The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-03-24
PROBLEM Of OUR
EX-PREs J. !. I. It
QUESTION AGAIN BoBS UP AS
WOODROW WILSON TAKES UP
LIFE AS PRIVATE CITIZEN.
Will CONTINUE co TO WRITE " ; E
Former President Has Money, but
How Much Nobody knows-cIeve-
land First to- Declare Something
Should Be Done for Ex-Presidents.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK,

.
Washington. - Former e. President
Woodrow Wilson, as everybody knows,
has changed his residence, although
he has not moved far away from the
scene of the activities of eight years.
Today he is in, a fine comfortable
house with q huge tree-shaded back
yard situated on S street not far from
Sheridan Circle. x +
Grover Cleveland, after he left the
White House, did what was ,cOnsid-
cred a courageous thing. In a public
statement he said that something
ought to be done for ex-Presidents OF
the United States. He die not mean
that they should be given money, but
that the government in some way
should recognize the position (which
they once held ard should see to it
that the dignity which once was theirs,
In some way should be maintained In
other than a purely personal way.
= PROFESSIONALLY Grover Cleveland
had in mind the condition of impover-
ished ex-Presidents, for it is perfectly
conceivable that some Presidents OF
the United States might leave the
White House without money and ply
sically unable to earn living,
Woodrow Wilson has money, but
just how much he has nobody knows.
The house which he recently pur-
chased is said to have cost $15O,OOO.
Mr.. Wilson's mind is as clear as ever
it was, but he is broken physically. lie
has established law firm connection
with former Secretary Of State Balm
bridge Colby, and as a "coset coun-
sellor" he urquestionably can make
good income. Moreover, he is a trained
writer, and while he says he will not
pen an autobiography, it still Is likely
that he will continue to write on sub
jects Of American history.
4 What Roosevelt Said.
Roosevelt some little time before he
left Office made characteristic utter
ance. 1t was not long after Grover
Cleveland had had something to say
about what should be done for eX-
Presidents. There Is little story con-
nected with the Roosevelt utteraEce
which it may not be embarrassing to
tell. -...
Not long before Roosevelt office
Harry Brown Of the New York Herald
and I saw him in his inner office. The
President looked UP at US and with
out any Introductory remarks, for 1t
was evident that some subject was
,,nro,.rupcf n bic mind Said.
"When the people Of the country are
asking the question, what shall we do
for our ex-PresidentsY tell them that
they need do nothing for this ex-Presi-
dent. He is going out to work and to
do for himself. 800. - . "e'>r
II have had a first.class time as
President of the United States and l
have enjoyed every minute I have
been in the White House. When. l
have finished the last stroke, am 60
ing out contented, and to work"
William FL. Taft went out Of office
to work. Woodrow Wilson has gone
out of Office and will do what work he
can. Mr.. Cleveland worked. Mr.. Har-
rison worked and so did most Of the
other Presidents who finished their
terms of Office, but it is a fact that
very few Presidents Of the United
States ever left Office as rich men, In
fact not one of them ever went back
into the worlds life with enough
morey to put them in the class OF the
sEmilliOnaires. or even in the class with
the near millionaires. Probably the
American people will say that 1t Is
better so.
b. Wilson Has Income.
Woodrow Wilson has an income
from his books. Mrs. Wilson has some