The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-11-23
THE CARNEGIE BoUNTIEs.


are well calculated to force the hand
Of Congress, especially in regard to his
latest proposition to pension cIPresi
dents, and the wives of c1-Presidents
so long as they remain unmarried. His
proposition is to give to each Of these
$4,000 year through the Carnegie
Corporation of New York, These pen
sions are not to be applied for, but
arc TO Inc promptly offered to cIPresi
dents and continued during tho Iifc Of
the ex President, Or the wife of an OK
President so long us the wife docs not
re marry. The eight trustees provided
for this Carnegie Corporation are
named; five OF them are the heads OF
the five Institutions which Mr.. Carne-
sie has already founded, to wit. Elibu
Root, president Of the Carnegie en-
dowmcnt for international peace;
Harry =. Priichett, president Of the
Carnegie foundation for the advance
ment of teaching; Robert s. Wood
ward, president of The Carnegie Insti-
tuition OF Washington; Charles l.. Tay.
fund commission: William NJ Prev,
president of the Carnegie Institute Of
Pittsburgh; aud the SUCCESSORS OF these,
viii he cX officio trustees of the CAY
ncgio Corporation Of New York created
for the purpose Of pcnsioning exPrcsi-
dents or their wives. The sum Of
S125,000,000 in securities has been
transferred TO TINS corporation, which
Will carry on the various works in
which Mr.. Carnegie has been engaged
and such others as he may from time
TO timo think il advisable to add. The
idea is that tho ex-Presidents may de-
vote their unique knowledge gained Of
public affairs while in office to the
public good, free from pecuniary cares.
The matter Of providing employment
and pensions or salaries for cx-Presi-
dents is one that has been suggested
from time to time, and always recog-
nized as appropriate. The Tribune sug-
gested some time back that the ex-
Presidents should be made a body such
as the "elder statesmen Of Japan,
available for counsel, and to attend
cabinet meetings on invitation or other
wise. To this the former Vice-Presi-
dents might perhaps be added. In
that way the government would in
the unique knowledge and experience
Of these high officials; and our idea
was as expressed, that these former
Presidents and Vice-Presidents should
reside in Washington and be available
at call for counsel and guidance either
through the Cabinet or at the request
Of Congress.
President Taft, in n speech In Now
York on last Saturday night, intimated
that Congress should provide for cx-
Presidents, so that they need not lower
tho dignity of the position they held
when they re.enter private life: that
is, ex-Prcsidents should not be allowed
TO fall into poverty and distress, but
should be fairly pensioned by the gov
crnncnt.
This proposition Of Mr.. Carncgic's
reduces The matter to a practical propo-
sition, and suggests a fair pay for
the former Presidents, We shall pres
emily have two OF these, and it is to
bc hoped that there may be even more
from timo TO time; but it is certain
that there will never be enough Of
them to make their support n public
burden; and the public can well afford
to pay tho sum suggested by Mr.. Car
negic for the self-respect Of tho Nation,
aud for the benefit which can be de-
rived through the counsel and guid-
aDcc Of these experienced statesmen.
But the Carnegie proposition is rath-
or belittIjng TO the public, in this,
of the Government aud undertakes to
perform that duty in lien Of having
the Government itself, perform it, This
is something that this Nation can
not afford to allow. We do not
want private individuals to pay
what is properly a National cx-
pense; SO that The proposal of Mr..
Carnegie. reduced to its ultimate terms,
means really prod to Congress TO do
its duty by former Presidents Of this
republic; and IT may fairly be copsid-
cred as q black mark against Congress
that it has waited so long in doing
its duty, until this sharp reminder came
along 20 signallze that the time has
more than come when Congress should
not allow any one who has occupied
the exalted position OF President OF
the United States TO fall into poverty
and distress.
The Republican party is said to have
lost its status in Louisiana. We
should think N -vouI1 ho UIad of ~ for