The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-03-24
WELCOMED HOME;
SLAPS ROOSEVELT
Ex-u. s. SENATOR BURToN'S RE-
TURN FROM JAIL MARKED BY
BIG DEMONSTRATION.
A VICTIM OF MALICE
he Says Of the President, Who Drove
Him From Senate Because Hc
Opposed His Sugar Trust
Policy.

Abilene, Kas.. March %. Joseph +
Burton former United States senate
for Kansas received d reception NOR
eplhus astic than that given hin whel
he first returned as senator. when hi
returned TO his home In this tonigh
after five months Imprisonment a
lronton, Mo.
Several hundred re pie with ban,
met him at the depot and escorted him
TO his home. His progress through
the streets was In the nature Of {
trlumphal procession
Why Was PROSECUTED.
After an informal reception at theil
home Mr.. and Mrs. Bur.on were en-
te!tained at dinner by County Treas
urer Schneider, after which they went
to the theater where the ex-senator
delivered his exp cted speech on the
subject why | Was Prosecuted.
Burton was sentenced TO jail for
appearing before the pos toffice depart
ment In behalf of the Rialto Grain and
: curities company ST. Louis get
rich-quick concern
Burton bitterly denounced President
Roosevelt, ths United States senate,
and the courts which convicted him,
in one of the most remarkable Trades
In Kansas political literature. Begin
ming with the declaration that he was
Roosevelt Of using the vast enginery
oil the government" 10 drive him out
of the United States senate and into
the Irontcn Jail because Burton had
opposed Roosevelt and the sugar
trust on the tariff question. 81
Alter stating tisat aa hasl never dos
MED his connection with the st. Louis
company, but contending that during
the time he represented 1t, that no
frauds were practiced. Burton said
Offended President; Only Wrong,
Il was convicted by the press Of
bribery and fraud. was convicted
by the courts with misconstruing a
statute. | was guilty of nothing. My
only offense was that had offendrd
the head of the Political Community
OF Interests 1.-The president; and the |
most powerful member of the Com
mercial Community of interests the |
sugar trust. These. and these alone, |
are the offenses for which have suf-
fered. violated no law.
Il doubt If the country has ever
fully realized why | was prosecuted in
st. Louis. The president evaded the
question, attorney general. now Sen
ator Knox, refused to answer it. My |
attorneys often asked the question.
and they could get no answer No
truthful answer could be given. that
was not confession that in proceed
ing against me In st. Louis the gov.
had violated the very spirit
NJ the constitution. Four of the FIVE
payments we're made TO me In Wash
ngton. If | rendered any services
hat were prohibited by the statute,
endered them in Washington, and not
n St Louis
Why was then taken thousand
niles away from the place where II
was alleged | rendered the prohibited
services, where four of the five pay.
nents were made to me where most
If the Witnesses resided, into
strange city where had never seen
n communicated with any postal Off
ial2 Thsre was wild crusade
gainst accused officials in Missouri
{ that time and he storm center was
4 ST. Lou S. There is an inherited
prejudice In that city against a Kan
an, but that was very slight. as com.
'ared with the far deeper prejudic
hen existing against any high official J
harged with crime. Governor Folk !
ben circuit attorney. had instituted !
against public officials, !
nd other persons, and the excitement J
ad grown so intense as to produce
Or a time. judicial anarchy in that !
lace. Nearly all of the upper tendon
{ 81. Louis had been guilty of viola
ng the law. and those who had not
ere under suspicion. For sometime,
icious attacks had been made n
throughout the country against the i
nited States senate. Therefore. the
Of a United States senator D
J the City of St Louis. furnished a
inning mark for all the hate that had {!
cen aroused against high officials. n
I'd left TO man then In my posi- ;
ON in a strange city very little y
lance for trial. \
Federal Witnesses Promoted.
4 do net think that Il is generally
lown that every witnespl who testi-
ID to anything mater al against me "
Is either been promoted in office, Or
as received immunity from punish ?
ient by the president. But such is y