Show SHEPARD rO BURTON Legislator Replies to Senatorial lanager 4 LANGUAGE IS CAUSrIC + SAYS BURTON RAS HOOT A MOUTH1 DISASB lii Shepard Makes a Specific DenialS Denial-S That He Ever Made Any Promise Jot to Support 11 lcCue as Stated By Judge ButonIcidet I Now Closed Shepard Says + To the Editor of The Herald I notice in this mornings issue of the Salt Lake Tribune that 111 John W Burton Judge Kings law partner and manager of his campaign for the sea aiOship has had a virulent attack of the foot and mouth disease from which he has been a chronic sufferer for many years I gather from Mr Burtons interview as published in the Tribune that he is far from beIng satisfied with my attitude atti-tude in the present senatorial contest that he alleges that I at one time pledged myself never to vote for the Hon A W IcCune for the position in question and as a consequence of that pledge he and Judge Kingwih rare magnanimitykindly permitted the Salt Lake county Democratic com mitee to nominate me a a candidate for the house of representatives I these positive statements of his were true or if they approximated the truth I would in all probability have remained silent concerning them but as they are false ip whole and in part and have no foundation save in 11 Burtons erratic imagination I deem it propel to thus publicly refer to them I In the first place I desire to say with every possible emphasis that I never at any time nor in any place pledged myself to anyone not to vote for 11 McCune or any other Democrat for United States senator The only conversation I ever had with 11 Burton in which the name of 111 IcCune was mentioned was held during the later part of 189 on a street car while we were en route to ouh homes On that occasion our conversation con-versation turned upon the subject of the last senatorIal contest and the actions ac-tions of certain gentlemen who were prominently identified Will that strg gle I then state that if it were true that A W 1cCune had jeopardized the success of Senator Rawlins I would never support him for any political po I siion That was the only conversation I ever had with John W Burton in I which the name of A W McCune was mentioned and at that time 111 Mc I Cune was not a candidate the candidacy candi-dacy of Judge King was careful r concealed I con-cealed save front himself and his most I intimate associates and I had no idea I of being a candidate for reelection to I the legislature The only other conversation I ever had with 11 Burton upon the senatorial senator-ial question was on the afternoon of the day preceing the last Democratic I county convention at which time he called upon me at my office without I solicitation upon my part and asked me how I stood on the subject of the senatorship I replied that I had given I the subject but lite thought as to whom I should vote for if elected I assured him that I was not pledged to I any candidate neither would I pledge I myself to anyone but when the proper 1 1 time arrive for the consideration o2 that question I would duly consider the same 11 McCunes name was not I mentioned in this conversation which was had in the presence of another gentleman gen-tleman who will verify this statement After the result of the late election j was known and Mr 1cCunes candidacy candi-dacy announced I investigated the cause of complaint I had against him and learned that my suspicion was not only unfounded but that on the occasion occa-sion referred to his conduct had been honorable in the greatest degree and perfectly in keeping with his higH character After a careful consideration considera-tion pf the claims of all the senatorial candidates leeping in mind my duty and responsibity as a Democrat and member of the Utah legislature I determined de-termined to support 11 1cCune and so announced myself Concerning the second count in his indictment permit me to say that if the King forces did support me in the 1 county conenton and if my success was the result of their support it was given without the shadow of a pledge from me But in view of the fact which is a matter of common notoriety that the King people under the leadership of Burton et al were engaged ic dill gently urging the claims of about thirty thir-ty other candidates for the ten places to be fled I may be pardoned for giving giv-ing little credit for the attenuated aid given me Particularly is this true when we remember that they had also with great apparent diligence supported support-ed six candidates for the two places in the state senate Mr Burton declares by forcible im plicaton that the King supporters had so thoroughly worked the primaries that they held the convention upder complete control that they dictated its nominees and owned them body and soul souThis assumption of political bossism which commenced at the primaries in this and other counties of the state and which has con tned up to the present pres-ent time claiming pledges which were never made making charges without foundation and finding support for th senatorship where none exists is so laughably ridicUlous that it can only be accounted for on the hypothesis of a perverted state of Judge Burtons mind In conclusion I desire to say to Mr Burton that I shall with all possible eanestness and in all honorable wayS seek to accomplish the election of A V McCune to the United States senate and in doing will break ate so wi no pledge that I have ever made to anyone any-one And let me say once and for all that I shall not be deterred from following fol-lowing this course by any soundless charge which he or anyone else may maKe So far as I am concerned this incident is now closed Yours truly RICHARD B SHEPU1D Salt Lake City Dec 25 1898 = Q |