The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-12-24
Favors Burkett.


be returned to his seat in the upper
branch of congress?
Next year the voters of Nebraska
will answer this question and for the
first time they and not the legislature
will say whom the senator shall be,
for the Oregon plan of making popu-
lar choice will then be invoked, I'M
der the new law.
Mr.. Burkett will at that time have
finished a service of twelve years in
Washington, six years in the lower
house and six years in the senate.
During this time the people of this
state have an opportunity to take
his measure. 1t is not forgotten that
in 19O4-5, when a senator was to be
chosen the republicans Of Nebraska
turned with practical unanimity to
Mr.. Burkett. He was then completing
his third term in the house. In that
body he had gained position or
prominence and power. He had ad-
vanced to membership of the commit
tee on appropriations. He had DEM
onstrated a genius for hard and sys-
tematic work. He was digger and
deliver and this propensity counted
greatly in his favor as really use
full member. The people of this state
saw this.
They saw in him the elements they
thought would be even more useful
in the upper house. To make sure of
| his selection they inaugurated a new
method of selecting the nominee for
senator. They declared in favor of a
convention nomination, so that choice
might be brought as nearly as pos
sible to the people. At the caucuses
and in the county conventions the
issue was made, with the result that
Mr.. Burkett was nominated in the
state convention on the first ballot
by four-fifths majority. In this and
in the convention of the following
year when political passes were de-
clared against for the first time in
a republican platform and when rail-
road domination was ended by the
defeat of their preferred candidates
| for Judge of the supreme court, Mr..
Burkett played strong and conspic'
| L.
"progressives" in Nebraska and has
been identified with the movement
since it began. While he hasn't al
WAYS pleased all who call themselves
"progressives" he has won the ap'
proval of the leader of the movement
Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin, who
says he is "a progressive progress
ing"
In the senate Mr.. Burkett has as
faithfully and intelligently represent
ed his constituency as he did in the
house. He has been responsive to the
needs and wishes of the people, though
taking no narrow or restricted view
of national interests. No constituent
has appealed to him in vain. He has
been active in promoting better post
al facilities. He has never overlooked
the claims or the deserts of the old
soldier and no senator has been more
efficient or prompt than he in serv
ing his constituents in pension mat
ters. On public lands and irrigation
in revision of the tariff as well as all
other interests peculiar to the wei
fare of a western state, he has taker
practical ground.
His work in the extra session OF
congress to compel the redemption Of
platform pledges was arduous and eff
fective. He was one of the force Of
insurgents in he senate who succeed
ed in bringing that body to strictel
compliance with party obligations
He stood for tariff revision downward
and what he and his associates failed
to get incorporated into law was II
part obtained by the president il
/, conference on the bill after which
Senator Burkett voted for its pass
age. He stands shoulder to shoulder
with the president in favor of the
, demands of the west and of the
! masses with respect to tariff legisla
ton.
During his ten years in Washington
, there has been no breath of suspicion
concerning a single act of Mr.. Burkett
and there never will be. He is abso
, llutely clean in his public and privat,
fife. He Is morally what the mos
/ exacting could wish him to be. II,