The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-06-14
$25,OOO,0OO THE COST OF ELECT|NG
A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
National Committees Will
Spend S6,000,0OO In Ap-
preaching Campaign.

! tack by cranks. But in other ways he
] Is subjected to endless annOynnces
Politicians and all sorts OF other people
make demands upon him or try to ex-
tort promises from him to be fulfilled
| in case of his election.
Once elected the successful candidate
! finds himself sore beset by all sorts of
people who are eager to make use of
him for advertising purposes. Scores
of tailors in different cities exhibit the
inauguration suit weeks before the
event. Cigars are named after him,
but only one brand, his name being
patented as a trademark. Manufactur-
ers of nostrums send him pills, spring
medicines, cleansing compounds, etc,
hoping for an acknowledgment which
will be utilizable as an ad There is
bitter competition among the hotel
keepers for his patronage, and what
ever hostelry he may select the rooms
he occupies will be known from that
time on as 'the presidents suit" fetch
ing higher rental.
Mr.. Taft has saved something during
his administration, but not very much
probably. The average person might
suppose that with a salary of $40, 900
a year, fine house, rent free, lights,
fuel, servants, music, flowers, station
cry and even a handsome yacht provd-
cd he ought 60 be able to put nearly
all of his pay into the bank. But what
empties his pocketbook Is the huge and
unavoidable expenditure for entertain
ing. The formal dinners he Is obliged
TO give at frequent intervals alone cost
him from $500 to $1,000 apiece.
Roosevelt Entertained Lavishly.
No president has ever entertained so
lavishly or 80 profusely as Roosevelt.
The scale Of expenditure In the presi-
dents palace. as 1t was called In the
early days Of the republic, has risen
greatly within recent years. When
Grant was elected for his first term the
salary attached to the great Office was
only $4,000.
1t will be remembered that in 1873 a
bill was introduced in congress raising
the salary of the president from $25,OOO
10 $4,000 and the pay of members of
congress to $1,000. There was q fierce
struggle over 1t, with many tumultu-
ous scenes, but finally it passed both
house and senate. When Grant re-
fused to sign it. 1t was again passed
over his veto. Then a storm of popu-
lar indignation arose, and so much fuss
was made in the newspapers about the
salary grab" that when congress met
again the first thing 1t did was to re-
peal that part of the law which re
lated to senators and representatives.
1t would also have restored the salary
of the president TO its former figure,
but Grant protested against it In such
terms, declaring 1t unjust, as to pre-
vent such a step.
1t IA curious fact that George
Washington actually received two cleo
tOral votes for third term, though he
had refused TO serve again-one vote
from North Carolina and the other
from Virginia. This was in the cleo
ton of 1896, when John Adams led
jefferson by only three electoral votes.
At the fourth election Jefferson and
Burr received an equal number of cleo
toral votes, the result being that the
house Of representatives proceeded to
choose the president, each state cast
ing one vote, and Jefferson was chosen.
This tie made the twelfth amend
ment necessary. Before that the con
stitution provided that the electors
should vote by ballot for two persons
without specifying which was to be
president and which vice president.
The arrangement was that the person
having the greatest number Of votes
Of a majority should be president
and that the one coming next should
be vice president. whether he obtain
ed majority or not.
Butler offered Second Place.
At Monroes second election a curl
Gus incident occurred 1t was SUD