The chronicle=news., 1913-07-19
.BRYAN'S POVERTY
AMAzES CAPITAL

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he couldn't live in Washington on
his salary AZ Secretary OF State and
was OBLIGED TO take to the Cahutau-
qua platform to augument his Off
ciai income. caused good deal Of
comment In Washington.
Some OF Mr.. Bryan's friends were
pained and surprised. not 10 much
because he could not live on his SUI
AIRY. but that he should have thought
II necessary To make u public state.
ment on the subJe,t.
Among the Secretary OF States
Cabinet assoc ciatcs there was disin-
elination to discuss III. matter for
publication. hut there was no h~sI-
tation in saying privately that what
Mr.. Bryan had disclosed In his Hem
dersonviii. lecture was no secret TO
his friends here.
The disposition was TO defend Mr..
Bryan from the suggestion that a
man who had been known to the
country ns havias the simple tastes
Of the plain people. whose cause he
had championed. should be- unable to
live on 81 900 u month. or &3I.33 u
day.
II WAS asserted In Mr.. BryIn's be-
half that the social duties imposed
on tn. Secretary Of State mad. a
heavy drain.
Al III" s1m" time. however. Mr..
Bryan l. comm. In for good deal
OF criticism. even among ihos. who
have tn" frirndiicsi feeling for him
and visa him all success. One Of
the things most frequently heard.
even In official circles. was that Mr..
Bryan should never have taken the
office II he felt h. did not have suf-
fici.ni priv,'. means to cnabl. him
To keep MP The position.
II IL well known hcrc that Mr..
Bryan has n snug little fortune. and
. good deal Of the surprise expressed
was over the fact that he seemed TO
be- unwilling To touch the income Of
this In order to maintain the r-p,i-
'ation OF his office.
II was the testimony OF people In
position To know that Mr.. Bryan
could live within his saiary II he
chose 10 do 20. Several members of
III. Wilson Cabinet are iivIns on q
scnlc OF less than 1000 n month.
II Is admitted that Mr.. Bryan need
not do 10 II he has the courage to
maintain rn establishment that can
be conducted within that figure. II
was made known ut the time tina
Mr.. Bryan leased Calumet place. the
tcsidcncc OF Mrs. John A. LOGAN,
that the rental agreed on was 900
n ye,r. The salary of the Secretary
OF Staic.ax of all other Cabinet Of
hecrs. is $4,000. and with the rcn,
OF Calumet place paid. Mr.. Bryan
would siili have $4,000.
II was only shor; span Of years
ago that the salary OF a Cabinet Of
fccr was $S.o00 u year. There are
wcll.known instances where iCab-
met members had no other means
'hnn this salary and manSgcd to live
on II and In some eases even to lay
little b" for u rainy day.
James Wilson. who served Ms Sec
rc'ary OF Agriculture from March.
1897. to March. 1909. lived within
his official salary. which was $4,000
yc'r for moro than half OF the term
Of his official service.
But Mr.. Wilson was n widowcr
and was obliged to entertain hut lit
tie.
The only instance cited todn;
however. where Secretary Of State,
In cmparntivcly recent years, wus
supposed IL have lived within his In
come. was that OF William II. Day,
now Justice OF the Supreme Court
OF the United States. At the time Mr..
Day was Secretary Of State In the Me-
kinlcy Cabinet. his official sala "
was sS.oOo. but he served for n brief
pei iod only.
Opinion In Washington. expressed
today by people In position to
know. was tina, few married Cabinet |
officers have lived here within the
present salary OF $4,000. Friends
OF Whllinm II. Taft understood that
when he was Secretary of War in
the Cabino; OF President Roosevelt h,
was obliged to expend $4,000 o.
l'.ooO year to MAINTAIN the social
position which his cabinet office
gave him.
Generally speaking. 100000 is cs-
imatcd to be the figure which u
great many cabinet officers have felt
Obliged to cxnend in recent yenrs III