New-York tribune., 1908-04-21
TRUST TEMPTED BRYAN
BUT s25, 900 OH, .PSH4W /
He'd Rather Work for the "Pcopte
at Less-Says SO Himself.

! at LcSS-SdyS 80 HlMSeT.
| William J. Bryan said yesterday at the Hoil-
man House that he was offered S2o,ooo year
TO be counsel for a corporation, but declined II
beca1,se II would have taken him out OF pubic
! life.
| In answer to the charge made by the Hearst
| men that BRYAN is out of sympathy with 'he
| working masses because ne receives larger
| income than the President of the United states
| from his lecturing, writing and newspaper MI
| BRYAN said that his income was lesltimately
| earned was not as large reported, and tha'
| the test as to whether it affected his views was
| to compare his utterances twelve years aso
| with his views to-day. He continued:
MY income is derived mainly from my lect-
| uring with some additions from articles Wr1t-
| ten for other publications and something ior
my own paper, but the amount has been very
much exaggerated. | make more speeches ior
nothing than for pay, and devote more time 10
public work than private gain. The income
that | have received has come from the people
who attend my lectures and who read What
write and therefore my obligation is to the
whole people rather than TO any speclai CLASS
The best test of the effect of my income Is 10
be found in the things that ] advocate MY
views have not changed on pubic queSliohs
am contending for the same things no" tnat
did at the outset and | think one will deny
that | could make more by siding with the
corporate interests thahn l have made out OF
lecturng."
HIS PROMINENCE AN ASSET.
MY political prominence has been an adVan-
tage in that it has given me a larger reading
circle and a larger audience, but could nave
used that prominence in ether ways to greater
pecuniary advantage. For instance, L was
offered $4,000 year as counsel for corpo-
ration, but it would have taken me out OF the
political field. BY lecturins and writing can
make what need in half the time and have
the rest for public work. President Cleveland
found his law income larger after he was In
the White House. did President Harrison
Political prominence is an asset in any kind
Of business. | could not turn my attention to
anything where il would not he an advantage
Had I used all my time lecturlng and writing
| could have made twice much as have The
question is not whether l have made money, but
whether l have earned it in legitimate way,
and ] think no will deny that my income
is legitimate
DO YOU know whether the New York dele
gates to the Denver convention left to their
own Judgment, are personally for yOu?'
I couldn't guess within 75 of the IS." said
Mr.. Bryan.
Mr Bryan was met at the hotel by his daugh-
ter Grace, who came up from her school in
Virginia to meet him. Miss Bryan Will remain
here long enough to welcome her mother home
from Europe to-day. Mr.. Bryan had breakfast
with Henry WattersOn.
DENIES CONNERS'S STATEMENT.
Mr.. Bryan was asked concerning the statement
that Chairman Conners had said that Mr.. Bryan
had left it with him whether the attempt to OBJ
tain instructed delegation for Mr.. Bryan was
to be pushed al the recent state convention.
II never left anything to anybody in which
was concerned" he said. Il have told each
man 10 do what he pleased, but have not left
it to anybody to decide matters for me-
Mr. Bryan said he had never met Senator Nc
Carren, and did not know anything about the
report that SIr. McCarren would carry the ques-
ton of the unseating of the Kings County dele
gates TO the Denver convention.
Colonel Watterson breakfasted with me this
morning. said Mr. Bryan, +'and talked poll
tics but ] do not care to attempt verbatim re-
port OF the conversation. / came to New York
to meet my wife. I am going 10 speak at three
or four places while here. 1 have appoint
ment to meet anybody.
'I have nothing to say about your convention
and in refusing TO discuss it am simply OBJ
serving the rule that 1 observe in other states
1 have seen no reason for making New York an
exception"
WON'T SEE MURPHY.
One of Mr.. Bryan's callers was Lewis Nixon,
the personal friend OF Charles r Murphy Mr..
Bryan said that Mr.. Nixon's call without
political significance. He also said that he did
not expect to meet Mr. Murphy, as he had no
appointment with him. When the newspaper
men had asked the Nebraskan about all the
questions they could think of, man in the back
said:
MFR. Bryan, do you expect 10 be nominated for
President at Denver"
Mr.. Bryan a good deal Jared by this
poser. but the veteran of many verbal wars
rallied. and said:
We'll isn't that refreshing. Young man, have
YOU ever read Cesar. where he saws GauI is
divided into three parts?''
- The reporter said he believed he had
Well, young man. If Cesar had known You,
don't you think that he would have dropped out
two Of the parts?'
The advertised luncheon with Augustus Van
Wyck al the Lawyers Club. which is regarded
by many as the lair of the octopus Mammon
did not take place II is said that Mr. BRYAN
VAS little "sllittsh" about being photographed
there. Mr.. Bryan dined in his apartment With