The Ely miner., 1913-07-18
BRYAN EXPLAINS
SALARY ATTITUDE
RESOLUTION INTRODUCED BY
REPUBLICANS WHO LAUGH
AT DEMOCRATS.
CRITICISED FOR LECTURING
Commoner Says He Lectures to Keep
His Bank Account lntact-His
Statement FoiIows-Says
Salary Inadequate.

Washington, July 17.-Washington
was interested chiefly in developments
following Secretary Bryan's state
ment that he had to spend his vaca-
ton on the lecture platform because
he could not live on the secretary of
states salary of $4,000 a year.
The lobby investigation, the tariff
and the Mexican situation were for
gotten, temporarily at least, while
everybody talked about the resolu-
tion introduced by Senator Bristow
calling on the president to advise
the senate what would be a proper
salary to enable the present secre-
tary of state to live with comfort and
to enable him to give his time to the
discharge of his public duties"
Resolution Goes Over.
When the Bristow resolution was
read amid Republican laughter, Dem
ocratic Leader Kern and other sena>
tors Immediately objected to it's cons
sideration and after few brief ex.
discussed, however, in the lobbies and
cloak rooms at both ends of the CAPT.
tol.
When Mr.. Bryan's attention was
called to some criticisms that had
been published in regard to his lee
turing he replied. as follows:
Mr.. Bryan's Explanation.
81 am glad to have the criticism
brought to my attention. 1 believe
in criticism of public officials. Crit
icism is helpful. If man makes a
mistake, criticism enables him to cor
rect it; if he is unjustly criticized the
criticism helps him. l have had my
share of criticism since 1 have been
in public life, but it has not prevent
ed my doing what l thought proper,
and have no fears whatever that any
unbiased person will criticise me
when he knows the facts.
For II years the sources of my
income have been writing and lee
turing, but each year l have made
more public speeches, without COM
pensation and where / have paid my
own travelling expenses, than l have
where compensation was received.
My earning capacity has been large
and I have made not only an income
sufficient for my immediate needs,
but have saved on an average, some
thing more than $4,000 a year.
Gave Up Appointments.
'Tn accepting the office which now
hold, gave up the opportunity to add
to my accumulations for 1 do not ex-
pect to increase during my term the
amount l have laid aside-that is,
am willing to forego whatever advan-
tage I might derive from the acquir-
ing of $4,000 more for the privilege
of serving the country in this office
during the coming four years. | will
do more, if necessary, but I do not
believe that fair minded people will
ask it of me. Therefore, until l see
some reason for changing my pur-
pose l expect to lecture enough to
bring my income up to my expenses,
these lectures to be delivered during
the time that other officials give to
their vacations. In addition to sup
| plementing my salary, hope that my
lectures do good-people who attend
them would not do so if they did not
think they received their moneys
worth, but l would be glad to spend
my vacations resting instead of lee
turing if l could do so without eating
in upon the amount that I have laid
away as protection against old age"
Senator Shafroth, of Colorado, de-
| oIoro1 Coorotorv Rryon hod occ11ro6
him he did not desire an increase Of
| salary.
Rental of $4,000.
Secretary Bryan's home in Wash
| ington' is the old mansion of General
John A. Logan, for which he pays
Knox, who rented a house in Diplo-
matte Row, on fashionable K street,
paid $1,000 a year, though during his
term of office he received but sal
ary of $4,000, because the salary Of
| the secretary of state was increased
| while he was a senator and he was
debarred from enjoying the increase
by constitutional provision.
The historians of Washington point
| out that many of Mr. Bryan's prede-
| cessors in comparatively recent years
were wealthy. John Hays house on
| the Avenue of the Presidents was one
of the show places of Washington.
Secretary Bryan has the use of GER
tain houses and equipage which be-
long to the state department, but he
often prefers to drive his own auto