The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-01-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.

w hOll1NQ1ON LII 41lis
The feature of the opening days OF
Congress which convened Thursday after
a vacation of about two weeks was the
swearing in Friday of Senator LaFollette
of Wisconsin who was escorted to the
Vice Prieident's desk by his colleague and
heartiest enemy, Senator Spooner. The
galleries were crowded in anticipation,
and the enmity of these two men being
the best known thing about them with
the public, their entrance was eagerly
looked for. 1t was not known that SEN
ator Spooner would conduct the new Sen
ator from his State to the Vice Presidents
desk for the oath until the last minute
and the sporting blood of visitors and
Members of Congress was manifested in
some quiet betting on the subject The
custom is an old one and is seldom omit
ted but in this case the unfriendly rela-
tons of the two men seemed to justify the
expectation that they would not go arm
in arm to the fore of the Senate, but they
did, and were as icily courteous to each
other as divorced couple. 1t was these
leaders who caused split in the Re-
publican party of Wisconsin and it is said
that they had not spoken to each other
since that event though they had been
neighbors aud were frequently thrown
together.
*x*
The State of New York which has a
population of s, 900 900 and wealth far in
excess of any state in the Union has had
no representative in the Senate since the
holiday opening of Congress. Its two
Senators, Platt and Depew, are prevented
by i'll health from attending the sessions
and it is not know when they will be able
to take their places in the Senate Chamb-
err. Senator Plat with his new wife is at
Virginia Hot Springs, looking in vain tor
the fountain of youth. He is palsied With
age and he is so feeble that he cannot
walk about unsupported. On the daily
drives and outings Mrs. Plat is obliged
to take to maintain her vigorous health
she is never accompanied by the aged
Senator who remains in his room nearly
all of the time.
@x*
The situation with Senator Depew is
scarcely more agreeable. Instead of the
triumphant, jovial Depew of old he is
now a man broken in health and spirit
by the revelations of the New York In
surance companies which have placed
him in such questionable light before
the public. When he was in Washington
early in the winter it was observed that
he did not go to the clubs nor did he
accept dinner invitations both of which
have always been among his creates,
pleasures. On the floor of the Senate he
was restless and i'll at ease and he was no
longer among the cloak-room loungers
exchanging anecdotes and jokes. His
gift of ready repartee had failed and his
appearance had so changed that it was
remarked by even those who knew him
only casually. 1t was announced at the
beginning of the season that he and Mrs.
Depew had leased one of the fine resi-
dences of the city and that they would
entertain lavishly as had been their Gus
tom. The lease however has been can
celed and Mrs. Depew who is one of the
gayest young women of the exclusive
social set sailed suddenly for Europe last
week. Since the assembling of the New
York legislature aud the resolution offer
ed asking for his resignation, the Senator
has denied himself to friends and inter.
viewers. His niece, Miss Paulding, who
has always been close to him announces
that he is suffering from insomnia and
that the physicians are unable to predict
when he will be able to return to the
Senate. His condition is regarded as
pathetic by his friends who argue that
the disgrace if such it is which has fallen
upon him is shared by Senators Platt and
David B. Hill who are equally culpable.
The public refuses to look at it that way
though and while the sentiment in favor
of his resignation from the Senate is not
strong it argues that his case stands by
itself. Senator Depew is not and never
has been a lawyer and that he should
have accepted twenty thousand dollars
year as a retainer from the Equitable
Life is TO put it mildly, queer" Thai
amount would have secured the services
OF lawyers of the highest reputation who
have no other occupation outside their
law Offices Mr.. Depew has been for
years a politician and railroad man
His law practice if he ever had any has
been negligible quantity for many
years. That his time and talents as
lawyer could by no stretch of Imagination
have been worth that amount to the