The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-28

4
of his desire. He was married in
Mitchell to the niece of Sunset Cox.
and in 1878 the young couple started
westward and sought new fortunes on
the wide plains Of Kansas, then re-
ceiving the first influx of immigration.
1t was perhaps a desire to ind
climate suited to the repair OF ms
rather weakened constitution that took
Senator Burton from Indiana to Aan-
sas. In stature he is not much above
the average and his physique is not
such as to indicate a rugged health
Hard work in school and in law offices
of his native state had undermined
rather than built up has strength. But
in the new country Burton set about
making himself q law practice lie
formed a partnership with J. H. Mahan
who had already made q Woe az
uuaintance as a lawyer Button Sc
cured a reputation as a crirnlaal laN
yer and as a speaker Of considerable
ability. After two years he mad se-
cured an acquaintance among Wnlch II
was possible for him to begin ms "orA
for political preferment.
In 1880 he went into the state cam
paign and made a number of speeches
for local candidates. Burton,s feaoy
tongue and oily manner has been one
of his principal assets in his polillcal
business. 1t made state campdlsneA
out of a county campalgner ana Ma
tional campaign talker out OF con
gressional stump speech maker. Bur
ton was the youngest member IN tnS
house in 1882 when he was first elected
to the legislature. The RECORDS 90 @ not
show that in that capacity Mr.. Burton
performed any act particularly 20 ms
own or TO his party's credit. Whlle
his friends were re-electing MN TO 1llS
legislature in 1884 Burton went back
to Indiana where he had campa1gneu
in 1875. and made speeches for the Re-
publican party. His work there was
of course. under the direction of the
Republican national committee
Burton's first political grief met him
in 1886 when he undertook to run for
congress- He lost the nomination by
two votes. but with the best political
grace went into the campaign for the
man who had received the nomination
and made fifty speeches for him. In
the next campaign Mr.. Burton again
went to the legislature. During that
year Burton went into the national
campaign and stumped Maine. indiana
and his own state. About that time
the rise of POpuliSm in Kansas eX-
cluded Mr. Burton from further poilt-
ical oreferment, but he was pretty
active during the campaigns when the
Populists were successful. Among oth-
ers whom he met on the stump was
Senator Peffer.
AS a business man Mr.. Burton has
not been a success. Since he first en-
tered politics he had devoted
| himself so much 10 MS p po-
| lltlCal aT1dlrS tHaL he ndS III
had much time to spend on his private
ones. Shortly after settling in Abi-
| Iene he invested considerable OF ms
money in town lots, in hope OF feapilg
a harvest in the boom which collapsed
shortly afterward, leaving him and
many others stranded
During the campaign of 1880 he spoke
/ in every county in the state, making
nearly 200 addresses. He was Il
Worlds fair commissioner in 1893
Dr.. <@xafet ff1-cr %
] senate was in 1895 afldy after he had
! lined up his forces he had almost a
majority. Day after Gay as the eauci.s
approached the numbers grew and
when the meeting night came It seem
ed sure that he would win the prize.
But there were a dozen candidates ana
| although Burton was far in the iet'i
he could not break into any OF the
opposition ranks materially. At last
| he had received within one OF enough
to nominate him when there was q
motion for adjournment-and through
one of his supporters MISUNDERSTANDING
| the motion it was carried. Inc next
day the opposition agreed on one oil
j the caucus members, Iuclen BAKER
and he was chosen
In 1897 he would have been elected
but the PopuliStS had the legislature,
and he waited for 1901. He had spoken
in every district and when the members
| of the legislature came to Topeka 1t
was found that they remembered the
man who had helped them. 1t went on
for several days and then Senator Ba-
ker, who was a candidate for re-elec-
ton, withdrew and went home. Mr..
Burton gained his place without dis
senting vote in his party.
The one stanch friend and supporter
of Mr.. Burton, who is regarded by the
people of his state as being largely re-
sponsible for his success, is his wife.
They have no children, and since their
first married years she has been his
companion in all the multifarious
duties that have come to him. She has
travelled with him on all the weary
speech making tours through the west
ern counties and has stood beside him
in the stuffy halls of the hotel at the
capital when he was making fight
for the honor he sought. She gave up
her home to further his interests, and
with her CHEEKY smile and good nature
went about making votes for the party
and incidentally for the man she
hoped to see honored by it.
Many legislators said that they voted
more for the wife than for the hus-
band and when the election was held
| in representative hall there were cheers
for her as we'll as for him.