The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-26

dissertation about the ancient poets of
France, you know. That was i'm 1867, and
the Latin Quarter lionized me, for there 1
lived. / thought myself welded TO poetry
for good in those days. Musset and Hugo
were my gods, and the marble tables of all
the cafes bore verses from my hand. AS to
politics, hated 1t and coined those phrases
you were good enough to recall and which
seem quite unit for publication just now.
Eyes, yes, have been laughable ma
rionette' for twenty years. and my reform
ship rode at anchor in the free port of me-
diocracy as long. How i came to enter
politics? Like the rest. Being something
OF forcible writer. l was carried 10 the
tribune on the waves of black ink spilled.
My first job was on the Rappel-I was its
correspondent in Versailles during the ses-
sion of the National Representation. My
reports, they said at the time. were more
notable for wit than for accuracy. but that
is libel I have always tried to be ac-
curate, but cannot help putting down funny
things at the same time. Well. these latter
caught the public fancy and one fine day 1
found myself below the crystal roof of the
Palais Bourbon, sitting at the side of Gle
menceau. We soon became friends and /
helped him edit-and bury-'La Justice
l knew the rest At first Parliament
thought him duffer, content to kill time
by drawing caricatures of his colleagues
and, occasionally, interrupting a speaker
by a sarcastic remark. But evening
Pelletan made a speech, and followed IL
up by another. along one. almost too long.
and in the end he became known as the
finest debater in the house. He would be
;rra he
F, so fond of DEPRESSING. Like young dog, he
+, travels over the road half dozen times.
skill, he gets there, because he is always
amusing, whether his subject is dry or
lively. whether he attacks or defends a
measure
! .I know I have fired many a misshot."
said Pelletan, but the ammunition was not
wholly wasted; made a noise, and that is
what the public wants"
A HARD-wORKED MAN.
He might have added that he was always
one of the hardest workers in Parliament.
indefatigable as a committeeman, solving
the most difficult riddles before the house.
| Pelletan's brain responds most joyously
to intricate detail: he is happiest when his
desk groans under the weight of statistics,
documents and reports of all sorts demand
| ing the closest attention. He did not study
the budgets on which to report was his
pleasure; he devoured them. immured him
| self in their meshes. And, ah, the pleasure
when he discovered half a centime which
| the minister of finance thought hidden out
of sight. II always figured with the gov
| eminent like hod-carrier with his wife.
the mother of thirteen children, all living, 7"
he says. His reports are monuments Of
accuracy, five hundred to thousand pages
| in length. These were the barricades from
which he used to lombard the government
| with statistics.
"Of course those stories of difference be-
tween yourself and your colleagues are not
true?" 1 asked, with my hand the door
knob.
PelIetan smiled. Always trust to FL
caro-" he said, placing copy of that paper
in my hand. When / opened 1t in the cab
| 1 found this little article marked in blue
pencil:
Rules and regulations for French minis
tiers of state when en- route.
"First-Ministers who intend to make a
tournee must first submit the repertoire of
their official speeches to the president of
the Ministry.
"Second-To forestall trouble, owing to
overindulgence in delicacies and wines,
speeches must be made between soup and
fish, not between salad and cheese.
'''Third-It is preferable that ministers do
not attend dinners held in their honor.
They may eat in the next room, in their
shirt sleeves. so they may have valid ex-
cuse for refusing to respond to toasts.
"Fourth-When en- route ministers will
avoid eating pickles, pepper and condi-
ments OF all sorts-they are too heating
and may give rise to warlike talk.
"Fifth-The president of the Ministry will
send a denial of ministerial speeches TO
the press on the eve of their delivery"
| / wonder If Pelletan wrote this himself
| rII,I OISIc Corntessa ID, AlerncnnIrt