The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-16
PROAIAND IOSSNG0RRD BY THE PRESIDENCY
LASTING FAME ASSURED. But
DRAWBACKS ARE MANY.

AS president of the United States a
man enjoys greater constitutional
powers than he might as king of
England. The appointing power of
president is limited by the civil SER
vice law, which can be changed. OF
course, by the dominant power of con-
gress Were the civil service law re-
pealed, a president would probably
have at his disposal 100, 600 offices.
whereas Mr.. McKinley's official pa
tronage has amounted to only 1000,
not counting postmasterships in either
estimatel The choicest offices in the
gift of the president are ambassador
ships and ministers, paying as high as
SIT, 500; consul generalships, often
paying $25, 600 in fees supreme court
judgeships, paying from $40. 500 down ;
territorial governorships. as high as
$40, 900, and cabinet officers, at s., 900.
Our presidents enjoy the highest as
sociations. intellectually and socially.
Their functions are attended by learned
scholars, great statesmen and people
of royal and noble blood. The presi
dent is the host of emperors and kings
visiting this country. Mr.. Mckinley
has already entertained prince, a
princess and two presidents He is
regularly paid homaee-as will be his
successfully dukes, marquises,
counts, viscounts and barons; consti-
tuting a part of that official coterie
which in monarchy would be termed
the "court +"
The after benefits which the highest
Office in the land guarantees 1t incnm-
bents are many The title ''ex-presi-
dent has the greatest possible adver-
Using value Harrison, after leaving
the white house, received as high as
81, 900 page for magazine articles,
$40, 900 for a short series of law lee
lures and several tremendous law fees
one amounting to 800, 600. Further
more president or ex-president finds
himself a great boom for real estate in
which he invests. Mr.. Cleveland
bought ''Red Top his summer house
near this city, for $25, 600 and sold it
for $148, 600. His investments at BuZ-
yards Bay and Princeton have been
followed by great booms.
Enter next fne lasting benefits which
the presidency offers to wives and
posterity of it's incumbents,. 1t is
safe to say that history will never for
get the consorts of our chief execu-
tives. What is more, of practical
worth, the presidency carries with it
virtual insurance. Congress has es
tablished the custom of allowing
pension of S., 600 year to presidents
widows, whether aggrieved during
their husbands administrations or
later. If the chief executive died in
Office his widow receives the balance
of the salary which he would have
earned during his four years. Con-
S-ess further confers upon presidential
widows the right to use the mails
free. Mrs Grant and Mrs. Garfield
are enjoying these privileges In as
dition to her pension, Mrs Garfield
received fortune of $3.50, 900 contri-
buted by the people Of the United
States. Jefferson's friends, after he
left the white house and fell into pow
erty, raised $40, 500 for him. But the
presidency has entailed varying for
tunes to the children of its incum-
bents The son of John Adams and the
grandson of the first Harrison sue
ceeded to the high Office. Lincoln's
son served as secretary of war and
minister to England. Grants son be-
came minister to Austria and brigadier
general of volunteers. His grandson
and the son of Hayes obtained mill
tary commissions The grandson of
Polk represents Pennsylvania dis
trict in congress. Yet the son of Tyler
a few years ago died here in poverty
and obscurity.
In our Gloss" column we find enter
4 1ar nd
ed of president. In past campaigns
it has cost many men dearly to become
mere presidential candidates. The
on the stump suffers less,
than he who remains at
home and keeps open house. To come
to Washington in proper style before
Inauguration usually costs pretty
penny. Cleveland hotel bill here in
March, 1893, was $500 day. Although
the government pays the white house
stewart, valet, maid and groom, the
wages of the coachman, cooks and
other personal enthusiastically ten or
dozen more-must come out OF the
chief executives pocket. The presi-
dent must buy the horses and carriages
devoted to his own use and must pur-
chase his own horse feed. Although
state dinners at the white house are
official affairs, he must personally bear
their expense. Hayes spent So, 600 on
one such spread. McKinley's Dewey
dinner is said to have cost 81, 600.
That to Prince Albert of Belgium
probably cost as much. In each ad-
ministration there must be IL state
dinners, and these cost anywhere from
$500 to 81, 600 apiece. The secretary OF
state is allowed "secret fund OF
$50, 900 for the entertainment of official
foreigners The expenditure of this
need not be accounted for. But the
president has no such fund. If he en-
tertains aboard his official yacht, he
must settle for all eatables drinkables
vessel and he is commander chief
OF the navy.
The grind upon the presidents
physical and nervous system is an item
more serious than the wear and tear
upon his pocketbook. Even before the
busy war period Mr.. McKinley's
working day averaged Is hours. Every
president is hunted by cranks and
lunatics, goodly proportion of whom
would attempt violence on gaining
access to him. A few of the white
house crank callers during this adj
ministration have been a man claiming
TO be the pope, another believing him
self a prophet inspired by the AL
mighty and sent to warn the president
that some high official was to be s're-
moved from this world a tall Ger
man who wished to teach the president
how to examine naval recruits, an
old woman with the photograph of a
house in which she claimed to have
been robbed of "a, 900, a man who in
sisted upon preaching sermon in the
vestibule of the north door and q Ger
man who called for relief from perse-
cutions by the Catholic church.