Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-01-10
PROVISION FOR
EX-PRES|DENTS,
Grover Cleveland Thinks the Ma
ton Ought to Pension Them.
WHAT THE COUNTRY EXPECTS
Public Forces, He Says. Mode of Life
Not In Keeping With Financial
Standing OF Retiring Presidents-As-
serts They Should Be Enabled to
Maintain Dignity In Private Life.

eefts ineJ Snouiu Oe cnapieo TO
Maintain Dignity In Private Life.
Grover Cleveland. ex-president of the
| United States. in an article recently
published in the Youth'S Companion
makes Il plea for pensioning ex-presi-
dents.
The title OF the article is "Our Du-
ties to Our EX-PreSidcnts." and Mr.
Cleveland sets forth that. while he
wants no aid from the nation. we
should do something TO provide for
the men who have occupied the execu-
tive chair 10 prevent their becoming
poverty stricken
The article. the magazine declares.
is II document likely to become his
! toricaI, for, while the subject has had
much attention and discussion. the few
persons most vitally concerned In the
matter have never heretofore given ex-
preston to any special views upon it,"
The following are extracts:
ut is most gratifying TO note how
the private lives OF our ex-presidents
are made grateful and bright 10y the
generous attachment and spontaneous
kindness manifested toward them by
| their fellow countrymen. The Amer-
eau people are the best people IN the
world, and the honor and respect with
which they follow to his retirement
one who has served them in the high
est office within their gift illustrate
the innate nobility of the American
| character
"rhe truth Is that our people. so far
| from treating their eX-presidentS SIM
| ply rs relics Of past honors. seem dis
! posed not only 10 heStOw upon them
| honor and respect, but to continue them
| in service So far as To interfere seri-
tion to private citizenship and their un-
restrained resumption of the occupation
of everyday life.
There Is n sort of vague but none
| the less imperative feeling abroad in
! the land that one who has occupied
| the great office of president holds in
trust for his fellow citizens certain
| dignity which in his conduct and man
ner of life he is bound to protect
against loss or deterioration.
obedience to this obligation. which
can hardly he avoided. limits the eX-
| president in his chance of an occupa-
! tlon of means OF livelihood and pre-
scribes for him only such work as In
popular Judgment Is not undignified.
and it also forces scale OF living on
his part frequently less in keeping
| with his financial ability than with
popular conceptions of ex-presidential
propriety.
! Our national pride should be rudely
| Thomas jefferson after his retirement
from the presidency: BY degrees JEFF
| ferson became poor man and. indeed,
worse than poor. since he was involved
| In pecuniary embarrassments. Before
matters had reached this stage he had
sold his library to congress for S23950.
! although he expressed himself rs
desiring nothing from the public treas
nry, he accepted pecuniary aid. fur
nished by private subscription. with
the pathetic statement:
81 have spent three times as 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
| before he retired from the presidency
and in contemplation Of that event
wrote as follows:
THE income of my whole private
estate is less than $4,000 a year. and
am paying at least $1,000 of that for
interest on my debt. Finally upon go.
ing out Of Office in one year from this
time destitute Of all means of acaulr-
ing property. it will only be by the
sacrifice of that which | now possess
that shall be able to support my
| family
"Whatever omission there may be of
fair and considerate conduct on the
part of our people in their relations
with their ex-presidents ought to be
made good by definite and generous
provision for all eases alike. based
upon motives of justice and fairness
and adequate to the situation.
"The condition is by no means met
by the meager and spasmodic relief
occasionally furnished under the guise
of military pension or some other
preteXt. nor would it be best met by
making compensation. already accrued
or accruing. dependent upon the dis
charge of senatorial or other official
duty.
"If. In concluding this discussion, a
personal word is necessary or perlnis-
sible in view of the fact that am the
only man now living who could at this
time profit by the ideas | have advo-
Gated. hope my sincerity will not be
questioned when say that have
dealt with the subject without the least
thought of personal interest or desire
for personal advantage.
| AN hol Ill hceu VI aiu ilohi 'he
public treasury. hope and believe that
have provided for myself and those
dependent upon me comfortable
maintenance, within the limits of ac-
customed prudence and economy, and
those to whom owe the highest earth
ly duty will not want when am gone
"These conditions have permitted me