The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-11

WAS StrlKlns cOlncldence, says
the New York Times. that Lord
Il kitchener's reward for his Afri-
can campaign should be moved
| upon the third anniversary of the grant
to him upon account of his Egyptian
services. Two such services and two
such rewards are Il rare experience. Yet
England felt called upon to make ex-
cuse or explanation of why Lord Kitch-
ener gets only a quarter of a million
of dollars and promotion, both in the
army and, in the peerage. 1t was be-
cause he was so young, with so much
work before him to be we'll paid for,
because he was not a field marshal and
had not q family For these reasons
fifty thousand pounds and higher
seat in the house of lords were thought
adequate, OF course in addition to his
regular pay. No Englishman grudges
fortunes and honor to military heroes.
1t is singular how much better they
reward the winner of battles than those
who avert hostile collisions. No one was
more meritorious in this respect than
Lord Pauncefote. over whom the grave
has not yet finally closed. He was not
Il young man with. his fortune and his
prime before him. Upon the contrary.
he had passed the age of retirement
with as many triumphs of peace behind
him as there are triumphs of bloody
victory behind Kitchener. Yet he died
only a baron, and there is talk of
roundrobin subscription among his
friends. There is no lack of family as
reason for not better rewarding him.
Indeed it is said that his accomplished
daughters are preparing to support
themselves. one of them as a trained
nurse, for house not readily rentable
is said to be practically all that stately
matron and gentle daughters have as a
reliance.
But he had received an annual salary
of $500 for many years. Why, then,
had he not made greater accumula-
tions? How many years. we wonder,
would go to the accumulation OF
quarter Of million Of dollars by the
annual addition OF the differences be-
tween that salary and the cost of liv-
ing? There are economies not open to
the representatives of sovereigns, and
there are posts whose preoccupa tions
are not Well adapted to advantageous
cheeseparing. Governments pay great
salaries to have official dignities MAIN
tained. and not to enrich individuals.
We are we'll aware of the beam in
our own eye. No ambassadors in his
majesty's service are the superiors of
those we send to st. James at about
half the salary paid to the British am
bassador at Washington. We fancy we
can see the smile with which ii gentle
man whose name need not be called
would receive the suggestion that he
could retire upon savings from SIT 900
yearly in the coronation year. Lawyers
of like calibre get as much for single |
argument. And we remember very we'll |
that Captain Clark, designated to at
tend the coronation in reward for dis |
tinguished service, was compelled to |
say he could not afford the honor, |
What American read that without feel |
ing little mean about 1t personally? |
A man who caught the Cristobal Colon |
with battleship years out of dock, and |
brought around a continent at unprece-
with higher dignities and something for
their up-keep than by junketing trip
at his own expense. Somewhere there
Is happy mean between services and
rewards, but neither Kingdoms nor re-
publics have struck 1t, still less have a
MONOPOLY of IL.