Evening times-Republican., 1913-07-22
coNcREssMEN SEEKING "EAsY
MONEY" TO STICK CLOSER
TO CAPITOL
NOT UNUSUAL TO WORK
"slpE LINE" CRAFTS
Many Members Of Congress Have In.
creased Earnings by Lecture Tours
or sy Practice Of Law-Nsslsct
Pressing Public eusiness to Increase
Own Bank Account.
Especial correspondence

Washington, July 22.-MemberA OF
congress and, perhaps, other public OF
hcials are going to devote less atten-
ton to the lecture platform while the
public business demands their atten-
ton as the result of the recent heated
discussion, in and out Of congress-, or
the course OF Secretary of State Bryan
IN arranging long list of chautauqua
lectures for the reason he can not live
on his $4,000 year income. This. at
least, is the opinion which is pretty
freely expressed latterly about the cap
itol
This discussion has served two
good purposes" said a prominent sena =
tor, after the debate in the senate on
the Bristow resolution calling on the
president for information as to what
salary would meet the needs OF MI.
Bryan. 1T is going to make members
of congress slow to absent themselves
from Washington to take the lecture
platform while congress Is In session
and it is going to make senators more
careful about sending private tele.
grams at the expense of the public"
Increasing Desire for Easy Money.
Some men in congress, now and IN
the past, have eeemed to regard their
offices chiefly as vehicles for enabling
them to earn good pay lecturing or at
the law. This practice has been grow
ing in recent years by reason OF the
increasing extent Of the summer lee
ture vogue. On the other hand, there
has been an increasing disposition on
the part of q good many senators and
members OF the house to frown on the
practice and to get increasingly I'M
patient at the long absences OF some
colleagues who were known to be busy
harvesting the shekels on the lecture
platform or in the courts.
Senators and house members. by no
means all, but some OF them. have
not hesitated, no matter how pressing
the public business, to get out and
make big money lecturins or In some
other field, especially In the law. One
does not have to go hunting long about
tie capitol to find men who have done
this sort of thing. while processing
highest ideals in matters OF govern
ment. In private, but seldom In pup
lie until now. there has been plenty
OF discussion about this sort OF capi-
talization Of public office. senator
Borah said in the discussion on the
Bristow resolution that he did not
make speeches for pay. A good many
other men In congress could say the
same thing and while. on the one
hand many have made money Freely
at outside efforts. on the whole sentl-
ment in congress about man In oi-
flee sticking to the business the puD-
lie has paid him to attend to has been
getting moro high-toned.
Closer Watch On omiosaIs.
Occasionally, the newspapers have
broken out ana discussed some nag
rant case of . public official or man IN
congress- who was traipsing around the
country while his office was calling for
him. Many predict that hereafter.
however. Q much closer watch Ii going
to be kept on public men in this mat
ter. It has been suggested at times IN
congress that members be docked 1or
the time they are absent from house
or senate, unless absent with valid
excuse. Such . plan, however enec-
lively It might prevent absenteeism, ID
not likely soon to be enforced by or
der of congress. But sentiment In ano
out Of congress is likely to bring about
perceptible reform. No matter now
vigorously some Of the senate demo-
Gratis have rushed to the defense OF
Mr.. Bryan the fact is that many demo-
Gratis are as pronounced, when talking
privately. in their criticisms OF Mr
Bryan as are republicans.