Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-11
BRYAN TELLS OF HIS RICHES
Says One Hundred and Fifty Thou
sand Is Limit.
FAR FROM BENG POOR MAN
Democratic Leader Replies TO Speaker
Cannon and Asks Latter 60 show
Up on His Financial
status.

oLNEY, Ill, Sept. 1N-Giving a detailed
statement Of the amount Of property owned
by him, which he placed at Si51coo at the
outside, William ]. B.yan, democratic can
didate for president. in q speech here today
declared as false the accusation Of Speaker
Joseph q. Cannon made yesterday In
Springfield, ILL.,. that he was worth
81. OOc,WO, and called upon the speaker
to be as frank in making known to the
world the amount Of his own earthly posses
sions. In the course of his remarks Speaker
Cannon is credited with saying that Mr..
Bryan had accumulated $f,OC,OOO selling
wind and ink to the public. Tn demo-
cratic candidate referred Go Speaker Can
non as the third man in Influence in the
government "if not even above the vice
president in his power to influence legisla-
ton, and said that Il was only fair that
the speaker should apply to himself the
same rule that he applied to rue and take
the public into his confidence.
OF Mr.. Cannon, Mr. Bryan said:
"Mr. Cannon, in his speech before the
republican state convention yesterday, has
this to say OF me:
" How about Bryan, a man of theories,
a man who has a breaking out of the
mouth; a man who agreed with the pop
ulists only a dozen years ago-that no man
could honestly earn S1.Ooo,O0O and that when
any man had that he was "A plutocrat. But
q man dominating the democratic party
and the greatest advertising agent on earth
through his papers; through his books and
through his lectures, is. 1 am informed,
worth more than 100000.
"A little later in his speech he drops the
qualifying phrase and says. as IL upon is
own knowledge:. There stands the demo-
cratic candidate, a successful c~hautaugua
lecturer, who has made 100000 selling
wind ard ink to the public Many exag-
gerated statements have been made in re-
gard to my earthly possessions, but this is
the first time the statement has been made
by any man of political standing or
responsibility. I think I am justified
therefore in speaking, Of this subject, which
might otherwise be considered too personal
a matter for public discussion. 1 was
worth about 5000 when I was elected to
congress. 1 served four years and by care
full economy 1 saved between 5000 and
$4,000, or about $1,000 a year, so that when
! went out of congress in the spring Of
1896 l was worth about 5000 or $1,000.
During the period that elapsed between
the end of my congressional terms and my
nomination for the presidency, about a year
and four months, I was engaged in speak
ing and in, lecturing and added but a sman
sum to my savings9 After the election Of
1896, my earning power as a lecturer was
largely enhanced by the prominence which
the campaign had given me-. My book,
The First Battle brought me $1,000 and
1 gave an equal amount OF the profits to
the various committees that had carried
on the campaign in 1896. My lectures have
been profitable and my writings have paid
me we'll, but no eHe = attends the lectures
unless. he wants: to do. SO, and no one bays
what l write unless he is interested in
reading It. s-a1s5. rs
More than halftofinye time since 1896 has
been given to. ~gratYItons work. and yet !
have been able to, support myself and &C
4 cumulate property which l vouldNestimat
at about Sl25,0OO, but as. one can never &C
curately say what property is worth until
he sells 1t, | will fix $4,000 as the outside
limit, the maximum of my wealth, and
am willing to leave the public to determine
whether that is more than I ought TO have
earned, or whether l have earned It hon.
estly. And now, having answered the criti,
cism Of Mr.. Cannon and shown that his ac-
c~usation is false, l think l am justified In
asking him to be as frank with the public
as l have been,
He began holding office in 1861, when
was a year old, and during the last forty.
seven years he has held office more thar
forty years of the time, and about thirty.
five years Of that time he has been q mem
Der Of congress and has been drawing 4
salary that the members of congress,
thought so inadequate that the salary ha.
recently been increased. win he tell vi
what he has been selling, to whom he hal
sold II and how much he got for it9 HI
ought to tell us whether he has made am
money lecturing or w~riting-that is by sell
ing wind and ink torchoose his own Ian,
guage.
"He has been greatly hampered in the &C
emulation of money by the strict attention
to public duties, and yet he is reputed t
be wealthy. If he Will tell us just how
much he might have been worth had III
been free to devote his talents to money
making. Being the third man in inflyenc,
In our government, coming next to tn
vice president, II not even above the vic'
president, in his power to influence legisla
tlon 10 IL not fair that, he should apply Il
himself the same rule that he applies I,
me and take the public into HIS confidence
Let him tell us what he has been selling
to whom he sold II and how much he go
for 1t. If he thinks that the wealth Of
presidential candidate and the source o
such a candidates income shall be known
will he deny that the speakers wealth ant
his sources of income should be known"