Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-01-29
Ex.PRESIDENTS HAD BETTER BE
PENSIONED BY Law.
The Recent Bid for Grover Cleve-
lands Services by the Large In
SuranCe Companies Not in Har-
mOny With National Ideas. a
Pension Suggested.

Grover Cleveland was recently APP
pointed "referee" for three large insur.
ance companies at salary of $l2, 900 per
year. 1t is said that his duties will be
to see to it that the anti-rebate law is
not violated.
The New York World calls upon Mr..
Cleveland to decline the office. saying:
ut would he quite as appropriate for
them to appoint referee to prevent
perjury, theft, and other violations cf
the penal code"
While the World admits that the offer
is very attractive, it says: 'The fact re.
mains that it is not Grover Cleveland,
the lawyer, whom these companies wish
to employ, but Grover Cleveland, former
president of the United States" Then
the World says:
''It is time congress made it unneces.
sary for former presi lent of the United
States to act as an attorney for Wall
street interests or for street railway com.
panies or for insurance companies. A
pension OF $25 900 year would be trifle
in the budget. The nation conld afford
to pay it many times over rather than
permit selfish interests to exploit the
prestige and reputation of former presi.
dent. The people OF the United States
are the greatest corporation in the world.
1t is they who should retain their ex-
presidents"
The World asks congress to discharge
a duty which an ex-president should dis
charge for himself. "be it enacted"
should not be required to keep in the
straight and narrow path an ex- president
or any other ex official. If the employ
ment is OF such character that it would
be unbecoming in man who had held
the office of president, the man himself
should reject even tempting offer.
That "the nation could afford to pay it
($26 900 Year, many times over rather
than permit selfish interests to exploit
the prestige and reputation OF a former
president" is strange argument for an
intelligent newspaper to advance.
The president Of the United States re-
ceives fair salary and there is nc reason
why he should be given pension. II he
should happen to be man who would
yield to the temptations offered by sell
fish interests bent upon exploiting "the
prestige and reputation Of a former
president" the object lesson woud be
advantageous to the American people be-
cause it would remind them that they
must be more careful in the selection of
presidential timber.
Wien President Harrison retired from
the White House he took up the active
practice of law. He made good living,
too, and we do not remember to have
heard a hint that any selfish interest
had ever undertaken to 'exploit the
prestige and reputation of former presi-
dent" in the case Of Benjamin Harrison
If a former president accepts employ.
ment that is not creditable to him, his
employers will very soon ind that they
buy a gold brick when they seek, in Sc.
curing the services of an individual to
"exploit the prestige and reputation of a
former president" Under such circum-
STAGES the prestige would not last long
and the reputation would be thoroughly
tarnished.
1t will. however, he many years be-
fore the American people will be con.
vinced that it is good policy to pension a
former president in order to restrain him
from selling his talents to an unholy
cause.