Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-11-26
PENSIONINC PRESIDENTS.

Andrew Carnegie millionaire United States cit
izen through the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
which directs his philanthropes has arranged to pay
life pensions of $4,000 annually to leach future ex
president of the United States, or his widow un-
married"
The arrangement should be cancelled by Mr.. Car
nege at once.
If presidents are pensioned, the pensioning must
be done by the people themselves.
Mr.. Carnegies offe- should be stamped rejected
by public sentiment and be returned to him without
comment. He may have meant it in the very best
spirit. He may have meant it an affront to the
citizens of the nation Give him the benefit OF the
doubt and send no comment with the rejection
Mr.. Carnegies phanthropies now total three hun
dred and thirtytwo million dollars devoted varously
to libraries funds, peace funds, ETC.. and includ-
ing the one hundred and twenty-five million dollars
that he transferred the other day to the Carnegie
Corporation.
That is considerable figure. But until this mo-
ment it has not involved the government of the ma
ton even remotely.
rich citizen, dying might provide in his will
a fund for pensionng former presidents and their
widows, another rich citizen might start a gen.
eral fund for the purpose, his own donation
being nucleus of the fund and many others parti-
cipatng with him.
In either case, the generosity would be untram-
meled though it were not accepted.
But it is not to be countenanced for moment
that Mr. Carnegie, living citizen whose interest in
the affairs of government is proporti, nate to his
great wealth, should provide fund out of his own
resources alone.
To tolerate that would be to permit distinctly
unethca situation, cheapening of the presidential
dignity 1t would be more than indelicacy. 1t
would be positive and serious error, for it would
bind our retired executive to the cartwhee of plu-
tocracy
Yet by the announcement of his consumma-
ted plan, Mr.. Carnegie has done some good, for he
has drawn the nations attention to specific need.
The Carnegie pension. would support former presi-
dents, that they may able to spend the latter
part of their lives devoting their unique knowledge
gained of the public affairs, to the public good free
from pecuniary cares"
Few there would be to contend that a president
become worthless to the nation when his Successor
is inaugurated; that former president belongs on
the economic junkheap because he is out of date.
man whose capacity fitted him for the presidency
does not lose that capacity when he surrenders the
presidency On the other hand his experience at the
head of the government undoubtedly has rendered
him more capable. Therefore his broadcast field of
usefulness is in the service of the people,
1t is reported that Mr.. Taft, for instance, would
not accept the Carnegie pension The retiring presi
dent is said to -have saved one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars to provide for his future He is
planning to resume the practice of law He has been
mentioned for the first vacancy the supreme bench
during President Wilson'S administration
How much more satisfying would it be to all of
if could but dismiss all this conjecture with
the comfortable thought that the government has
made provision for its retired presidents
The matter is one for congress to consider