The sun., 1910-06-12
FOR WIDOWS OF PRESIDENTS
Pr\,JONN lND PRIVILEGES
GRtNTED m CONGRESS-
r,.,om That Began Win ire widow ~
The first President special IlonoFs
,o Nrs. Madison Mr.. GaFleld We'll
pro, ldrd FOr APPEAL Of NFl. Lincoln

annTN|N |#'I .INE NNH AAANA A'"AAAAAANAAN1 ANRA
me manner in which this republic left
., tbalr f,te men who had served In the
s,,bs., elective Office Other e3-Presi-
,-rr. rr.nlhIy have felt just a. Mr.
,ls,rtni felt hut few have ever pub
bcIy .,nrsSsnd their feelings.
n rh. republic has been ungrateful
=. o.. n,.presidents, It has been more
co7srl,.ts O, their widows In fact
,b.r. .ls nrver Desn a widow of Presi-
I.Dr 81. far A. the records show. who
has rlr r.,rn remembered by Congress
rhsn such remembrancs was necessary.
IN s1r.r Instances the widows Of former
,f,.f Fyrcutivss have received the mail
t,paIrs privilege. which really meant
rr,. rar 10 other Casss large Decuniary
.,,tr. lions have been made through
,or ,-,ss ant IN several cases a pension
is riD q wear has bsen granted. Only
short time ago the senate Committse
q, Pensions reported favorably a bill
granting pensions Of 5000 a year to
Er,n.-s FolsOm Cleveland, the widow
~ Grover Cleveland. and Mary Lord
Harrison. widow Of Benjamin Harrison.
T. roth Congress granted in iSOa the
iraus.ng privilege.
only few Of the men who have become
pr,.,d.n, ni the Unitsd States left the
Nhita Hous, with comfortable fortunes
and he majority have had comparatively
H,tla With which tn face the world. bring
No thslr children and maintain the dig
h.. -
len at the head of this nation. Even
IN ihrs. DAYS. when a President receives
s;iGD year with $4,000 each twelve
months for travelling expenses, no one
uho 10 familiar with the requirements
o. social life az the capital and realizes
th- Drain upon the purse Of the Presi-
iaui would expect him 20 retire with a
hrgs surplus saved from his four or
eight wears salary.
The custom Of taking care Of the widows
= Presidents began with the foundation
n the republic. Martha Washington
didn't need the assistance Of Congress
when her husband died. but n@verthe-
- Il voted her the franking privilege.
which she probably exercised infrequsntly.
ior the death Of her husband 30 broke her
h.al-l that she lived only few years.
Dolly Payne Madison. the most famous
n al the women who have ruled over the
White House and whose reputation a. a
vtevtsnded even 20 the courts of Europe.
vas probably honOred more than any Of
The others Not only did Congress give
her the right to send her letters through
he mails free Of charge but 1t purchased
from her records Of debates of Congress
from l7Ss to 1871. written by her husband
President Jackson thought that thess
papers we're 20 important and was 20 inn
pressed with the need of coming 10 the
az n Dolly Madison in this way that he
ont A special message 20 Congress on the
Eubject in a day when special messages
vsrs not 90 common az they have been
IN subsequent administrations.
Dolly Madison was not left in poverty
nv her husband. but she was one of the
r1s, famous entertainers Washington
ever ,asv and maintined the levees for
vhirh she became famous long after she
vent out of the White House and for years
after President Madison died. II was
'hsss entertainments that drove her 90 sell
,hs manuscript, Of the Congress debatss
Still another mark u the approval NJ
D7ngress came 70 this remarkable woman
uhsn tte senate bestowed upOn her the
-iyiIege u the floor. No other woman
fa. pos-a-sed that either lsfOre or since.
ne senate Is a much more formal place
'-.n 'he House. and the privilege u the
sror vas indeed an unusual distinction.
Nav' in popularity 20 Dolly Madison.
rs-hlp-. came Sarah Childress Polk,
vdrv ~ lanes X. Polk. President Polk
s,s MT vsalthy man nor was he poor.
When 10 died friends ~ his widow took
care ro see that his estate was carefully
rsris1 FOR her
>hs bad not been a notable figure In
10 White House. but had held the high
regard Il an who met her She retired
N her husbands home. Polk Place, near
NASHVILLE Tenn. and lived there until
hs- Death
Cnfor-unately. bonds ot the state ~
Ts0nesssn In which she had invested much
n her husbands estate were declared
~..us'e-s hy the Commonwealth. and for
q sine IL looked a. Il she would have 10
-lFnr rhe loss NJ al tine investors in
'1nsa bonds however. 40 history saws.
Nrs PD.k Was one who didn't lose a cent.
even the interest heing paid by the Com
roar cath Mrs. Polk Aftervard re-
osIvs1 pension n 5000 a year from
r0nErass
NJ III tho widows n tho White House
w. Garfed seems 10 have been hest
nr1yie' for When President Garfield
vas sho' in the Old Union station here In
soften HNr 1851. he carried liTa insurance
~or't NO0o and possessed an estate
T-r'h about S2O ON. shortly after Gen.
''a-iTd died a subscription started by
lrris " Field FOR the widow brought In
'i'"o and in addition Congress de-
'-nNd hat she should receive sSO.Op1 the
asrv \ President. for a year. less any
tr01r' hat had hsen paid In that year
his I''' t0 m salary. In all Mrs Gar
''d reoeivei something over siO0. OOO.
Thi'' hrrIght her an income ol about
HiF" 'Dngress 10 addition later gave
a'f tension ~ 5000 year
TIE most ui'iable case revealed III the
.'o'r7s - hat n the widow n Abraham
Ir'0.r Nter the assassination Of Pres |
0sn Lincoln IN Ford's Theatre in this |
Wy n.s widow broke down in health. and /
p IN "Tn~' 'o regain II went n Germany |
'hHlg' 'YnErpss had granted her that Z
'oT.r .. 'h" s25OOO II ye1rIy salary due
.f '.-.1nI ~ tho time of his death. she /
.as s''r 'u Inr1mfortahlec circumstance. |