New-York tribune., 1902-03-31

T,ould be entitled at least hundred and
the United States Senate.
And here # deserves to be noted that the
Senators have no more serious or important
duties. none involving greater risks or more
serious responsibilities, than those which are
purely executive. and which they share on equal
yerrns with the President. ! refer, of course 10
aheir share in the exercise of the treaty making
rover. What Senator. ! beg 10 know, could ex
oFfcio pretend n he better qualified for the dis
charge Of these executive duties than the Off
Ger who for the preceding four or eight years
fas conducted our intercourse with foreign na-
rions and negotiated all the treaties submitted
to the Senate during that period? He should
he worth his salary as A member Of the Com
rnittee on Foreign Relations alone, II he did no
other Senatorial work.
But assuming for a moment that the objec-
tions of your contemporary to The Tribunes
scheme Of a life Senatorial tenure for ex-Presi-
dents are valid. those objections may be readily
removed without denying 10 the President A.
seat IN the Senate or a salary there suitable 10
his rank. The right to vote might be with held
from him. or it might be enjoyed by him only by
the invitation of a majority Of the other SEN
stors. can hardly conceive Of the people of the
United States when desiring to pay a suita hIa
mark Of respect TO its retiring chief magistrate
tying such a string as that 10 their tribute It
would he degrading the President from the rank
Of an active and useful public officer to that Of
pensioner. Such a proposition might find some
defenders in the Senate, but not many, think.
among the people.
One thing. however, is certain: that while We
continue to provide a suitable income for life
IN a retiring Lieutenant General Of the arnv
from whom no service is required in return
there can be no excuse for making no similar
F~r
who may have appointed and must have COM
Inanded, this lieutenant general. or for refus-
ing him a position where he could unquestion-
ably by his advice and experience render the
country great service. even though the privilege
Of voting should be denied him.
The power Of every government consists not
in its laws or its constitution but in the respect
which the people entertain for the men who exc
cute those laws and that constitution-in other
words for the government. The consequences
Of weakening the popular respect for public Of
fcers are quite as serious. nay. more serious
than extending TO them an exaggerated homage.
The President. retiring from office carries
with him, wherever he goes. no inconsidera bIe
proportion Of the dignity with which he had
been invested by the people; and it is idle to say
that the government does not lose power and
authority with the people when they find the
man they had once clothed with the highest
honor in their gift and their largest powers IS
earning his bread by settling financial disputes
between John Doe and Richard Roe, CT sitting as
a referee at SO a day, or perhaps in moro in
glorious pursuits II is not many years since
one Of our chief magistrates iwpelled hy the
necessities Of providing for his family was be
guiled into 2 business Of which he had no ex-
PeTience, Hardly = year elapsed before his part
ner was arrested and sentenced to State prison
for eight years. or Whereabouts. What has hap
pened once may happen again. and might hap
pen. unfortunately. when the more conspicuous
partner was not member Of the party then in
power JOHN BIGELOW.
10. 81 Gramercy Park. New York, March -.
1902