Widows

The widows of Presidents have been treated in many different fashions: Martha Washington, franking privilege; Dolly Madison, franking privilege and payment of $30,000 for husband's manuscript (the only complete and authoritative account of the U. S. Constitutional Convention) ; Louisa C. Adams, widow of John Quincy Adams, franking privilege and $25,000 cash; widows of John Tyler and James K. Polk, annual allowances of $5,000 each; widow of Zachary Taylor, franking privilege and $5,000; widow of James A. Garfield, franking privilege, single payment of $50,000 and annual payment of $5,000; Mrs. McKinley and Mrs. Roosevelt, annual payments of $5,000 each; widow of Grover Cleveland, no allowance (one was proposed, but when opposition arose, Mrs. Cleveland, now Mrs. Francis Folsom Cleveland Preston, requested that the proposal be dropped) ; Mrs. Harding, franking privilege; Mrs. Wilson, franking privilege has already been proposed, no allowance, as yet.