The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-05-30
The River Press.
Published erery Wednesday Morning
By the Rirer Press Publish
ing Company.
HONESTY Is THE BEST POLICY.

Something more aud better thar
lasting disgrace to a United State:
senator is accomplished in the final
judgment of the court of last resort
affirming the findings of the federal
Judge who imposed punishment OF fine
and Imprisonment upon Burton oil
Kansas. For an example to other
officials, high and low, Mr.. Burton is
likely to render more valuable service
to his country that he ever did as q
member of the highest Legislative body
of the land. As q statesman the Kan
sas member was not much. Very few
people beyond the Confines of his state
knew or cared anything about him
until he was arraigned in a national
court charged with offense against
national law Ia his conduct as a ma
tional law-maker. The specific crime
of which he was convicted was a COM
paratively mild form of graft. He &C.
cepted q retainer from q ace to
practice in its interests as an advocate
before q Of the administrative de-.
partments in Washington. 1t would
have been entirely proper for him to
engage in that work il he had not been
vested with the powers and influence
OF a sen ator. His action was a viola.
ton OF the law notwithstanding that
1t might not appear that he exercised
any influence Of his official position
or presented other arguments than
those which would be fit and proper
from any attorney without official
title. As in the case of the late Sen.
ator Mitchell Of Oregon, the compen-
sation for the unlawful service was
rl~diculously inadequate to be regarded
as a bride to control the action of 50
eminent a person. 1t was plain graft
"a gathering of revenues by an Of
fetal to which he was no. lawfully en-
titled for services which he could not
lawfully perform.
The experiences Of the two United
States senator's convicted within q
year, and of other United States sen.
ators who have met punishment
through exposure without the for.
mality OF conviction for kindred ii not
Offenses, not to mention the +
long list of state and county and city
officials who have been brought to &C.
count, amount to a most practical de.
monstration that the net earnings from
grating are not at all COM
mensurate with the incidental losses
which are most certain to be incurred |
soon or late. The convictions afford
illustration Of the fallacy OF the more
or less popular theory that!the courts
are partial to men of influence in
public affairs. Within q week a Jury
in Milwaukee, has acquitted an alder
man from a charge of conduct quite
as offensive to the law as that for
which the federal courts have held a
United States senator 10 punishment
the facts being admitted and techni-
c~alities of law being relied upon by the
defense in both cases.
Good men have preached that hon.
esty Is the best policy until the pro.
verb has become as little regarded AZ
q p%latitude. 1t takes the bad men to |
prove the truism with painful results |
which are calculated to deter the ad.
v~enturous citizen who is tempted to
the belief that the moral proprieties
are nothing to those who can temper.
arily evade the provisions of the
statute. Once it vas thoroughly un.
derstood exactly what rewards are
due from official grating, there will
be fewer imitators of those who somc-
times seem to make q success OF
practtcing it.-Butte Inter Mountain.