The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-29
Grover Cleveland Gives
 His Views.
PROVISION SHOULD BE MADE
Office Creates Dignity That Must
 Be Maintained.
Only Living Ex-President Writes Lengthy Article For Youth's Com- panion on "our People And
 Their Ex-Presidents."

New York, Dec. 2S.--Former Presi- dent Grover Cleveland. under the title "Our People and their Ex-Presidents, has contributed an interesting article to The Youths Companion for Janu- ary.
 Referring to the poverty of "Jeffer- son after he left the Presidency as blow to national pride" Mir. Cleveland declares definite and generous provfs- ions should be made for the mainte- nance of chief magistrates at the end of their terms He deals with the suo- ject at length and explains that he feels he can do so without his sin- cerity being questioned, since he Is be- yond the need of aid from the public treasury.
 '"The condition is by no means met" MT. Cleveland writes, "by the meager and spasmodic relief occasionally fur nished under the guiseN of military pension or some other pretext nor would it be best met by making com pensation dependent upon the direct charge of senatorial or other duty. Our people ought to make a definite and general provision for all cases alike, based on motives of justice and fair ness and adequate to the situation"
 Mr. Cleveland describes the limita- tions that his former high office places on a retiring President in his choice of occupation and means of livelihood, and the popular conception of him as a repository of national dignity. en- forced a scale of living that may not be within his private means
 There Is sort of vague but none the less imperative feeling abroad in the land" said MT. Cleveland, that one who has occupied the great office of President, holds in trust for his fel- low citizens, a certain dignity which in his conduct and manner of life he is bound to protect. against loss or deterioration. Obedience to this obh- gation prescribes for him only such. work as in popular judgment is not undignified. This suggests without. lrgument, a reciprocal connection be- tween the cnrtailment of opportuni- ties and a reasonable obligation Of tndemnification on the other"
 Reset By Appeals.
 One division of the Cleveland article 10 devoted to the occupation of an ex- President" and in 1t tie former Pres sident reveals the multiplicity of things which persons endeaver to bring to the attention of the retired statesman and the manner of affairs he is asked to engage in.
 He Is deluged with books" Mir. Cleveland says, most of them indif- serent or positively worthless. and
  mend for advertising purposes. He is made target for all sorts of pecun- lary solicitation, embracing all sorts of objects, ranging from large endowment funds and disinterested owners of fab uloulsly profitable investments to pa- thetic and depressing appeals for the relief of individual distress.
 He is almost daily importuned to join in the management of public or semi public enterprises which profess to be useful or beneficient or charita- ble. He is persistently urged to make addresses on topics and for purposes that are bewildering and at times and places that are impossible. His daily mail furnishes conclusive evidence that he is not overlooked by any class or condition of our people in any corner of our land. and the visitors he re- ceives forbid the reflection that he is only a melancholy product of our gov ernment system.
 Tt Is most gratifying to note how the lives of our ex-Presidents are made grateful and bright by the generous attachments and spontaneous kindness, manifested toward them by their fel- low countrymen."