Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-11-27

Washington, D. c., Nov. 26.-An
argument heard in favor OF the action
by Congress making provision for ex-
Presidents at least, and perhaps for
the widows of Presidents, has a di-
rect application to the position in
which President Taft will find himself
after March A. By reason of the fact
that a majority of the present member
| ship of the United States Supreme
court was appointed by Mr. Taft he will
be virtually prohibited from appearing
IN legal capacity before that body.
In addition, Mr.. Taft's activities as a
lawyer will be circumscribed on ac-
count of the presence on the Federal
bench of many circuit and district
Judges appointed by him. 1t was said
that in Ohio, where most of Mr.. Taft's
practice is expected to be, should he
find it necessary to appear as an ad-
vocate, most of the Federal judges
were appointed under the Taft admin
! istration.
The President would not be prohib-
tied. however, after he leaves office,
from accepting compensation for ser
vice rendered the United States in
legal capacity. A precedent is found
in the case of Benjamin Harrison, who,
after the expiration of his Presidential
term, was legal agent and counsel Of
the United States Government before
an international tribunal which held
it's sessions in Paris.
Only Three Entitled to Pension.
After Mrs. Cleveland's marriage to
Professor Preston and after the eXpir-
alton of Mr. Taft's term as President
there will be only three persons living
who will be entitled to the benefits Of
the pension provided by the Carnegie
Foundation. Ex-President Roosevelt is
expressly excluded and Mrs. Cleveland
will be excluded by her marriage. The
benefciaries would be Mr.. Taft, Mrs.
Garfield and Mrs. Harrison.
Mrs. Garfield is the only one of the
three who Is receiving any pension
from the Federal government. Under
special act she has pension of 3d.
900 annually, which she has been re-
ceiving for some years. After Presi-
dent Garfield was assassinated popu-
lar subscription for his widow and
children realized 100000, the income
to go to Mrs. Garfield during her life,
after which it is to be divided among
her four sons and one daughter, Mrs.
Joseph Stanley Brown, who resides at
Cold Spring Harbor, Lond Island.
The saddest fortune that befell any
ex-President was that of Gen. Ulysses
s. Grant. After he had retired and
made his famous tour around the
world he settled down in this city He
was not a rich man, but had a COM
potency. Unfortunately, he risked all
he possessed in the brokerage firm OF
Grant & Ward, of which he and his
son were partners. By the mismanage-
ment of a partner the entire assets Of
the firm were wiped out at one stroke,
and the ex-President and veteran SOL
der found himself forced in his old
age to face the world anew.
In his distress he went to William
Fl. Vanderbilt. Mr.. Vanderbilt gave
him a check for 100000, absolutely
without security. This was swallowed
up in the wreck, and General Grant, in
order to give some return for the mon
ey, took to the financier all his collec-
ton of swords of honor, medals and
trophies. These Mr.. Vanderbilt after
wards returned to Mrs. Grant, and
they are now in the National Museum
at Washington. AS soon as he saw
that he was ruined the ex-President,
with indomitable pluck turned to the
offers which had often been made .
him by publishers for the writings of
his recollections. The Century invited
him to write some articles on his cam
paigns, and he contributed four.
He then set himself to write his
memoirs and the last year of his life,
when he was already fighting the can
Ger in his mouth which killed him, was
given up to the production of the work
Congress had indeed placed him once
more on the retired list of the army,
thus assuring him the pay of gener-
al, but he persevered with his self
allotted task, and completed it only
four days before his death. In this
fight against overwhelming odds the
veteran soldier secured a suitable pro-
vision for his family.
Cleveland Returned to the Law.
Both Benjamin Harrison and Grover
Cleveland were lawyers by profession
and turned to the bar when they left
the White House. Mr.. Harrison was
appointed professor of international
law in the Leland Stanford University
in California, and also practiced active
ely. He was counsel for Venezuela in
is arbitration with Great Britain and
was the representative of the United
states at the first Hague Conference.
Mr.. Cleveland formed for a short
time a law partnership with Francis
Lynde Stetson and afterwards settled