Burton, Theodore E.

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Theodore E. Burton (1851-1929), a noted United States Congressman and Senator from Ohio, was involved in many of the important national and international issues of his day. Twice elected to both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, he also headed several important commissions. Deeply interested in the cause of world peace, he served in executive positions for a number of important peace groups. Burton traveled extensively throughout his life, often on fact finding missions for his legislative work or as an unofficial ambassador of the United States Government. An extremely well educated and erudite man, he authored several books and many articles, and lectured at a number of universities.

Theodore Elijah Burton was born in Jefferson, Ohio, the son of a Presbyterian minister. He received his early education at the Grand River Institute in Austinburg, Ohio. His family moved to Iowa in 1866 and he attended Grinnell College there. Returning to Ohio in 1870, he received a A. B. degree from Oberlin College in 1872. After working as a tutor at Oberlin and studying law with Lyman Trumbull in Chicago, he was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1875 and began practicing law in Cleveland, Ohio.

Burton very quickly became involved in Republican politics. Elected to the Cleveland City Council in 1886, he served for two years. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 21st District in 1888. After being defeated for re-election in 1890 by Tom L. Johnson, he returned to his Cleveland law practice, but remained involved with local and state politics. In 1894, Burton defeated Johnson for his old House seat and returned to Congress. That year also saw his appointment to the Rivers and Harbors Committee of the House, the beginning of a long association with waterways issues. In 1898, he was appointed chairman of the Rivers and Harbors Committee. Burton clashed with Marcus A. Hanna, a locally and nationally powerful Republican, over the running of his 1902 Congressional campaign, but managed to reach a compromise with Hanna by choosing his own campaign managers for his district.

In 1907, Burton interrupted his Congressional career with a bid for the mayoralty of Cleveland, Ohio. Running against Tom L. Johnson, the popular incumbent and his old nemesis, the campaign was heated. Many of Burton's supporters were disappointed that he would consider leaving Congress for the mayor's office. Burton was defeated by Johnson and returned to his duties in Washington. On November 3, 1908, Burton was elected by the Ohio Legislature to the United States Senate. He served in the Senate until 1915 when he resigned. In 1916, Burton was a favorite son of the Ohio delegation at the Republican National Convention for the Presidency of the United States, receiving 77 votes. Burton continued to play a role in national and international affairs after the close of the first phase of his political career, often unofficially representing the United States government on trips to South America, East Asia, and Australia. Burton was also president of the Merchants National Bank of New York City from 1917-1919, although he continued to reside in Cleveland.

Burton was not able to stay out of the political arena for long. In 1920, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 22nd District, which had formerly been his old 21st District. He served in the House of Representatives until 1928, when he was elected a United States Senator from Ohio. Burton became an increasingly important player in national Republican Party politics. Often a delegate to the Republican National Convention, he officially nominated William Howard Taft in 1908, was himself a candidate in 1916, and, as temporary chairman, delivered the keynote address in 1924.

Burton was involved in a number of important issues throughout his legislative career. Foremost among these were waterways. In addition to chairing the House Rivers and Harbors Committee, in 1907 he was appointed by President Roosevelt to the newly-formed Inland Waterways Commission. He served as chairman of both that commission and its successor, the National Waterways Commission, until 1912. During his tenure, Burton conducted many important studies, reports, and fact finding missions concerning inland waterways and harbors. A staunch foe of "pork barrel" appropriations often associated with rivers and harbors legislation, namely the requesting of monies for inappropriate or unnecessary projects, he conducted a twenty-one hour filibuster on the Senate floor in 1914 over a Rivers and Harbors Appropriation bill then before the Congress, helping to defeat it. Burton was also involved with Panama Canal issues, including the decision to abandon a Nicaraguan site in favor of a Panamanian one.

Financial and monetary issues were also important to Burton. A recognized expert on financial crises, currency, and banking issues, he helped frame and pass the Aldrich-Vreeland Currency Act of 1908. He served on the National Monetary Commission from 1908-1912. President Warren Harding appointed Burton to the World War Foreign Debt Commission in 1922. Burton was also a strong proponent of Federal Reserve legislation in Congress, and was deeply involved in the free-silver controversy. Other issues in which Burton was involved included political patronage, veteran and pension affairs, immigration regulation, postal savings, tariffs, foreign trade, and naval appropriations. Local issues included the constriction of a federal building in Cleveland, the granite versus sandstone controversy concerning its erection, political appointees, especially that of postmaster of various cities and towns, and recovery from the devastating 1913 Ohio flood.

In addition to national issues, Burton was deeply involved throughout his life in the international peace movement. He attended the yearly conferences of the Interparliamentary Union, an international peace group, and served on its executive committee from 1904 to 1914 and from 1921 to 1929. He twice served as president of the American Peace Society, from 1911 to 1915 and again from 1925 to 1929. In 1928, he was instrumental in bringing to Cleveland the First World Conference on International Justice, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Society. International disarmament was also an important issue to him, evidenced by his serving in 1925 as chairman of the United States delegation to the Conference for the Control of Traffic in Arms.

A noted scholar, lecturer, and author, Burton pursued his personal interests during his entire life. In 1902, he established his reputation as an expert in financial affairs with the publication of Financial Crises and Periods of Industrial and Commercial Depression . He wrote John Sherman for the American Statesman series. Later works, based on university lectures he had given, included Corporations and the State (1911), Modern Political Tendencies of the Times and the Effect of the War Thereon (1919), The Constitution, Its Origin and Distinctive Features (1923), and the Life of Henry Clay (1927). In addition, he published numerous articles on a variety of subjects and maintained an interest in the works William Shakespeare.

A lifelong bachelor, Burton was particularly close to his niece, Grace Burton (ca. 1874-1959), who became a political confidant, housekeeper, and companion to him in his later years. Theodore E. Burton died in Washington, D. C. on October 28, 1929, and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio.

From the guide to the Theodore E. Burton Papers, 1869-1958, (Western Reserve Historical Society)