The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-03-24
ASTOUNDING ATTACK
UPON Mr.. ROOSEVELT
DEFENSE OF BURTON
Continued from Page Fourteen.)

NOOAtAiAASN rum 4 "5S a Jul tSCll.t
person ever paid one cent to elect me
to any office at my request, Or even to
my knowledge This assertion covers
my several elections TO the Legis lature,
my race for Congress in 1892, ano has
special reference to my election to the
United States Senate.
Il now want to call a class of inter
ested witnesses, interested because they
have received favors at my hands. /
refer 10 men whom 1 have appointed TO
office They are drawing annual sal
aries. in the aggregate, Of more than
500, 600 per year, ana have been receiv-
ing these great enoluments for several
wears. Not one Of these men paid one
cent for his office. Not one of them
ever gave me one dollar, nor paid out
one dollar at my request or to my
knowledge, for the purpose Of electing
me TO the Senate. And what is further
not one OF them has been permitted 10
furnish me one cent in the great eX-
pense to which 1 have been put in de-
tending my honor for the past three
wears. Some of them have sent me
money. / have returned the money
sent, without using 1t, in every case 1
have borne the burden alone i have
never levied tribute, and 1 have refused
all favors of a financial character. Yet
the charge under which am resting
and for which 1 was convicted, was
that out Of my greed for money was
willing TO corruptly use my official posi-
ton TO procure it."
The Reciprocity Treaty.
MI Burton then discusses at length
the reciprocity legislation. scoring the
Sugar trust in his statements. He re-
fers to the Presidents message on the
reciprocity treaty, and says:
when the Presidents message was
received We had second caucus. II
was at this meeting 1 MORALLY offended
Roosevelt The bill. as proposed 70 US
by the Senate committee, was simply
plain reduction of 20 per cent of the
existing tarin duties. It had been
amended by striking OF that part Of
the House bill which repealed the DIFF
ferentlaI duty on refined suaT. Those
Of Us who were opposed 10 the measure
as rendered by the Senate committee
then offered 10 support the bill II II was
reported just as il came from the House,
That offer was refused We We're lolQ
that the bill must be a - per cent. IT-
ductlOn, and nothing more, and that no
amendments whatever were 10 be al
lowed.
Il then made the speech that made
me temporarily notorious If not Ia
nous. / said, in substance. that !
would rot support the measure in that
form; that Il was plainly in the inter
csts of the Sugar trust. as everyone
must know; that II would, at the same
time, be q gift Of many millions of dol
lars annually 10 that great corporation,
and a crushing blow To the beet sugar
industry; that the whole measure was
conceived IN hypocrisy; that il vio-
lated the cardinal principles OF the Re
publican party on the tariff that Cuba
was prosperous, and did not need IL:
that the Cubdus would not get the ben
EFT of the reduction II Il was made
and that 10 support "a bill OF this kind
was either an insult TO the intelligence
Of Republican Senators or an indict-
nent Of their integrity, or both
u was emphatic and direct in my
utterances. and. 81 is said. 1 talked loud
enough 20 make the window frames
rattle, and 10 be heard on the outside
Of the building. ] was deeply IN earnest.
and spoke my convictions. Nine was the
last speech: the caucus broke up with
the understanding that the fight was
over for that session. Do not misunder-
stand me, u was not my speech that
beat the bill, nobody was, at teart, in
favor Of IL.