The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-08-19
BRYAN DENIES All CHANGES.
Declares That He Is Not on the Payroll
of Nine Cfrners.

/
Declares That He Is Not on the Payroll
of Mine OfUners.
UPPER RED HOOK, N. Y, Aug. 49,
On his return from fishing trip tonight
Hon. William j. Bryan gave out pre-
pared answer to the allegations made by
Senator John M. Thurston that Mr.. Bryan
was in the pay of the mine-owners.
He denied the allegations without quail
fication, and practically invited the Re-
publican National Committee to make the
charge officially in order that he might be
given a chance to show exactly what his
income has been and from what sources it
was derived. Mr.. Bryap's statement fol-
lows:
~ have already denied this charge on
several occasions. but the reiteration of it
by Senator Thurston, distinguished
resident of my own State, justifies me in
answering it again. / have never at any
time or under any circumstances been in
the employ of any mine-owners, in
dividually or collectively, directly or in
directly, nor have l ever been in the en-
ploy or been paid by any bimetallic
organization.
aside from my editorial salary OF
about $3.50 per month paid by the World
Herald and a small amount derived from
the legal profession, my income since my
retirement from Congress bias been de-
rived from lectures before Chautauquas,
lyceums and lecture bureaus, which nave
usually paid me fixed sum, and from
contributions made by the people of the
localities where have spoken.
in some instances 1 have received
nothing at all. In most places have re-
ceiyed more than enough to cover travel
ing expenses. In only two instances, I
think, has my compensation exceeded
500, and in these instances it was about
$500 at one place and about $500 at the
other. The first platform upon which I
ran for Congress in 1890, before l
was known politically outside of my
State, contained free-coinage plank, and
my Republican opponent that year was
an advocate of free coinage. In the cam
paign of 1892 l again ran upon free
coinage platform. and my opponent for
the Senate, Mr.. Thurston, while opposing
unlimited coinage at 16 to Il, insisted
that he favored bimetallisni. wrote the
free-coinage plank upon which 1 ran in
1890 and the free-coinage planks in the
Nebraska State platforms in 1891, 1894,
1895 and 1895. and tried to secure the
adoption of free-coinage planks in the
State platforms of 1892 and 1898.
81 only mention this to show that my
advocacy of free silver is not of recent
date. Having made this answer to Mr..
Thurston's letter, / shall hereafter take
no notice ofindividual or newspaper COM
ments upon this subject. If the Republican
National Committee will say officially
that it believes l have ever been EN- ployed
to deliver speeches by any mine-owner or
group of mine-owners, or by any associa-
ton supported by mine-owners, L am
ready to make a statement showing in de-
tail all money received by me for speech
making"
Mr.. Bryan will set to work composing
his letter of acceptance without delay and
Will probably largely perfect his plans for
the campaign while here.
Last night he wired the president of the
League of Pennsylvania Democratic Clubs
that he would appear at the convention of
that organization on August 90, instead of
the date previously announced.
An invitation from Toledo has also
been received, and he will probably speak
there on his way home. Mr.. Bryan and a
party to-day went to Spring Lake, near
Upper Red Hook, on fishing excursion.
But Mr.. Bryan had no good fortune; he
caught not fish, while Mrs. Bryan
hooked two big pickerel.