New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1906-02-24

, people come to stand in his min
prostition becomes a sort of patriot
ism.
Platt cannot live long. His min,
is already mere shadow. TIL
other day friend found him cry
ing like a child because Roosevelt
was unable to appoint for him to
federal district attorneyship maj
who had been caught stealing trus
funds, and insisted that he mus
select some henchman wearing tn,
brand less conspicuously. "Plat
was like an unreasonable child
said his friend
Just before the holidays, Plat
called Chauncey Depew, his junior
over to his seat, and said, "Chaun
cey, | hear you are thinking of re
signing Depew began to shift
and fumb.e aud hem aud haw-to
act as he has been acting ever since
he was publicly disgraced. PIatt
looked him coldly in the eye.
"Chauncey," he said, whenever
ar0gou going to grow up and stop
being - fool?'
1t was one OF those rare moments
Of "supreme courage when Platt
gives way to profanity. His col
leagues shame excited the con
tempt of his brass plated soul.
And well it might; for, Depew's
shame was not shame for his dis
honorable and dishonest acts; nor
was it even so little erect feeling
as the shame that follows the shock
of being found out; it was that
basest of all the base kinds of
shame--the shrinking fear of the
steady, pointing finger of public
scorn and contempt. And from
that finger Depew is not secure
anywhere but in the Senate itself
the galleries are cleared
aud only his colleagues are there.
But let us not linger upon Plat
PLAT, with his long, his un-
broken record of treachery TO the
people in Legislation of privilege
and plunder promoted and in de-
cent Legislation prevented. Let us
leave him, not because he is sick
and feeble for death itself without
or restitution deserves
no consideration; but because he
needs no extended examination to
be understood and entered under
his proper heading in the record.
Wherever Platt is known, to speak
)f him as a. patriot would cause
wonder il not open derision. The
most that could be said of him is
hat, wherever the interests Of the
interests" or with his own pocket,
which includes that Of his family,
olatt has been either inactive or
lot positively in opposition.
DEPEw, THE COURTIER.
Let us turn to the other of the
wo representatives whom the peo-
lie of New York suffer to sit aud
asst the other of their two votes in
he body that arbitrates the division
f the prosperity of the country,
he wages and the prices. At this
vriting ,Depew has just given ont
flat refusal to resign. "Why |
hould resigni" he cried ont hys-
erically. "Has anybody put for {
7ard any good reason why | should |
esigni" And he added, "As soon /
S have completed my resignation t
rom certain companies, | shall i
i've all my time to my senatorial ,
uties." p" i
What are his senatorial dutiesi s
What does he do in the body that a
now as much an official part Of
le plutocracy as the executive
)uncil Of Rockefeller or a Ryani (
o one would pretend for an in b
ant that he sits in the Senate for Q
he people. Indeed, why should S
3, except because he took an oath b
do so--and among such emin ,nt v
as he an oath is a 0
ere formality, mere technical a
y Did the people send him to g
Ie Senatei No! The Wander n
1t interests ordered Platt to send b
IN the first time; and when he Ii
me up for second term the Van T,
'rbilt- Morgan interests got, not /,
ithont difficulty, Harriman's o. 81
!. on an order to Odell to give il b
him. Since he became larg, G
lblic fignre, the only time he has q
esented himself to the people, %
; was overwhelmingly beaten. C,
no part of the State of New n
Drk, these thirty-ive years, would b
l..