The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-01
AT The CAPITAL.
Washington Officials Anxious
About Burton Fine.
Uncle Sam Still Wants $4,000
Assessed by Court.
NOW HE HAS MONEY.
Effort May BE Made to Force
Collection.
Fort Riley Artillery Tests Will
Be Important.
NOW HE HAS MONEY.

estate deal in Texas and thereby al
nexed to himself fat commission of
something like 100000 is received in
Washington with special interest.
When Mr.. Burton was convicted in
the federal court for violating the
statute forbidding members of con-
gress from appearing as attorneys be-
fore lthe executive departments of the
government he was sentenced to serve
six months in Missouri Jail and pay
a fine of $500. The former senator
served his full term Of Imprisonment,
but to this day has not paid one dollar
of the fine. At the time he left Jail MIR.
Burton was poor man, but his finan-
cial condition at that time would not,
however under ordinary circum-
stances, obtain for him his liberty
without first paying the fine in full.
AS a matter of fact the paying of the
fine had TO be waived because of an err
ror made by the court in making out
the sentence papers This fact was
discovered by Mr.. Buttons attorneys
while he was in prison. After he was
liberated at the end OF his term the de-
partment of justice made an investiga-
ton of the case. Efforts have been
made during the past two years by the
correspondent of this paper TO learn
what action, If any, was contemplated
by the department to collect the fine.
The officials merely indicated that the
case was still pending, and that 1t was
a matter that they did not feel disposed
to discuss until a. decision could be
reached.
The general opinion here has been all
along that no effort would be made to
correct or get around the mistake made
by the court; that Mr.. Burton had, in
the opinion of the officials. suffered
sufficiently by reason of his Jail sem
tence for the offense committed; and
that being poor he should be permitted
to return to his friends and loved ones
M
disturbance.
But the recent report that the former
Kansas senator has become Well-fxed
financially is likely to place a new
status on his case. Rumor has it that
the department of justice is making a
quiet inquiry into the matter with a
view to pushing the collection of the
fine.
According to the story which reached
Washington a few days ago, Mr.. Bur
ton recently went to the Lone Star
state and met the owners of SOC, 900
acres OF choice land. It was valuable
eral and coal. Mr.. Burton so the story
goes, got into communication with
some New Workers who were seeking
just such a tract, with the result that
he pulled off nice round commission.
The Washington Post says: kansas
will not have a bumper wheat or corn
crop this year. notwithstanding all the
optimistic reports that have been sent
out" said D. c. TiIIotson a lawyer of
Topeka, Kansas, and national coun-
selor Of the Sons of Veterans, at the
Arlington.
We shall have a good crop, a first
class crop, l may say, but it win he
short several million bushels of what is |
known as a bumper crop 1t is esti- |
mated by those who are in a positioIa |
to know that the Kansas wheat crop
this year will be about 70,000000 bush |
III h. r. rkz
approximated 10000, 600 bushels But
the farmers have received on an aver |
age 81 bushel for their wheat Some
have sold at $1.25. and those who have
even a higher price. From all I have
heard, the other western states are in |
about the same position as Kansas. |
The crops are good, mind you, good |
enough to make the year mighty
profitable one for the farmer. but II |
isn't the biggest year the farmers ever |
had by any means.
ut will be long. time before the
farmer Of the west is in need" con-
tinued Mr. Tillotson Last wear.
when the business depression was on, |
the farmers didn't suffer, because |
they had their produce to sell and |
there was market for 1t. People |
had to live and they had to buy from |
the farmer; therefore the latter did |
not feel the effects of the depression |
as other classes of persons did" |
Mr.. TiIlotson is here to attend the |
meeting of the Sons of Veterans |
is not so strong in the west as it is
In the east. The Spanish-American
war, he says, took many of the ac-
tive members of the western camps
they did not show as much interest
as they had formerly
THE Republicans of Kansas are /
looking forward to the selection of
agriculture, added Mr. Tfllotson.
THE impression prevails out there
that Secretary Wilson will retire
from the cabinet before long. and 1t
Is generally understood that Mr.
Scott will succeed him. President
Taft could not make a better ap-
pointment He is thoroughly familiar
with the needs of the farmers, not
only because he has served SO long
On the house committee on agricul-
-ure, but because as editor of a Kan
sas newspaper he has learned the
needs of agriculture One has to live
"a Kansas only a short time to learn I
grfculture, because it is essentially
IN agricultural state L
It is expected that much valuable /
will be obtained by the mill
tary authorities from the attacks
IN the experimental redoubt at Fort
Riley in October, when the efficiency
# new mobile ordnance recently com
,leted will be put to a test.
An artillery attack was made on this
edoubt in the fall OF 1907. when pro-
ectiles were fired from 3-inch field /
,uns, 5-inch siege guns, and Finch
Ield howitzers. Since then the redoubt
las been strengthenedT and material
progress has been made in mobile
rdnance. as embodied in the pieces to 1
,e used in hrings this fall at the Kan
as eo<t.
The infantrymen are yitaiIy inter I
sted in knowing whether the redoubt
will afford shelter to them against ar 1
illery fire, the artiIlerymen in know +