The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-17
YANLECTURES
CAUSE OF GOSSIP
Capitol Buzzing Over Secre-
tary Of States Paid
Speeches.
BRISTOW GIVES VIEW
Kansas Senator Says Nsbraskaa Has
Been Absent Half the
Time.

That Secretary bryans 1ustlncauon OF
his profitable lecture tours Is sordid
view of the government service and that
he is absentine himself from his de-
partment at a time when his close at
tentjon is needed in matters Of impor-
lance, were among the comments made
yesterday by Senator Bristow. OF Kansas.
in discussing Mr.. Bryan's statement
made public yesterday.
Senator Bristow was the author OF the
resolution introduced in the Senate Tues
day calling upon the President to in
form Congress as to the salary which
Mr.. Bryan finds necessary to maintain
the social position that goes with the
position Of Secretary Of State.
Capitol Takes Notice.
The subject opened up by Mr.. Bryan's
lecture tours and his own statement re-
garding their necessity, proved interest
ing At the Capitol yesterday.
Taking Mr.. Bryan's last statement as
his subject, Senator Bristow said: That
the present Secretary of State should
have such a sordid view of the govern
ment service is amazing. Suppose
George Washington had regarded his
service for his country from the same
point OF view, / wonder where we would
be today. No man has ever attained to
high service for the United States with
out making personal sacrifices of some
kind"
The Senator from Kansas. who is a
Progressive Republican. called attention
TO Mr.. Bryan's statement that he had
a right to use his vacation for lecturing
IL he saw ut. But he is to be away on
one tour for six weeks, l see." Mr.. Bris-
tow added. and there is no telling where
his vacation will end. Besides. since he
has been Secretary of State he has been
in Washington only about one-half Of
the time, and IL ever there was a time
when the Secretary Of State was needed
on the job it is now. when SO many i'm
portant questions are up for considera-
ton.
TO cause the people to pay money 20
hear the Secretary of State, the high
est officer of the Cabinet. deliver ad-
dresses. is all wrong, / believe. 1t is
using the Office for making money" Sen
ator Bristow said in conclusion. He
proposes to press his resolution and to
demand record vote when it comes
before the Senate.
AS a rule the discussions at the Capt.
tol were strictly along party lines, the
critics as rule proving TO be Republi-
cans and the supporters of the Bryan
views being listed in the Congressional
directory as Democrats.
Members of Congress who sometimes
fail TO answer to the roll call and who
have their names prominently displayed
in lecture bureau circulars could not be
found. Speaker Clark. however who
has been making addresses at chatauquas
for years. was quite ready to discuss
the propriety of a public official indulg-
lrg in the remunerative recreation of
fered by the lecture platform.
Speaker Clark Talks.
Il have lectures only when Congress
is not in session." said Mr. Clark MY
purpose is to lay by something for my
ag" and '-eep me from going to the poor
house.
e Speaker said that in the eighteen
Years that he has been on the public |
lecture platform he has refused hun
dreds of gagements that confiicted with |
his duties in Congress. Every contract !,
make contains two clauses" he said, |
one is that my lecture is subject to |
the exigencies of the public service
which means that I will not leave my
duties here to go lecturing about while I
Congress is in session
The other clause. he explained, was
that he would not accept pay for lectures
given in the State of Missouri
In the period preceding the Baltimore
convention the Speaker was exceedingly
careful about accepting lecture engage
ments in order that it might not appear
that he was negiecting his Congressional
duties.
The Speaker lost several thousand dol
lars in his effort to appear on the job
in Washington, all of which failed to be
by the delegates to the Demo-
cratic ational Convention.