The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-02

his superiors- TO gather evidence which
was required by the attorney Ee raj $
office. The attempt to shield 8lii ~
| by blackening Bristow is daksardiy
not at all unworthy Of the soHI Igs
which has upheld Burton in his for
mer CRAFTS. There are complaints nd
charges enough in the department er
washington, if the pending charge
fails, to keep him in jail the rest OF
his natural life. He was a king bood-
Ter in Washington, and if he had not
been caught by reason of his bunco-
steering for the race track touts, he
would have been caught on other
charges formally made against him py
responsible parties.
Burton made seventy thousand dol
lars in gratis in three years. he hao
not made seventy hundred dollars IN
the three years before he went to the
senate. Yet men arise in Kansas VINO
have the audacity to say that Burton
was entrapped. Yesl Burton's screams
when he was 'entrapped' were hearu
all over Washington"
The real reason for the attempt to
create sentiment against Brlstow IN
connection with the Burton matter is
not only to give Burton the pose of a
martyr, but also to hurt Br1stoW IN the
eyes of the people on his own account.
It is realized that Bristow may be a
strong candidate for the United States
senate when Burtons seat becomes va
cant and the former friends of Burton
the old Burton machine-have no use
for such men as BriStOW. They would
rather see almost anyone else elected to
the United States senate instead of
BriStOW.
To help along with this idea there has
been reSurrected the old story about
Bristow having been paid for work done
as private secretary to Governor Nor
rill, during the month before MorrilPS S
Inauguration, out of the governors S con-
tingent fund which money he refunded
xxrh
an opinion that the payment was illegal
There is no pretense that there was
any intent at wrOngdoing but question
of law was involved. Yet the supporters
and apologists for T. T. Kelly will
doubtless attempt to show that Bristow
did just what Kelly did. The facts in
the Bristow case were these:
When Morrill, was elected governor to
succeed Lewelling there was a big horde
of hungry officeseekers who wanted
jobs. In order to receive and acknOwl-
edge their applications Morrill, opened
headquarters in Topeka about a month
before his inauguration and placed
BristOw his private secretary, in charge
with two stenographers. The work done
was for Governor Morrill,, and after his
Inauguration Morrill, directed that the
three employees draw their pay out of
his contingent fund. The vouchers were
duly made out, presented in the audi
tors office and paid without question by
the assistant auditor. State Auditor
I
and as soon as he returned home he
questioned the validity of the payment
and laid the question before Attorney
General Dawes, who decided that en-
pIoyes could not be paid for work per-
formed before they officially came into
Office. ThereupOn the money was
promptly returned to the state and Nor
rill paid his employees out of his own
pocket for the time they were employed
before his Inauguration.
The difference between KeI1y's case
and this is that Kelly forged warrants
and public records in order to steal
money from the public treasury with
the guilty knowledge that he was steal
ing. In BriStoW'S case he acted under
instructions from Governor Morrill,
there was no attempt at concealment
and no thought of wrOngdoing. 1t prob
ably was immaterial to Bristow at that
time whether his pay came from the
state or from Governor Morrill, personal
ly. Governor Morrill, was the one who
was most interested in the transaction
financially.
The SaIina Herald suggests r. A.
Lovitt of Salina as good congressional
timber for the Democrats to run in the
Fifth district.
Ex-Governor Stanley returned to his
home at Wichita yesterday from his
work on the Dawes commission at
Tishomingo, I. T. His resignation was
effective yesterday and he says he will
now settle down to his law practice
again.