The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-25


is not competent for either place. He
Is without experience as a lawyer His
appointment must be attributed to the
influence of his father. Why die
Harlan? Everyone must Judge fol
himself 1 can only give the facts.
We're all these promotions, re-
wards, lmmunities, accidentally coin
| cldent with my downfall? Did my case
nave nothing to do with bringing to
these judges, prosecuting officers wit
| luck? ae
Every man must pass upon this
| question for himself. But does not
the inquiry as to the price of my blood
obtrude itself when these facts are
considered?"
Mr.. Burton then reviewed his own
political career. Included in this was
the following reference to the state
| treasury:
"A slanderous report was given out
shortly after I was indicted, not in di-
rect terms, but by innuendo, that Mr..
Grimes and Mr.. Kelly furnished me
money from the state treasury, with
which to conduct my campaign, and
that would, explain a part of the short
age in that office.
dollar, nor did he pay out one cent to
anybody, at any time, to my knowl-
edge, to-. secure my election. Mr..
Grimes paid out for me in ALL from
looking after my interests. while I was
out on the stump, in the summer and
fall of 1900, and 1 repaid him in full.
Doubtless. a great many of my
friends contributed to the legitimate
expenses of the campaign, in their re-
spective localities, but in doing 50, so
far as l know, in every instance, every
such contribution was made without
any reference whatever to my can
didacy.
IF my seat in the senate was
bought for me the men I have named
know all about it. I demand that they
shall speak now. or that their silence
shall be construed that what have
said about my election is the truth.
I'm this connection, want to refer
to a conversation I had, at the Audi
torium Annex, last fall, with Mr.. Alex
Butts of the Kansas City Star, in which
he said that a friend of his had told
him that a friend of mine had paid
out $4,000 to elect me to the senate.
His claim was that my friend had
made this statement. He refused to
give me the name, either of his friend,
or mine. But. from other things that
he said at that time, and from the very
lished by Hon. W. R. Stubs. am led
to believe that he is the friend OF Mr..
Butts to whom he referred in that
conversation.
''If any man told Mr.. Stubs. or any
body else, that he paid out $4,000 to
elect me to the senate. his statement
was a lie. If my guess is right, and
Mr.. Stubs is the man. to whom MI
Butts referred, 1 call upon him to
make public the name of his inform
ant. +sast
sIf I am mistaken, Mr.. Butts can
serve the public by giving the name OF
his friend, and, in that way, possibly, |
that falsehood can be traced to its
source. I have n nothing to conceal, |
and hope these gentlemen will be as |
candid and as open as have been.
"Mr. Stubs, sin his statement, said:
The financial agent and political
of the Kansas railroads
came to me and stated he had raised
$4,000 in the 1campaignein 1900. and
could do the same for me. which ser
vices declined
to the national convention in 1900.
was afterwards at theCforefront of the
in.I Kansas, all the way
through. was then a, candidate Tor
he Tinted States senate. and was
elected to- that Office in January there
after. Mr.. A1haugh and MI Kelly
we're, respectively, chairman ana sec
rotary of the state committee. ana MI.
.ionaI committee. 1 know. as every
1ne who has been active In politics
knows, that for many OF. the recent
tate and national campaigns money
has been freely used. ~
Says Kansas Boodlers Fight Him.
But in InGSes as III all SuCI |
,aigns, I was never connected In any
yay with the financial end of them
dy work was on the stump, in the
Ield, and not at headquarters. l never
Exchanged a word with Mr.. Albaugh
nd Mr.. Kelly, nor any member of the
tate committee, nor with Mr.. Null
ane state member of the national
Committee, about the finances of the
What money was raised
nd contributed. how, when and where
1 . of fa1-o VII
either one of them ever consulted
ne in any way or at any time
''If the Kansas railroads, or the ma
ional committee, or the state COM
und in that campaign, as charged by
dr. Stubs, it was matter about
yhich / was never consulted by any
ody. Although 1 had absolutely moth
ng whatever to do with the financial
nd of the campaign, 1 do know, and
ssert the truth to be, that no man
pent $4,000 or any other amount to
lect me to the senate.
II have hesitated to bring the names
f nv friends before the public in |
mis- way. 1t is not pleasant thing to I
o. But 1 stand convicted of having ]
sed my high Office in violation of law,
Or personal gain. In order to accom-
lish my ruin, the powerful influences
Y to the charges that 1 obtained my !
flee through the corrupt use of
honey, and that I stood as the repre- !
entative of money in politics.
These men. I have named know !
lese charges to be false. There are
undreds of other friends in the state
have not named who know that the
narges are false. 1 state the simple
nth, and the people of the state know
when I say that 1 stood for year
afore, and at the time of my election {
the representative of the better ele-
ent in politics in Kansas. No man e
no was close to me in that fight had E
p to that time ever accused me of be- !
g a boodler or a CRATER. I
Proposes to Live Case Down. :