The Goodland republic., 1907-03-29
HOT ROAST FOR ROOSEVELT
BURTON, FREE, MAKES a FIERY
SPEECH.
Ex-senator Given Big Ovation Upon
HIS Return 70 the People
OF Abilene.

were worn by two scores OF old sol
diers, and IL was q greeting to make
any man proud
Never in the days OF political glory
did 1Ir. Burton receive a greater Ova-
ton Mr.. Burton wore a new silk nat
and was IN his usual Immaculate
clothes He lolZs somewhat thin 81
have written so many letters and so
much manuscript" said he, that 7
have not had time to gain flesh but I
am exceedingly well" In an open car
rage, preceded by the band, they went
up town to the Burton home, the
streets being lined. Hats were lifted
and hands waved and when the car
rage halted 1t was quickly surrounded
BY friends. Tears we're in his eyes as
he and Mrs. Burton grasped the out
stretched hands.
Politicians and friends by scores
came in on the afternoon trains and
the town had the appearance Of a pO-
litical convention. The theater had
been engaged, reserved seats being
sold for the public library fund. The
entire lower floor was sold out long
before night, many from outside towns
sending for accommodations. A doz-
en- newspaper men from Topeka and
Kansas City are here. Mr. and Mrs
Burton were entertained at dinner by
County Treasurer Schneider.
Applause Greets Burton.
The theater, which holds about
eight hundred, was filed to standing
room and many were unable to gain
admission. Sixty old soldiers from this
city and county, a number Of pOliti-
clans and Mrs. Burton occupied the
stage. Mr.. Burton was received with
applause and opened with hearty
thanks to his home people and appre-
citation Of their kindness.
Mr.. Burton was in perfect control Of
his audience and applause greeted him
at frequent intervals. At the close OF
his speech the stage was crowded with
those who congratulated him. At
times he rose to intense dramatic pow
er and when he placed his hand on
his wife's head and declared his in
nOcence he was cheered at length.
The speech was made throughout in
good temper, frequently touched with
humor and was declared by many po-
iticians to be the greatest speech Bur
ton ever made. He softened many Of
the expressions concerning the presi-
dent and there was scarcely q point
that was not greeted with applause.
He declared that President Roose-
cution and that the chief magistrate
had been moved by malice alone Mr.
Burton said that he first aroused the
enmity Of President Roosevelt when
he took a stand against the Cuban re-
ciprOcity measure on the ground that
the administration was pushing It
through congress in the interests Of
the sugar trust and that it was in op-
position to the interests Of the beet
growers OF the western states.
He next got in the presidents road,
he said, when ne asserted that the
credit for the naval victory at Santiago
was due to Schley and not Sampson
These two things made the president
BurtOn's enemy, he said, but the
crowning Offense, the thing which
really brought about his prosecution
and conviction, was the fact that he
Kansas prior to the convention Of
1904
President Roosevelt, said Burton,
was well nigh crazed with fear at the
chance Of Mark Hanna securing the
presidential nomination and he saw in
BurtOn's support Of HOch a move to
secure control Of the Kansas delega-
ton to the national convention and
turn it over to Hanna.
His Language Bitter.
Mr.. Burton used no mild language
in his denunciation Of Roosevelt. He
stated that the president was a "crOss
between a turkey gobbler and a bull
dog" and that no crime was too
black to deter him from attaining his
ambitions"
Mr.. Burton called attention TO the
fact that the officials who prosecuted
~ a-T- 81
evidence against him, as well as the
courts which convicted him, had near
" all been rewarded in some way or
another since his conviction and that
in nearly every case these rewards
could be traced directly to the hands
OF Theodore Roosevelt.
Contrary to expectations, Mr.. Bur
-0n did not mention the name OF J. T.
BristOw Of Salina, who was fourth as
sistant postmaster general at the time
Mr.. Burton's conduct was investigated
by the government
Leaving aside much Of the speech
Of Mr. Burton, which is too lengthy
to be printed here, there are yet two
interesting phases OF his speech One
relates to his life in Abilene and his
struggle toward prominence, and the
other is his closing words in which he
QhELA0Ohc LAlG eLELS u OLllGL1 anu ADDEz
for opportunity yet to come. What
ever Burton may be, he seems to
breathe forth the spirit OF nObleness
and exhibits the resolution Of q great
soul to toll onward in the face OF seri-
Gus obstacles. in the following para
graphs:
On the 18th day OF September, 1878,
my wife and came to Abilene. This
has been our home ever since. We
came as strangers into a strange land.
we had no friends, and only a very
few acquaintance. We had practi-
cally no money nor property, no rela-
tives nor friends anywhere, to whom
we could look for help. We were
alone We have lived in Kansas for
more than twenty-eight years They
have been for me years Of activity and
struggle 7 have met with success and
failure. I know the taste OF victory
and OF defeat 1 know something
about the ashes Of prosperity, and the
virtues OF adversely. I have been the
recipient OF fattering adulation, and
the object OF malevolent attack. Liv-
ing all these years IN the white light
Of publicity ever in the way o. other
ambitious men, have often been Bit
terly assafled. But there are two
charges which have never been made
against me: No one ever accused me
Of being lazy; and no one ever ac-
cused me OF being a hypocrite. Per
haps, industry and candor are my only