The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-07-23

profit to himself for each lecture. Four
lectures week would net him a
thousand dollars and month de-
voted to the platform would amount
to $4,000, which, added to his princely
salary, would make his income $4,000
year.
1t was an unfortunate thing for him
to state to the public that he cannot
live on the salary of $4,000 year,
because the people will not accept
this statement as true. His family is
largely self-supporting as he and his
wife are practically the only members
of his family to exhaust his salary. Mr..
Bryan has been known for some time
to be famously well off and no doubt
would now be classed as millionaire.
The reason for his, going upon the Leo
ture platform may, therefore, be found
to be something besides what he has
given tor the public: He either desires
to add to his princely wealth, which
he now enjoys, or else he is starving
for an opportunity to go before the
public where his eloquent voice may
be heard.
lit were true that Mr.. Bryan is liv-
ing beyond his income and he should
seriously make this excuse for leaving
his post of duty and going upon the
platform, his contention would then
be unavailing, because everyone
would say that he should reduce his
expenses to point where $4,000 a
year would meet his demands.
Secretary Root, one of the greatest
secretaries of state that the country
has had, whose life has been spent in
the city of New York where the cost
of living is much higher than living
in the country, was able to live on a
salary of $4,000 a year, and did not
take any of the governments time in
making speeches for hire John Hay,
another great secretary of state,
lived on a salary no larger
than this and in the early his
tory of the country $3,5OOOO
year was the salary allowed the Sec
rotary of state. If the men who hon
Ored the Office did not see fit to take
the time of the government in deliv-
ering lectures for pay then why should
Mr.. Bryan do so?
Everyone realizes that our relations
with number of foreign countries is
now at the straining point. Our
trouble with Japan is unsettled; con-
ditions in Mexico demand our atten-
ton, and the same is true in China,
in Nicaragua and other South Ameri-
can countries, and of all times when
the services of the secretary of state
were needed at the capital
none have been Sc urgent
as at this particular timee, and
yet upon the excuse that his income
from his salary is not sufficient to
support him, our honored secretary of
state sees fit to go out and earn an ad.
ditional amount by lecturing, which
takes him away from the capital
where his services are SO much need.
ed.
There is a difference between the
case of Mr.. Bryan and that of Champ
Clark, the speaker of the house. The
secretary of state is expected to live
and to spend his time in the national
capital, where his duties call him, but
with the speaker of the house, when
congress is not in session, he is ex.
pected to return to his state or at least
he has the privilege of returning to
his state until the next congress con.
venes and further his duties are such
that during his vacation he can prop.
erly spend portion of his time lee.
turing or doing anything else that he
may see fit. No one, however, would
expect the speaker to go out to fill a
lecture engagement during the time
the house is in session, and surely
Champ Clark will never do it.
Mr.. Bryan will find that what he will
gain by his chautauqua work will
not compensate him for what he will
lose in prestige with the American
people. He may spend the rest of his
term explaining why he has gone up
on the platform when his duties re-
quire him to be at his post at the ma
tional capital, but his explanation will
not explain.