The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-01-29
WASHINGTON LETTER
MATTERS OF GENERAL INTER
EST FROM THE CAPITAL

From the days of George Wash
ington until Ulysses S. Grant the
salary of the President had been
twenty-five thousand dollars a
year. From Grant to Taft it has
been double that amount and it is
probable that from Taf's first
term until the boy now in school
shall become president, the Pres
dents salary will be 500, 900.
President Roosevelt is paid every
month S ,166 and some cents.
President Taft will be paid more
than $4,000. per month. There
was an effort to increase Roose-
velt's salary at the end of the first
term but it was frustrated by Mr..
Baker of New York, member of
Congress, who snubbed the B. &
o. Railroad, when it sent him n
free pass. President Roosevelt. it
appears, was in no way solicitous
for an increase OF salary and he
has said more than once, that he
thought S50,000., the amount he
was receiving, was about right for
the President of the United States,
but it would be well for him to
have $40 900. extra for entertain
ment and an additional sum for
travelling expenses. None of his
predecessors have been so hos
pitable as President Roosevelt.
The family has seldom sat down
to the table alone but at breakfast,
luncheon and dinner have been
surrounded by guests and It'll
probable that more distinguished
people, both from this country
and abroad have met and broken
bread with President Roosevelt,
than with any six of his prede-
cessors. 1t is doubtful if he has
saved much, if anything from his
salary, but he has a small private
fortune, which will insure a modest
but independent living, and he
receives a respectable living from
royalties on his books
az we'll as from his contributions
to current magazines. The con-
si6eration of the bill to increase
the Presidents salary was an OPP
portunity for various Senators to
talk through the press to their
constituencies and let them know
how careful and solicituous they
were for homelike economy and
thrift and how severely they
could frown down the recroach-
ing luxury, wastefulness and prod
igality that n hears so much
about nowadays in Washing
ton. Senator Hale of Maine made
his same old speech against
battle ships and the army. Other
Senators inveighed against the
cost of forest reservation. Senator
Money of Mississippi attached the
tendency to usurp power, and ar
gued that large expenditures
were not necessary to maintain the
dignity of Office. He said that
there was a gradual change of
opinion going on, that the people
no longer regard the President as
a servant of the nation, that a
current magazine made a state
ment, that there are two great
rulers in the world, one Theodore
Roosevelt and the other the Ger
man Kaiser. Both have been re-
buked. The emperor submitted
while the autocratic ruler of the
United States refused to submit.
This sentiment has gone so far,
said Senator Money, that a coup
d'etat by the President of the
United States would be welcomed
by some admirals in the navy and
some generals in the army.
The Vice Presidents salary was
increased to $4,000, those of the
Speaker and Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court to SIS, 900.
while Associate Justices we're ad-
vanced to SD, 0
To the somewhat pessimistic
reports in regard to the Panama
8NQnQl hnUa aaanoonlnA oo.--