The Dickinson press., 1905-10-28
President Pays Tor His Special Train.

St. Paul Pioneer Press: Whatever may
be the estimate of his political, friends
or opponents of the value of the services
rendered to the country or to the govern
ment by the tour which the president is
now making through several southern
states, there is likely to be little dissent
from the proposition that he ought not
to be permitted to render that service
at his personal cost, as he is now doing
so far as transportation and train service
are concerned. The criticisms made by
a considerable portion of the press on
his acceptance from 1.-The railroads of
courtesies which have been customary
for half century, on the occasion of his
last trip to the west, led to determine
ton on his part not thereafter to-accept
free transportation or train service from
any road. 1t would be unbecoming the
dignity of the office he holds to travel
like an ordinary citizen-a physical i'm
possibility, even, on account of the
throngs that would impede his move
ments. 1t is necessary, too, that he
should be accompanied by portion of
the executive staff of the White House,
in order that he may daily transact some
part of the duties of his office, wherever
he goes. If he could not be thus accom-
panied it would be practically impos-
sible for him to leave Washington with
out mourning reproach for neglect of
duty. So he charters special train, the
cost of which for the present trip is
estimated at about $1,000, and pays for
it out of his own pocket.
This isn't the sort of thing that will
please the rich, high-spirited generous
American nation. The people as a
whole had no fault to find with their
president for accepting the service of
the special trains freely rendered by the
railroads. They saw no reason why
corporations receiving such immense
benefits from the government should not
render such courtesies to the govern
ment's chief representative. But since
the acceptance of these has been made,
by small minds, an occasion for making
the president uncomfortable, and since
they would willingly relieve him of any
sense of obligation, they will find way
of SO adjusting the matter as to crafty
their own sense Of propriety and right
and give the president all the facilities
Ehe needs for visiting them without any
tax upon his salary.
The most popular suggestion is that
congress shall provide for the construc-
ton of train of cars especially and
exclusively for the use of the president
a travelling White House, fitted up with
every convenience for comfort, for the
transaction of business and for the re-
ception of guests on those hurried occa-
sions when the president cannot leave
the train during brief stoppage. With
such train some improvement might
be made on the "rear platform levee.'
For the hauling of this train over their
Irrespective routes, the roads should be
paid by congressional appropriation.
The government provides coaches for
the presidents use at Washington, war
ships to carry him whenever he chooses
to travel by sea. The need in neither of
these cases is equal to that, in this age of
railroads, for presidents train. -
With such train always at his disposal,
and its office equipment making easy
the uninterrupted carrying on of most of
his work, the president would be able
to get about among the people far more
than in times past, both to their advant-
age and his own.