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Show THE 0ARNEG-D3 BOUNTIES, Some of the bounties and pensions proposed by Mr. Carnegie aro liable to lead to public embarrassment. They aro well calculated to force the hand of Congress, especially in regard to his latest proposition to pension ex-Presidents, and the wives of ex-Presidents so long as they remain unmarried. His proposition is to give to each of these $25,000 a year through the Carnogic Corporation of iNTcw York. These pensions pen-sions are not to be applied for, but are to be prompi.ly offered to ox-Presi-dcnls and continued during tho lifo of tho ex-President, or the wife of an ox-Prcsident ox-Prcsident so long as tho wife docs not re-marry. The eight; trustees provided for this Carnegie Corporation are; named; five, of them are the heads of the -five institutions which Mr. Carnegie Carne-gie has already founded, to wit, 121ihu Root, 'president of tho Carnegie endowment en-dowment for international peace; Harry fS. Prilchctt, president of tho Carnegie foundation for the advanco-munt advanco-munt of teaching; Robert S. Woodward, Wood-ward, president of Iho Carnegie Institution Insti-tution of "Washington; Charles L. Taylor, Tay-lor, prcsidcnL of tho Carnogio hero fund commission; "William M". Prow, prcsidout of the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh; aud tho successors of theso, will be ex officio trustees of the Cai'-nogio Cai'-nogio Corporation of Now York created for the purposo of pensioning cx-Presidents or their wives. The sum of 125,000,000 in securities has been transferred to this corporation, -which will carry on the various "works in which Mr. Carnegie has boon engaged and such others as he may from time lo timo think it advisable lo add. The idoa is that tho ex-Presidents may devote de-vote their unique knowledge gained of public affairs while in office to tho public good, frco .from pecuniary cares. Tho matter of providing employment and pensions or salaries for ex-Prcsi-dents is ono that has been suggested from time to. time, and always recognized recog-nized as appropriate. The Tribune suggested sug-gested somo timo iback that the ex-Presidents ex-Presidents should bo mado a "body such as the "older statesmen " of Japan, available for counsel, and to attend cabinet meetings on invitation or otherwise. other-wise. To this the former Vice-Presidents might perhaps be added. In that way the government -would in a self-respecting way get the benefit of the unique knowledge and experience of theso high officials; and our idea was as expressed, that these former Presidents and Vice-Presidents should reside in "Washington and bo availablo at call for counsel and guidance either through the Cabinet or at the request of G'ou gross. Presidcut Taft, in a speech in Now York on last Saturday night, infiinatod that Congress should provide for ex-Prcsidcnls, ex-Prcsidcnls, so that the1- need not lower tho dignity of the i)ositiou they held when thoy ro-euter private life; that is, ex-Presidents should not bo allowed to fall into poverty and distross, but should be l'airly pensioned by tho gov-crnnicn gov-crnnicn t. This proposition of Mr. Carnegie's reduces the matter to a practical proposition, propo-sition, aud suggests a fair pay for the former J.'residcnts, "Wo shall presently pres-ently havo two of those, and it is to ibo hoped that thcro may bo even more from timo to time; but it is certain that thcro will never be enough of them lo mako their support, a public burden; and the public can "woll afford lo pay tho sum suggested by Mr. Carnegie Car-negie for the self-respect of tho Nation, and for the benefit "which can be derived de-rived through tho counsel and guidance guid-ance of theso experienced statesmen. But. the Carnegie proposition is rather rath-er belittling to the public, in this, that a private citizen noes the duty of the Government aud undertakes lo perform that duty in lieu of having tho Government itself, pcrJ'onu it. This is something that this Nation cannot can-not afJ'ord to allow. "Wo do not want private individuals to pay what is property a National ox-penue; ox-penue; so that; the proposal of Mr. Carnegie, reduced to its'ultimalo tonus, means really a prod lo Congress to do its duty 'by former Presidents of this republic; and it may J'airly be considered consid-ered as a black mark against Congress that it has waitod so long in doing its duty, until this sharp reminder came along to signalize that the time has more than come when Congress should not allow any 0110 who has occupied Ihu exalted position of President, of the United States to fall into poverty and distress. |