The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-03-29
BURTON RELEASED
Former Kansas Senator Has Served
His Sentence in Missouri Jail
and Been Released.
He ISSUES A STATEMENT
He Says He Returns to His Kansas
Home Full of Life and Hope
will Now Write and
Talk.

Ironton, Mo. March 23-Joseph
Ralph Burton, who until his convic-
ton in the federal court was United
States senator from Kansas, was Fri
day morning released from the county
Jail here having completed his SEN
tence of six months imposed when
he was found guilty of violating fed
eral statute by appearing before gov
ernmental department as the paid
representative of an alleged "get rich
quick" concern of st. Louis.
Burton entered the Jail at Ironton
October %, 1906. His release Friday
is due to the law which provides for
a deduction from sentence for good
behavior. Burtons sentence also in
cluded a fine of $4,000 and the statute
under which he was convicted debais
him from ever holding an office of
trust or remuneration under the
federal government. The fine, which
has not been paid will be held over
him as a civil Judgment. Upon leav-
ing the Jail Burton gave out the fol-
lowing signed statement:
"This is the first signed statement
I have made for publication since the
day | was indicted. The impression
has gone out that l propose TO live
for revenge. This is a mistake.
have no such purpose. The wrongs
done to me are the wrongs of others.
Vengeance is drought to be noble
only by the ienoble Vengeance Is
mine, sayeth the Lord is the philcs-
opby to which | have always sub
scribed in the past, and to which l
shall adhere in the future. | am
thousand times more solicitious that
I shall not wrong another, than | am
concerned about the wrongs Others
have done or may do, TO me. In say
ing This, however, do not pretend
to have more than two cheeks. Nor
do think that it is wrong to rebuke
hypocrisy
81 return to my home at Abilene,
brim-ful of life and hope. Only my
body has been in Jail. My mind has
been, at all times. free; sustained
with the knowledge that l am in
nocent. l shall take up my life's
work with malice toward none, and
with charity for ALL l shall talk
and write With pen and tongue, /
shall stand for policies and principles,
that, / believe, will make for the
general good, and oppose such as
think bad 1t is bad policies that
make bad men and bad government;
while true policies make good men
and good government My fight shall
be against measures, rather tnan
against men. | shall have charge CT
a newspaper, unless there is fraud
order issued against it before | cen
arrange for its publication. 1t Will
reflect my ideas. 1t is to be one OF
the agencies in the work | hope to
do. | shall talk when l am not writ
ing, and shall write when | am not
talking. The history of my case, a.
ready prepared, will appear in serial
form, first, in the paper. This story
Will HOL Ue Scuodliohoi' IL WIN Wv
truthful. interviewer with the history,
am a necessary part of it, will be
discussion of certain conditions in
our legislative, administrative. and
judicial government, that, l think.
have escaped the attention OF the
average citizen.
81 will not now go further into my
case nor my plans and purposes. The
first statement will be made on Satur-
day evening, to my home people; then
there will be more to follow"
J. r. BURTON.
Accompanied by Mrs. Burton and
his niece Miss Dorothy Mitchell, Bur
ton departed for st. Louis, en- route
to Abilene, Kan.