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Show THE PRESIDENT'S SALARY. Tho president's house, gardens, conservatories and stables are all furnished and kept in perfect order, in all their details, at public expense; stewards, door-keepeis, and a band of music for all public receptions recep-tions are furnished without a dollar's expense to the president. All the furniture, carpets, beds, tables, to the minutest things which convenience or luxury can desire, are furnished bv the government. The whole ea-1 tablishinent is also lighted and warm-1 ed throughout; all this at an expense to the public treasury of $0,000 or $70,000. But you may ask me, "What, then, does the president pay out of his salary?" He pays his cooks, the waiters upon up-on his fable, the driver of his carriage, car-riage, and the servants who waii upon up-on his family and guests; he pays tor what is eaten and drank at his table. tsy custom, it is expected of the president to give several state dinners; din-ners; and in the course of the year to entertain each member of congress, the judges of the courts, the foreign ministers, Mb cabinet, aud occasionally occasion-ally distinguished strangers in all, probably five hundred persons. If such dinners should cost $10 (or each person, $5,000 would cover that expense. ex-pense. Of the $20,000 remaining, $10,000 ought to pay his other family expenaes. That would leave him $10,000 per annum clear. Now, what does experience Bhow? Let me s'ate some instances: Mr. Polk, "of Tennessee, (and while Mrs! Polk, that accompished lady, was in the white lioue it was never more popular), saved about $30,007 out of four years' salaries about $10,000 a year. Mr. Pierce did the same. Sir. Buchaan Jdid nearly the same. Mr. Lincoln, when elected Dresident, was worth about $30,000 f and his estate, upon his death, was about $75,000. Jt must be borne in mind, too, that Mr. Lincoln received his nalary in greenbacks, when they were not over sixty cents in gold, when prices were the highest, Mr. Johnson saved from his salary, in three years and a half, $'0,000 or $30,000; and that, too, when greenbacks were at a discount of wenty-five per cent. And, it must not be forgotten, none of these presidents presi-dents ever accepted presents. Mr. Johnson refused the present of a carriage. car-riage. Whatever may be said in criticism of Mr. Johnsons' public course, all parties agree that the White House was never more gracefully kept and presided over than by hu daughter, Mrs. Patterson, a perfect lady, and a model of a republican mistreesof the White House. From a recent speech b y Mr. Doolittle. |