The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-08-22
BRYAN GIVES HIS SIDE
Secretary of State Takes Up His /
Proposed Lecture Hour.

ticle in the Commoner gives his side
of the Chautauqua lecture question
, which has so stirred up comment. 1t
follows:
That the readers of the Commoner
may be able to answer any criticisms
whether thoughtless or malicious,
that may be directed against me b,
cause of my lectures during a part
CT my vacation, the following facts
are set fcrth-facts that have been
taken into consideration by friends
and ought to have been taken init
consideration even by those political
ly unfriendly. When ! announced
that | found it necessary to supple
ment my official income, and that /
would turn to the lecture platform
as the most natural, as well as an en-
tirely legitimate means of earning
!. what additional income | needed, the
question was at once asked, why is
Mr.. Bryan unable to live upon a sal
any of $4,000 a yeaf?r 1t ought to
have occurred to any one who was
tempted TO ask the question that the
question is not whether a cabinet of
fcer could live on $4,000 year if
he had nothing to consider except
the expenses attendant upon living
in Washington, but whether he could
add the expense of official life to his
ether expenses and meet them all
cut of his salary.
Every man who has reached a po-
sition where he is likely to be ap-
pointed to high Office has assumed
obligations which cannot be suspend
ed when he enters office. My obi
cations to church. charity, education
and fer my insurance cannot be dis
continued. They amount 10 more
than $4,000 per year, and these,
though the largest, are by no means
all will absorb more than half the
salary which ! receive, A great many
public officials, especially those hold
ing the higher Offices, have incomes
aside from their salaries sufficient to
meet the outside expenses. 1t may
be my fault THAI have not, but it so
happens that the larger part of my
property is not only nonproductive,
but a charge upon my income. In
fact, the income which | receive from
that part which produces is not suf-
iicient to cover taxes, insurance and
care for that part which is nonproduc-
tive. My outside income, therefore,
is a minus quantity.
My income for nearly 20 years has
been derived almost wholly from lee
lures and writing-the largest part
from lectures. and since both writing
and lecturing are honorable profess
sions. there is no more reason why
should not augment my income
from them than that other officials
should refrain from adding to their
official incomes the returns from bus
mess or investment
! have not complained of the
salaries of cabinet officers; neither
would ] advocate an increase, al
though the position of secretary of
state carries with it more entertain
ment than any other position in the
cabinet, because of its relation to the
outside world, and my acceptance of
hospitality throughout the country
and throughout the world has in
creased the amount OF entertaining,
expected of me. But there is no rule
requiring a cabinet officer to com
press his expenditures Within the
salary limit and no criticism has
been offered heretofore when cabinet
officers have drawn expenses when
those expenses have exceeded the
amount drawn from the governments
| have assumed thai the same privi-
lpus. nrnaal1 h.
vided the means employed by me
were legitimate and provided also
that public business did not suffer.
! need not defend the legitimaey-of
the means. since no one has so fat
denied that the profession have fol
lowed Is a respectable one. and IL
would not be proper for me to speak
of the merits of the lectures them
selves, and so far as | know, no one
has raised a question as to their
character.
have as much reason not TO ne
glect public duty as one can have.
and those who are fair-minded ought
to assume, until they have evidence
to the contrary, that my vacation
period will be so chosen as not to sac
rihce official duty All officials are
given vacations and where several
are associated together in an Office.
the VACATIONS are so arranged that
work is exchanged and the business
Of the department goes on.
A word in conclusion. A mans ex
penditures grow with his income.
My income. due largely to the fact of
my political prominence, has been
considerable. and as II has grown.
my expenses. also due largely to po-
itical prominence. have grown. But
have been able to meet them ana
10 lay aside some money each year
Tor the past II years. ] have plan.
ned to forego for the next four years
any additions to my accommodations.
and DO not regard II as a sacrifice
TO do so. ! so much appreciate the
opportunity that the president has
given me 10 join him in the service
That he is rendering TO the country,
that ! would gladly hold the position |
which ! now occupy. even il to do so
u we're necessary to use part of
the money laid aside as a protection
against old age But I have no rea-
son 10 believe that the American
people would either ask or expect |
that OF me On the contrary. feel
sure thai J shall not fall in their es-
iimation because I prefer to earn my
living as ! have done in the past.
by means known to all