The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-25
sign as congressman and take the APP
pointment from the hands of Hoch.

sign as congressman and take the APP
pointment from the hands of Hoch.
Whether Senator Burton is convicted
or not it is conceded by many of his
friends who were most ardent in theII
work to secure his election that he will
no longer be factor in Kansas politics.
This opinion is held by many on the
salary lists at the state house who We're
strong Burton partisanS.
It was but comparatively few
months ago that Senator Burton admit
ted to some of his friends that he I'M
derstood his position in Kansas politics.
This was before the indictment by the
st. Louis grand jury was returned.
Kansas man who wanted to secure
a federal position asked the help and
influence of Senator Burton. The APP
plicant had not been a strong Burton
supporter. Burton felt then that his
political career was coming to an end
and that the hold he had was giving
way Il cannot help you,' Senator
Burton is quoted as saying. Il must
look out for the few friends 1 have left
in Kansas. 1 owe it to them to stand
by them and I cannot aid others. Moth
ing but political revolution in Kansas
can save me-"
That was before the BOSS Busters =
movement had taken shape and form
sufficient for Burton to see the revolu-
ton that was coming. The revolution
came-but before it came the Indictment
by the st. Louis grand jury and when
the revolution that Burton said was the
only thing that could have him came he
could not regain his former ground on
the wave of the revolution.
Senator Burton had a hold on the
young men of the state who will be
FACTORS in politics in Kansas for a good
many years to come" said one of
| those young men today who worked
for Burton three years ago but who
now would no longer aid him. why
he had this hold on them l can not
say. One person gives one reason and
another person another. Burton is
smart to a degree; still there are hun
dredS of others in the state as smart
and smarter than he. But, Burton s
course came fatally near eStranging oil
these men and when the crash came
the end came to Burton no matter
what the outcome of the trial.
Burton by his own hard work and
abilities won an enviable position as q
lawyer at Abilene and how strange it
is that the remarks of Judge Adams
are SO applicable to Burton. Judge Adj
ANS said in ruling on the admission of
evidence and when the point was rails
ed by the defense in the trial at st.
Louis that Burton had not earned $500
that lawyers often were retained in
cases and that they were paid a liberal
fee when in fact they might not APP
pear at the trial of the case and might
nOS open lIIen I1OulIS III 1tSd1O ~ Lie
case but that they were retained sim
ply for the influence their connection
with the case might have.
Years ago Burton built up a law
practice at Abilene which made for
him a competency for life. He was
worth $4,000 to $4,000. and he made it
out of his law practice. There never
was an important criminal case in
western Kansas that Burton was not
in it. His practice grew to such pro-
portions that he could not handle all
the business that came to him. People
who were to go into litigation would
go to him. Burton would tell them that
he was so busy he could not take their
cases and would Send them to other
lawyers.
''These lawyers would take their
cases and would instruct their clients
to engage Burton as associate counsel,
so that Burton would be retained and
the other side could not get him. Bur-
tons retainer fee might be 500 and it
a hand III the case but his influence
would be for the side which retained
him. Just such a condition was men,
toned by Judge Adams.
4 remeber once I was sitting in the
lobby of the Copeland hotel talking
with Burton. A hotel porter came to
him with three letters. Burton opened
them. One contained a check for $500
and the other a check for 81. 500. 1t
was a few days before Christmas. Bur-
ton called the porter to him, handed
him the two checks and said: Take
these to Mrs. Burton and tell her they
are a Christmas present from Mr..
Burt