Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-10-06

ASASS
If he were disposed to accept them,
the president might have many per-
quisites in the form of presents from
the people. There is a imam in Connecti-
cut who sends q splendid turkey to the
president every Christmas day, and an
other for the New Year dinner at the
white house. He has been doing this for
a score of years. It is generally under
stood, however, that presidents will not
accept presents, and the practice for
merly prevalent is practically discon-
tinued. Once upon time there was q
Virginian who sent to President An
drew Jackson cheese so large that it
would not go through any of the white
house doors or windows; and Gen. Jack
son had it cut out on the big front lawn,
and invited the citizens of the littleyil-
lage of Washington to come and help
themselves. At that time there were no
more than $4,000 or 10000 people in all
the District of Columbia.
The president who has a family and
who loves his children must have high
appreciation of the spacious grounds
about the white house, in which the
children may play with abandon and in
safety. The wide-spreading trees, the
velvety lawn, the fountains, the flowers,
are all surrounded by high iron fence
and every gate is guarded by watch
man. There children may play without
fear of assault or accident, while the
children of tens of thousands of other
jewellers in cities must be cooped up in
their houses or play in the shapeless,
cramped little yards. The mansion it
self and the surrounding grounds may
be regarded as among the presidents
best official perquisites.
Senators when in Washington have
free shaves and shines in the senate bar
Der shop at the capitol building; but
the president is obliged to hire his own
barber and bootblack. He has no per-
euisites of an unnecessary or question:
able nature. The fish commissioner fur.
nishes the white house aquarium with
gold fish and other fancy fishes, while
the horticultural and agricultural de-
partments furnish all varieties Of flow
ers in addition to those which are
grown in the large conservatory of the
white house; but these little decora.
tions and ornamentive beauties are real.
ly the perquisites Of the presidents
wife; for fancy fish and flowers are
more pleasing to the feminine than the
masculine eyes.
I once knew president whose policy
proved to be unpopular during his in
cumbency of Office, and very few sena
tors or representatives called upon him
When thinking of his loneliness in his
high position, and contrasting the live:
Of other presidents who daily receive
the official and social calls of upward:
of so of the leading men of this nation
it has occurred to me that the friendship
and admiration of the people is per
quisite of the president which is Mt
tainable by no other American citizen IL
any other position, or under any othe;
| circumstances. Undoubtedly the pres
! ident who was stunned by his owl
party leaders and ignored by the lead
ers of the opposition, would gladly hav
counted the friendship Of the peopl
greater perquisite Of his Office thar
the salary and all other emolument
combined. The three great attributeso
Washington are known to all, but
seems to me that while it was pleasure
to have been "first in war;" and also Il
have been FIRST in peace" his creates
delight must have been in a realizatio!
Of the fact that he was FIRST in tn
hearts Of his countrymen."
sNrrTrJ n ppv