The sun., 1907-12-29
CLEVELAND ON EX-PRESIDENHS
ME THINKS TEE NATION OUGHT
a., TO PROVIDE FOR THEM,
ThO6sh he Rnunsslr IL Wen Fixed and HAS
No Desire 10 PrOnt by zHs own gugges-
tIon--wbaG tho Country Expects 81
a Man VINO Has Been ITS ChleG.

th0n--Wh@e tM0 Country EGpoDoD or
a Man VINO Has Been ITS Chief.
Grover Cleveland has written an article
for the issue OF the Youths COmpdntoS q
January on "Our Duties 20 Our Ex-Prest-
dents" in which he speaks OTtho necessities
OF an sx-Prssident. his obligations and 90
cupations, and touches upon the provision
the people should make for retired Chief
Magistrates
On tho subject OF an ex-Presidcnt's
necessities MIR. Cleveland writes;
sDoes the honor and respect or even the
personal affection generously accorded by
his countrymen to one who has retired
from their highest office serve tho pu rposs
Of complete acquittance on the peoples
side Of the ACCOUNT Unquestionably. from
q sentimental point Of view. the honor. re-
spect and affection put TO their credit are
| OF infinitely more value than any service
that can be performed by an ex-President
and abundantly compensate for any re-
straint exacted from him at their behest
But how stands the account In the light Of
the necessities OF the worizadsy world
which hold US all in unyielding environ
mentp
Mention has already been made Of the
requirement. by the people that the conduct
and occupations OF their eH-Presidents
should be so restricted that the dignity
of the position they occupy will be scrupu-
lously maintained. This suggests without
argument n reciprocal connection between
tho Curtailment Of opportunities OF hveli-
hood on one side and a reasonable obligation
i Of Naturalization on the other.
THE President OF the French Republic re-
ceives an annual salary amounting 20
$4,000, together with $4,000 for the main
tenance and furnishing Of his official resi-
dence. and a like sum to cover the expenses
OF travel and entertainment. This In de-
cidedly in the direction Of securing digni-
fed and unperplexed future support to It's
Il ex-President.
st is hardly to be supposed that such
an expenditure as this on account OF our
Presidential office would accord with Ameri-
can ideas. It In not so easy. however. to
| dismiss from our minds she thought that
| the American nation cannot well afford to
disregard entirely the conditions that con-
front its retired Presidents nor longer
to allow itself to be accessory to the pitt
ful incidents that have frequently resulted
from such conditions.
"Our national pride should be rldely
touched when we read concerning Thomas
Jefferson, after his retirement from tn"
Presidency:
by degrees Jefferson became q poor
man. and indeed worse than poor. since
he was involved in pecuniary embsrrass-
ments. Before matters had reached this
stage he had sold his library to Congress
for s23.95O.'
Although he expressed himself a. de-
string nothing from the public treasury.
he accepted pecuniary aid furnished by
| Trvate subscription with the pathetic
| statement
~ have spent three times az much
| money and given my whole life to my
countrymen. and now they nObly come
forward in the only way they can and save
an old servant from being turned like
dog out OF doors
John Quincy Adams. a short time be-
fore he retired from the Presidency. and
| in contemplation of that event. wrote ss
| follows:
The income of my whole private estate
is iess than $1,000 a year and arm paying
! at least two thousand OF that for interest
on my debt. Finally. upon going out Of
Office in one year from this time desti-
tute OF all means OF acquiring property.
| Il will only he by the sacrifice Of that which
now POSSESS that shall be able to support
my family
Concerning provision for our ex-Presi-
| dents thn writer says:
Whatever omission there NAV be OF fair
and cOnsi derate conduct on the part OF o,Ir
people in their relations with their ex-
Presidents ought TO be made good by a def
mite and generous provision for all casss
alike, based upon motives OF justice and
fairness and adequate to the situation.
"The condition is by no means met by tho
meagre and spasmodio relief occasionally
furnished under the ghse Of military PEN
sion or some other pretext nor would IL be
best met by making compensation, already
accrued or accruing. dependent upon the
discharge OF Senatorial or other official
duty.
~IH in concluding this discussion per-
sonal word is necessary or permissible in
view of the fact that I am the only man now
living who could at this time profit by tho
ideas have advocated, l hope my sincerity
will not he questioned when say that havs
dealt with the subject without the least
thought Of personal interest or desire for
personal advantage. lam not in need OF aid
from the public treasury. I hope and he
leve that have provided for myself and
those dependent upon me a comfortable
maintenance, within the limits OF aoCus-
toned prudence and economy. and that
those TO whom owe the highest earthly
duty will not want when arm gone.
these conditions have permitted mo TO
treat with the utmost freedom topic which
involves no personal considerations and
only has to do in my mind with conditions
that may arise in the future but are not
attached to the ex-President Of to-day. and
am sure that I am actuated only by an
ever present desire that the fairness and
sense Of justice characteristic OF American
ism shall neither fail nor be obscured.'
Mr.. Cleveland says Of the obligations OF
an ex-President;