Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-08-26
rHuRsroE rs a LIAR.

Not long since Senator Tburston. of
Nebraska, in speech said--declared
with mphasis-that William ]. Bryan,
the popular nominee for president, is
and has been In the employ of the mine
owners of the West at stated salary,
and that he was not free silver advo-
cate until he was employed by the min.
ing interests of the West. AS soon as
Thurston's charge was given the pub.
lie through the press, Senator Stewart
challenged him (Thurston) to produce
evidence but the latter crawfished and
laid the responsibility on the shoulders
of the Chicago Chronicle. The Chron-
icle now refuses to offer any evidence
and the whole outfit stand condemned
before public as vicious falsi6ers, SLAM
derers and libelers. To the credit of
Thurston, be it said, he has since ac-
knowledged the statement to be false
but he cannot be excused for MAXI NO
the rash charge.
so much commenting upon the
Thurston- Chronicle charge has been in
dulged in that Mr.. Bryan has given the
following denial to the press. 1t is the
last time he will dignity the instigators
of the charge by noticing what they
say unless the national committees con-
sent to make an investigation in which
case he will furnish the public with all
necessary affidayits, facts and figures.
Bryan is handling the matter in a gen.
tlemanly, statesman-like manner:
II have already denied this charge on
several occasions, but the reiteration
of it bv Senator Thurston, distin-
guished resident of my own state, JUS
titles me in answering it again. L have
never at any time, or under any circum-
stances, been in the employ CT any
mine owners, Individually or collective
ly, directly or indirectly nor have l
ever been In the employ OF, or paid by
any bimetallic league association.
ASIDE from my editorial salary of
about $50 per month paid by the Oma-
ha World Herald, and small amount
derived from the legal profession, my
income since my retirement from con-
gress has been derived entirely from
lectures before Chautauqua, lyceum
and lecture bureaus, which have usu-
ally paid me fixed sum, and from con-
tributions made by the people of the To-
calities where have spoken. In some
instances l have received nothing at
all. In most cases L have received
more than enough to pay travelling ex-
penses. In only two instances, L think,
has my compensation exceeded 500.
and in these instances it was about
5000 at one place and about $500 at the
other.
The first platform on which ] ran
for congress in 1890, before was known
politically outside of my state, con-
tanned free coinage plank, and my re-
publican opponent that year was an adj
vocate of free coinage. In the cam
paign of 1892 again ran on free coin
age platform. In 1894 again ran on
free coinage platform, and my oppon-
ent for the senate. Mr.. Thurston, while
opposing unlimited coinage at 16 to l.
insisted that he favored bimetallism.
wrote the free coinage plank on which
ran in 1890 and free coinage planks in
the Nebraska state platforms in 1891,
1894 and 1895, and tried to secure the
adoption of free coinage planks in the
state platforms in 1892 and 1898. l only
mention this to show that my advocacy
of free silver is not OF recent date.
"HaYing made this answer to Mr..
Thurston's letter. / shall hereafter
take no notice of individual or newspa-
per comment on the subject. If the re-
publican national committee will say
officially that have ever been employ
ed to deliver speeches by any mine
owner, or group of mine owners or by
any association supported by mine own
ers, am ready to make statement
showing in detail all money received by
me for speechmaking."