The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-01-30
PRESIDENTIAL 'z.z,l5.
WIDOWS PENSIONS
Congress Has Generally
Voted Them $4,000 a Year
and Franking Privilege
= ''<--a-1 )
MRS. ROOSEVELT
HAS PRECEDENTS

&.
Martha washington Had No Pension,
But Was Given Franling Privilege
widows Of Two vice Presidents Were |
Voted Money
The proposal in congress to place Mrs.
Theodore Roosevelt upon the pension roll
at 5000 and to confer on her the frank
ing privilege is strictly according to prec-
cdent, says the Washington correspondent
OF the Boston Transcript. That is to say,
lit has been the eastm OF congress. ever
since the carly days cfss the repnblic tol
honor the memory OF departed presidents
by according sorfessabstantial recognition
60 their widows, but the pieoedeats'4the
selves have been sissuiariy variedsz Mar
Etha Washington lived ta@ss Years after the
death OF the immortal George, and iitsdoes
sion was asked in her behalf However
that may be. congress granted her the
! privilege Of sending her letters without
the payment OF postage, and that priv
lege was established in such manner that
succeeding widows have been granted it
! without question, whether a pension was
added or not. 1t is not easy to CLEAN
! from the records whether any of the wild
ows ever asked a pension OF congress II
!. is to be presumed that they did not but
that friends did so in their behalf, wheth.
4 or. or not with their knowledge and con
( sent. Relatively few of the presidents
: III the United States have been men oi
!. Independent wealth, and it is altogether
s ereditahle to the chivalry of the eountr.
I that its intent has been 10 relieve IN,
4 widows OF personal and financial einbaf
I ras snlcnt by providing il comfortable liz
|. jng for them from the public funds re
{ aardless Of their. individual circum stances
d In seyerai cases the balance due upon In,
d salary OF the president for the year il
I which he died has been paid the widow
IN lieu OF pension, and once or twice boil
salary and pension have been voted
Louise Catherine Adams, widow Of JOIN
Quincy Adams, received no pension, b,l
was granted the ranking privileges, an,
the same is true OF Dolly Madison, tin,
following the precedent established in. tn
,rl case of Martha Washington. In all thes
4 leases the husband had LETT the presidenc
e. before his death. Bat William Henri
"a Harrison died in office only thirty-on
III days after his Inauguration, and oongres
Il voted Mrs. Harrison $4,000, representa-
H. the presidents salary for the current yea
Of \ straight pension TO the widow was vo
ID ed first foi Airs. julia Gardner Tyler
the sum OF 5000, which sum has not bee
of varied since, although not all president
he widows have received It,. Margaret.
nj the widow OF Zachary Taylor, receive
", only 1ranking privilege, and then $50
eh was voted as 4 pension TO Sarah Chide
.lIolk, whose husband had succeeded job
Isl Tyler in the presidential office. Abraha
in Lincoln was assassinated while presidcn
he. and his widow. Mary Todd Lincoln, WI
+. VOTED his year salary of $4,000, as Mr.
" Harrison had been. less any drafts MAJ
IN on his salary by Mr. Lincoln before b
no death. In addition Mrs Lincoln was VIC
,ly ed a pension OF 5000 Il year and Il
IN ranking privilege, the whole represer
ing the largest sum voted To the wido
re- OF any president up TO that time.
or t. s. Grant lived many years after
lis left the presidency, but upon his deaf
mi julia Dent Grant received 5000 a we
or and the franking privilege. which now III
hcI come to be regarded as the establish
nj allowance for a pfasidents widow /
tween the time OF Grant and tue dea
ct the next president in office the sala
o. the president had been increased
!, so goo year, and when James A. c.
~, field was assassinated and died in ls'
- congress voted Mrs. Lucretia r. Carte
n" that sum. in addition to the usual pensi
=. Of S50f1 aud the ranking privilege, I
IS. Mckinley. the widow of the third PR
~, ident assassinatcd in Office, received on
III. $1,000 il year and the ranking priviie
~ until her death, and She was entitled
e So To draw the balance of the presiden
q 4 salary from the death Of Mr.. Mckinley
i. September, 1901, for the remainder OF t
fiscal year Pension hills for Mrs b,
20 iamn Harrison and Mrs. Grover Gle
- land We're passed by the senate, but
the objection that their husbands Ii
NOT died while in the White House fai
~ OF enactment. but both widows We're
~" lowed free postage. The point was raj,
80 at one time that the marriage of VI
~ Cleveland to Professor Preston in J.
nvalidated her ranking privilege, bat
examination al the law showed that
49,, 49, natural HE. The widows OF two Vi
80 presidents also have received -.lnoi
grants from congress. Mrs. Henry Will
was voted the yiee-presdents :. salary
- $4,000. her husband having dicd..in Of
III 1879. and Mrs. Thomas A. Hendri
received 4 balance of $3.50 and mite
= and stationary allowances TO which
~ huehfind woufd have beap entitled for