The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-21
SHOULD BURTON BE PARDONEDq

2LOOAxAB BANG1NtN BIZ ELltt
According to the dispatches from
Washington today a move is on foot
to secure a pardon for Joseph r.
Burton, late United states senator
from Kansas. The condition upon
which the pardon is to be based is
that he shall pay his fine, after which
he shall be relieved of the Jail SEN
tence which is staring him in the face.
The parden would need to come from
President Roosevelt.
There are two sides to a proposition
of this kind. one, argument is that
an offender should be made to pay the
penalty for his offenses, no matter
what it shall be or what his position.
In this instance the law provides for
both a fine and imprisonment.
On the other hand it is argued, and
with good reason, that Mr. Burton has
already been greatly punished for his
offense, and that no good purpose
would be served in heaping further
punishment upon him by putting him
for six months behind the bars of the
county jail down at Ironton, No
The State Journal has for years op-
posed the political advancement Of ].
R. Burton. Knowing what manner of
man he was by the record he had made
in Kansas politics. it could not be true
to the people of Kansas and do else
than oppose Burton. But certain poll
ticians succeeded in sending him to
the United States senate, where he
committed a crime and brought dis
grace upon his state
This paper believes Mr.. Burton's
prosecution and conviction has been
Just. It believes he has merited the
punishment he has brought upon him
self. But at the same time it believes
in tempering justice with mercy. 1t
believes that the proper end of pun
ishment should be reformation and not
revenge
It is undoubtedly true that Mr.. Bur
ton did not know he was violating
criminal statute OF the United states
when he hired himself out to aid dis
reputable swindling concern. Had his
moral sense not been perverted he
would have known that he was COM
mltting great moral wrong. but it
was no worse than he was accustomed
to- Yet no member of congress had
ever before been convicted of violating
the law as Burton did, and he did not
know he was committing an actual le-
gal crime.
The moral effect of Burton's con-
ylction upon the country has already
been achieved in a great degree. It
might be emphasized a little perhaps
were he sent to Jail, but his convic-
tion and forced resignation from his
high office, and the public disgrace he
has brought upon himself, has taught
others who might fall the old lesson
that the way of the transgressor is
hard.
And it is quite likely, too. that the
effect of the penalty upon Burton him
self would not be any better were he
compelled to serve six months in a
stuffy little Jail. If he has any man
hood or moral sense at all the punish
ment which has already been meted
out to him has taught him all that
could be taught in the way of lessons
of morality.
While it has said a great many
harsh things against him. the State
Journal bears no malice towards Mr..
Burton. It would take pleasure in
noting by his future acts that he has
genuinely reformed. It would like to
see him lead such a life as will com
mand the respect of his fellow men.
rms paper mas no reVengeful feelings
toward the late senator-it has no de-
sire to see him sent to Jail simply to
heap further humiliation on him.
Mr. Burton has already suffered more
than Jail sentence would infict on
the ordinary individual. He has fallen
from the highest position in the govern
ment councils to one of political OBJ
scurity. He has lost his standing as a
public man and the regard of his friends
both political and otherwise. What
greater punishment could be inflicted?
These are things President Roosevelt
should consider when the application for
a pardon is before him.
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c7-rN-f. TForvO,