The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-13
Butterworth Made a Strong Plea
for His Client.
One of the Greatest Speeches
Ever Made.
NO GUILELESS GIRL
Had Brought the Suit He
Said.

WASHINGTON, April 13.-The de-
Tense of Colonel Breckenridge, which
General Butterworth made yesterday,
is considered even by his opponents to
have been one of the greatest speeches
ever made in Washington court. 1t
was effective as a masterpiece of
oratory, and was made SO largely by
the winning personality of the
speaker. Mr.. Butterworth was per-
suasive, dramatic, friendly, con-
ciliatory and artful. For nearly nine
hours Mr.. Butterworth carried the
speaking part in the great case
He conjured by the name of mother,
the freside and American woman
hood most effectively, making it
appear that all of these forces W ere
enlisted on the side of his client
Through all the speaking the white
haired member of congress from Ken
lucky sat facing the jury, much of the
time with his face shaded by his
hand, occasionally nodding assent to
the points scored by the speaker. The
slender plaintiff heard none of the de-
nunciations of herself, and her at
torneys have sat smiling throughout
the onset of the opposition.
Judge Jere Wilson will consume the
greater part of to-day and tomorrow
with his argument for the plaintiff
Mr.. Butterworth told the jury that
the inherent proba bilities arising
from the course of human nature
were to be considered more deeply
than the statements of witnesses.
The question was not whether Will
lam c. P Breckenridge had violated
any ordinance, human or divine, had
been guilty of terpitude, conduct
which brings upon him condemnation,
but whether these two parties had
agreed that he was to become her hus-
+ e t. a1-<a~ h
before the public there had been a tale
that Colonel Breckenridge had led
astray guiless little girl and had led
her down the path of nine years of
immortality to marriage contract
ruthlessly violated The jury was
not to determine whether there had
been any such guileless little girl;
whe ther she had not been a mature
and knowing woman He denied the
woman came to court to redress a
great wrong No wrong could be re-
dressed in that way. Nor had she
wanted the balm of money, for she
had said there was none. Her motive
did not rise to the quality of revenge,
nor even of hatred, but sent abroad
to every home a leayen she knew to
be vile, the influence of which was
measure1ess.
For what motive does the desperate
woman walk on any stage? She de-
Hberately turned from everything
that man or woman could desire and
proclaimed her share This is vesti-
bule of wider state upon which she
desired to enter. Is it the right of
any individual to corrupt public
morals by the excuse of seeking
reparation for wrong What is there
of reparation for wrong but to go
home to their mothers fireside to him
who alone can grant reparation for
wrOng?"
Her early life was not what it
should have been, he continued, but
was what her letters showed her to be-
1t would be said, Butterworth, you
are defending sin. but no; he had
little family of his own. one son who
had to fight the battle of life against
fearful odds. No, he was defending
the standard of womanhood; the vir-
tue of city and of country girls. No
man could say that ruination was
possible under the circumstances
which had been portrayed here. He
protested against such standard
being raised for virtue As
for his client. no one knew
through what nire that man
had been dragged, and such was the
penalty of sin. He did not want the
jury carried away by the whisper
floating in the air that verdict for
the defendant would be a ratification
of his sin. He asked them also not to
commend a woman who bad borne
herself as this plaintiff had; not to
elevate her for the degradation of
him Such verdict would mean that
virtue was but as cloak to be thrown
off or put on. American womanhOOd
should be indicated by the standard
to which wives and mothers must be
held