidents wives have been cared for
by congress. Pensions of 5000 a year
have been granted to five OF them-Mrs.
Tyler, Mrs Polk, Mrs. Grant, Mrs Lin
coin and Mrs Garfield. Mrs. Grant is
comparatively rich, the result of the sue
cess of her husbands memoirs, and Mrs
Garfield has a very comfortable fortune.
contributed by some rich friends of her
late husband.
AS a rule, Presidents sons have shown
themselves amply able to care for them
selves. John Adams left fortune of $780,
600 to his son, John Quincy Adams, but the
Younger Adams had been elected Presi-
dent of the United States before he receiv-
ed his fathers bcouSst He was a man of
great mental capacity, and he was amply
able to make his own way i'm the world.
Jenerson's children were not so fortun-
ate. He was SO poor that he sold his IL
brarY to congress for $4,000 about one
quarter of it's valued. and later he indorsed
"a note for S2).G10 for a friend. which he
was compelled to pay. lie was in danger
then of losing Monticello, but Philip Hone,
mayor Of New York, raised 5000 in that
c.ty in 1896, and the people OF Philadelphia
and Baltimore added 5000 and $1,000 res
pectively. to the sum, so that Jefferson
died solvent. His daughter Mrs. Randolph
and her children, who had been with him
during his last years, were LETT penniless,
and Mrs. Randolph contemplated opening
a school. But South Carolina and Virginia
voted $4,000 each to her support, and she
lived on the interest OF this money till
her death. in 1896. Madison left no children
to share his small estate. Monroe died poor
but his two daughters had married before
his death, one OF them being the wife OF
George Hay of Virginia. and the other OF
Samuel l.. Gouverneur OF New York. John
Quincy Adams left an estate about as
large as that of his father-S50.000; but the
Adams family was quite able to take care
of itself without Inheritance, and down TO
the present day 1t has earned honors ana
wealth.
Jackson left no children His grandniece.
is a clerk in the government departments
Van Buren, was one of the richest of the
Presidents. IT was said he drew no salary
till he left the white house, and that he re-
ceived 500, 900 which had accumulated
during his term in one lump. He had
son, Abraham, who graduated at West
Point and served with distinction In the
army. He was breYeted for gallentry al
Churubusco Abraham Van Buren, mar
ried "a woman who was well-tO-do. John
Van Buren,. President Van Buren's sec
ond son. graduated at Yale, and became
one of the leading members of the New
York bar. He was elected attorney gem
eral Of the state.
William Henry Harrison left small es-
tate, which went eventually to his SON
the father OF Benjamin Harrison who
was a member of congress from Indiana
for four years. Benjamin Harrison in
herited very little Gf his money, and he
had to make his own way from the Begin
ming Of his career. But he showed con-
spicuOus ability as a lawyer, and his prac-
tice since he left the white house has
to him.
President Tyler's first wife died while
he was in the white house. One of his
sons, Robert, went TO Philadelphia where
he held several civil offices. Then he went
TO Richmond. where he was appointed reg
lster OF the treasury. At the expiration of
his term OF office he moved 10 Montgom-
cry, Ala, where he edited newspaper I'M
I'll his death. John Tyler, who has lust
died, was secretary to his father though
he did not hold the title Of private secre-
cd Of bf
left the white house. He drew no salary
and he said not long ago that when he
left the white house he pawned his watch
Tor $50 because ne had no money. John
Tyler would have been one of the victims
of the explosion on the Princeton which
Killed his future step-mothers father. II
he had not been escorting Mrs Gilmore
the wife Of the Secretary of the NAVY to
the cabin at the time the Peacemaker
blew up 4r. Gilmore was killed by the
accident So was Mr.. Gardiner Of New
York, whose daughter became Mrs Tyler
not long afterward. President Tyler had
a son BY his second wife, who was conspic-
uous in the politics OF Virginia, and who
became president Of William and Mary
college, the institution from which his
father had graduated. Mrs. Tyler was the
first Presidents wife to receive aid from
to her.
Mrs. Polk also received a pension from
congress. She had no children President
Taylor left several children VINO were quite
competent 10 take care Of themselves. HIS
eldest daughter married Jefferson Davis.
another married W. Il. Bliss, major in the
army, and she was mistress of the white
house during part Of her fathers term
After the death of her father and her bus-
band, she married Philip cambridge Of Vir-
ginia, who left her comfortably provided
for. Her brother, 'Dick" Taylor was
man Of much distinction, a member of the
secession convention of Louisiana, served
In the confederate army under StonewaJl
Jackson in the valley campaign, rose to the
rank of general, and served with credit TN
the end of the war. After the war ne went
to New York, where, just before his death
in 1879, he published a book with the title
Destruction and Reconstruction
PRECEDENT Fillmore had only one child-a
daughter, who died while he was vet alive
President Pierce had three chiidren-all
boys. Two of them died while quite young
The third lived to be Is. He was killed In a
railroad accident while travelling with ms
father an mother from Andover to Law
renee, NJ IS, in January, 1859. 1t was
only twd months before the inauguration
Of his Their as President and the acct
dent ca II a gloom over the white house
during the entire administration of PresI-
dent Pierce. James Buchanan was a bach
elor The LncOlns brought three bows
with them to the white house. One died
during his fathers administration-he was
the Presidents favor!te child-and another
not long after the murder of the President