The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-02
Burton Supporters Trying to
Create Sympathy.
Plan Also to Besmfrch Joseph
l.. BristOW.
EVEN HOCH is HELPING
Appeals for Sympathy for the
Convicted Senator.
Items Of Interest to- Politicians
and Others.

There seems to be a concerted effort
on foot among the former supporters of
Senator Burton to create sympathy for
Burton and throw mud at Joseph L.
Bristow, fourth assistant postmaster
general There is a systematic attempt
to create the idea that Burton is
martyr and that Bristow is responsible
for his troubles.
The fact that Senator Burton simply
carried out his reprehensible grating
policy of years is lost sight of by these
former supporters of Burton. This is.
perhaps only natural inasmuch as these
people supported Burton all through his
former CRAFTS and only apparently de-
serted him when he got caught as
criminal
All of this is very adroitly done. Bur-
toms brilliancy and talent as an orator
is pointed out and the height from which
he fell is pointed to as a reason why he
is entitled to sympathy. The fact that
he is man of talent and had been
given high honor by the people OF
Kansas only makes his crime all the
more reprehensible.
An attempt is made to create the i'm
preston that the judge before whom he
was tried gave him the worst of it''
whenever possible in his trial, and that
the sentiment against grafters in st.
Louis is responsible for his conviction.
GL Il
Adams was extremely careful in his
rulings and the city of St. Louis as a
whole is apathetic on the subject Of
graft.
All of this undoubtedly has its eff
feet The sympathies of the public
are played upon. The sorrow of Mrs.
Burton is pictured and this certainly
appeals to every one and sympathy is
indirectly aroused for Senator Burton,
yet no thought is given to the conduct
Of Burton when he was a member of
the Kansas legislature. Mrs. Burton
is to be admired for her fidelity to her
husband and she is certainly entitled
to sympathy in the trouble which she
must necessarily share, but this SYM
pathy should not be used in an at
tempt to mitigate the ofense Of Sena-
tor Burton.
One cannot but regret that such a
thing should have come about and
doubtless no one regrets it more than
Senator Burton himself. but this does
not afford an excuse for palliating the
crime, but some of BurtOns former
friends have now got to the point
where they pretend to think it shame
less to point out the senator's wrong
doing in the terms which it deserves
The Topeka Capital takes great Of
feDse because William Allen White
wrote for the Chicago Tribune the
truth about Burton, and an attempt
Is now being made to question the
motives Of those who speak out about
Burton instead of blubering with
sympathy for him.
This, too, Is having its effect and so
just man as E. w. Hoch publishes
the following
Without reference to party or fac-
ton, every one whose bosom throbs
with the common human sympathies
must feel sad over the fate that has
befallen Senator Burton He is gift
ed man. He is almost brilliant in his
intellectually. To see such Il star
ecipsed is painful to every normal
soul To witness such calamity to
brother man is occasion for profound
sorrow. Only ghOulS rejoice in such
catastrophes. Only those capable of
worse crimes than they condemn are
glad when such a fate befalls an
erring fellowbeing Especially will all
be sorry Tor the accomplished and love-
~ lady who bears the senator's name
and must bear also full share of his
shane.''
There is a certain amount of truth in
what MI HOch says, but would Mr.
HOch have crime and wrong-doing go
unpunished because the criminal is
gifted, and because the innocent must
suffer with the guilty? The influence
of Mr.. Hoch's utterance will be to keep
many Kansas editors silent for fear
their condemnation of Burton will be
misc@nstrued and they will be looked
upon as "ghouls.' Probably no one in
Kansas rejoices in Burton's downfall
but it cannot be said that it was un-
expected. When an individual, be he
man of influence and talent or only
wrong course of action and persists in
hagrantly violating the principles of
right, il does not take much of a
prophet to foretell that the wrong
doer viii be caught some time. There
is an Old Book which says "the way
of the transgressor is hard" and Sen
ator Burton seems to be finding it out,
just as other transgressors have found
out before him.
The fact is that Burton is an old
transgressor and is therefore not en-
titled to the sympathy which he would
be If this were his first Offense The
public records OF Kansas charge him
with acts just as bad as that of which
ne was convicted in St. Louis, but
there was no Kansas law that would
reach him. The United States authori-
ties. too have knowledge of other
crooked transactions on the part of
Burton besides the Rialto incident. The
$4,000 which he got out of the Rialto
company is only a small part Of what
he has received from such sources.
The evidence in his trial showed that
he has paid off $4,000 of his old debts.
but his salary has amounted to only
$4,000.
That is why the plea for sympathy
for Burton should not get as much
weight IS it would if this were his
first offense. This is why, too. the at
tempt to create sentiment against To-
seph L. BristoW as the prosecutor Of
Burton should rather reflect to Bris-
toWS credit. On the subject of who
was responsible for Burton's prosep,1-
tion the Empcria Gazette saws:
THE attorney general of the United
States probably under direction and
with the knowledge and consent of the
president of the United States is the
man responsible for the conviction al
Burton. No official of the government
who has any reasoIs to dislike Burton
had anything to do with the conviction
Of Burton, save as he was ordered by