The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-25
Ex-senator Makes
Speech Telling
Of His Troubles

when he was received as Senator
when Saturday night he returned to
his home after 1--WE months, imprison:
ment at lronton, No.
A, crowd Of several hundred people
with the town band met him at the
station and many persons wearing
badges on which was inscribed: wei.
come Burton.
The ex-senator rode from the sta
ton to his home In an open carriage
and his progress through the streets
was in the nature o. trinmphal pro-
cession. After an informal reception
at their home Nh. and Mrs. Burton
were entertained at a dinner by conn-
y Treasurer Schneider, after which
they went to the theater where the
ex-senator delivered hts expected
speech ON the subject. why / Was
Prosecuted = :. =,
Refers TO Indictments.
Ex-senator Burton began his speech
by referring to the three indictments
found against him, and the two conytc.
lions .lnder them saying that, while
the case was pending. he tried to get
the SENATE TO investigate the charges
against him, but It steadily refused
to do SO, and Il was abont to ixpell
him without an Investigation, when he
resigned TO avoid expulsion.
"a great wrong he said. "had been
done not only to him, but to the peo-
pie OF Kansas as vel, and to the peo-
pie of the entire country. "For the
greatest OF all crimes against a peo-
ple.e he said, is where executives
ravish the law IN the temple Of JUS
iice. as they did in my case.
That was employed for short
time as the attorney Of the Rialto
company was never concealed or de-
MED by me. Payments on my con.
tract were made in five installmsnts
OF $500 each. The irst four payments
were each made by check. which l
deposited with the bank where kept
IN account In Washington. The last
payment was in cash. There was
nothing concealed, OF unusual, in tho
payments, as there was nothing TO con.
ceai in the contract of employment.
says Twas Unjust.
III was an unjust accusation against
me that i had been employed as an.
.uoiaeiodIoo sfqplndeIstp so &euIolaa
and that l knew It to be of such char.
acter al the time OF my employment.
The Riaito company bore no resem-
blance whatever to get.rich.quick
concern. During the time l was one
OF its attorneys. and during all the
time that II was managed by its own.
er. Major Dennis, the Rialto company
never swindied any person in the
world out Of a dollar. offered to
show this IN the trial Of my case. but
the court refused to allow the testi-
mony
1T was untrue that was Indicted
for bribery, though 1t was so given out
In the Haring headlines of newspapers
The charge against me. throwing
aside legal yerbiage, was that had
been hired In law suit. prohibited
ny the statute, because / was a sena-
tor II was not pretended in the in.
dictment that the government has one
cent Of property interest in the case.
where / was accused OF acting as an
attorney, There was no charge against
me like that made against the late
Sc lator Mitchell and other defend.
a e in the land fraud cases, no
tarse that had defrauded the gov.
fnmsnt out Of anything. The govern.
ment had no monetary interest what.
ever IN the case. whether a fraud
order should or should not issue
AGAINST my client, made not one dol.
lar OF Inference to the. government.
rhe government wouId not make nor
iose anything. which ever way the
case should be decided by the post
master general:
Reason for Law.
The statute had been passed In
1850, near the close of the war, to pre-.
vent congressman from taking claims
AGAINST the government for collection.
Claims against the government had
piled mountain high at that time. as
d result Of theywar,i and senators and
congressman made specially of seek.
ing these claims for collections. The
very. best men in congress advertised
in the Washington papers to collect
these claims on. contingent fees. AS
4 required an appropriation to pay
The claims. when allowed, 1t wa,
thought that such action should be
denounced as wrong and in conflict
With the Official duties of congress.
men. This was the Inspiration and
pprpose Of The law. It meant, as was
them thoSght that in all matters where
;he government stood to win or lose
something, or where money or prop