Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-04-20
Sermons on Burton.

Writing for the Chicago Tribune,
William Allen White, the well
known newspaper man of Kansas,
delivers an interesting sermon with
Senator Burton's unhappy expert
ence as the text. Mr.. White, like
Senator Burton, is republican,
but he says that the conviction OF
Mr.. Burton will surprise no one in
Kansas. According to MrS White,
this is true because Burton's charac-
ter has been well known in Kansas
for twenty years"
Referring to Mr.. Burton, Mr..
| White says: "For dozen years be-
fore he went to Washington as a
senator from Kansas he was pro-
fessional candidate for senatorial
honors. He had served a term or
] two in the lower house of the state
Legislature, where he openly solicited
bribes and was charged dozens of
times in the newspapers of the state
with being a boodler without the
slightest resentment upon Burton's
part. Time and again perfectly re-
putable and financially responsible
newspapers have charged Burton
with violating every obligation of
life, social, moral, political, and fin
ancial, and he made no attempt to
bring these newspapers to the bar of
justice"
Mr.. Burton's election is explained
by Mr.. White in this wcv:
His election was due to the in
1uence Of railroads in state politics.
Every local attorney for the Rock
Island, the Missouri Pacific, the
Santa Fe, and Union Pacific who
had any influence was at Topeka
working for Burton. Pe1emptory
orders came out Of Chicago and St.
Louis in the compaign which end
ed with Burton's election demand
ing that local Kansas railroad law
yers support Burton or lose their
places"
Then Mr.. White says that Mr..
Burton has furnished horrible ex-
ample to young men who would go
into politics as a means of profit, !"
and he breaches very eloquent
sermon upon the value Of honesty.
This sail very true; and yet, one
cannot avoid the reflection that Bur-
tons present day condition speaks
for itself and sermonizes according
ly. Mr.. White would do better to ad-
/ dress his sermons to the republican
party. How did it happen that a
man whose character, it was well
understood in Kansas for twenty
years, was bad ore, could be elect
ed to represent that state in the SEN
ate? How did it happen that the
republicans of Kansas chose for
United States senator a man who
dared not resent the charge that he
had openly solicited bribes, that he
was boodler, and that he had vic.
lated every obligation Of life? How
did it happen that the allied rail
roads were able to elect this man
to the senate?
The railroads did not provide the
election, machinery. The republi
can members of the Kansas legisla.
ture did the choosing. Would il
not be we'll, then, for Mr.. White tc
address some Of his sermons to the
republican leaders of Kansas; anc
not only to the republicans of Kan
sas, but to the republicans of othel
states who have, submitted to rail
road domination, just as tamely as
the republicans Of Kansas hav'
i done?
While Mr.. White is engaged il
the delivery Of sermons, would i
not be well for him to take as tex
some Of the other members of tn,
United States senate? 1t is not nee
essary that he take those who hav
been engaged in small transaction
and, largely because of the smallnes
Of the scheme, have been brought t
punishment. There sits in til
United States senate today ma
who is notoriously the Representa-
tive Of the greatest of all trusts. 1
the discharge of his senatorial dr
ties, he shows no concern, whatever
for public interests. His bushes
is to protect the interests of th
great trusts; every other considers
ton is ignored in consideration fc
the trust. Every public interes
must bend to the private interest
of the multi-millionaires represen
! ed by this particular senator.
Burton did wrong and undoubtat
:. ly deserves punishment; but is
not, after all, mockery for new,
! paper writers to prate about I'll
: cheap wickedness of the Burton
: while closing their eyes to the il
\ iquity on a much larger scale
! other public men who have not bee
: called to account, but who in spit
OF the notoriety of the fact that the
: are representatives Of special inte
= ests, yet retain places Of honor
4 the republican organization? Con
) moner,