The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-16
FIGHT ON DEPEW.
Senator Bracket Speaks in De-
fense of His Action
In Demanding the Resignation
of Platt's Colleague.
DECLARES HIM UNFIT.
Says Election Was Result of
Political Bargaining.
And Was a Reward for Collect
ing Campaign Funds.
Resolution Is Defeated by a
Vote of "a to One.
DECLARES HIM UNFIT.

on Senator Brackets resolution, de- |
manding the resignation of United |
States Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew, |
was begun in the state senate today in |
the presence of a crowded chamber. !
The resolution came up as a special
order early in the session. After it was
read, Mr.. Grady the minority leader, |
explained the attitude of the Demo-
cratic senators. He said they We're in
nowise responsible for sending Mr.
Depew to the United States senate and
the responsibility of recalling Mr.. De-
pew must be on the party that sent
him there. The Democrats would re-
main passive and listen to the debate
and any individual member may then
be Influenced one way or another. This
course, Senator Grady said, was pur-
sued after due deliberatfon and would
add to the quiet of the day
Senator Bracket followed.
Brackets Speech
senator Bracket. in opening the de-
bate, said that he had introduced the
resolution in obedience to what he be-
lieved to be the solemn demand of
the right thinking people of the state
He denied that he had the slightest
wish humiliate Senator Depew more
than was necessarily implied in any
possible resolution of the kind
He asserted that there was a lack of
confidence in the senator named,
which had been caused by recent dis
closures. He denied the assertion that
it was not within the province of the
senate TO pass a resolution on sub
ject in reference to which it had no
authority to enforce action and cited
resolutions adopted on the Venezuelan
situation and the coal strike several
years ago.
Il want to say to you and to the peo-
pie of this state, continued Senator
I Bra ckett. that until a more righteous
conception of public duty shall prevail,
we are without hope for the future;
that until the great virile manhood of
the state shall stand to the proposition
that he who Offends in the perform
ance of his public duty must suffer the
/ punishment for his Offense, we can eX-
pect little respect for law, little of re-
gard for public honor and virtue and
/ have taken the first long step toward
/ condoning crimes of whatever kind
Senator Bracket declared that al
/ though he had voted for Senator De-
pew he had been opposed to his re-
1 election to the senate because he had
/ believed him unfit for the Office and
4 representing unwhoIesOme forces. Any
/ senator present, he said, ought to blush
! for shame at the representation of his
state in the United State senate by
either of the present senators He
/ disclaimed the slightest responsibility
| for Senat tor Platt's reelection and said
( he would support any other senator
resolution requesting him to resign
Wasn't Worth the Money.
Senator Bracket insisted that no
1 service performed by Senator Depew
for the Equitable Life Assurance so
+ ciety during the 20 years of his $4,000
retainer" had been other than what
he owed as a director of the society.
The claim that this enormous sum was
paid for legal services excited only
/ laughter and contempt.
Referring to the so-called yellow
dog funds of certain insurance COM
panies, he said:
out of this fund there were paid
/ thousands of dollars in one campaign
toward the expenses to one of the po-
/ Iitical parties, to save the honor of the
nation
The honor of the nation-the honor of
the nation-of which honor these men
were so solicitous that they forget their
/ own So solicitOus Of 1Ee rational hon
or that they were reaa 81 and did give
| away thousands of do fs of your mon
ey and mine-of the money of poor
men, OF widows, of orphans, but not
/ cent of their own.
Let US have done with this sham and
pretense of having used the stolen funds
/ for honorable or necessary purposes 1t
! is no answer to the statement that the
I money stolen was well spent. But there
/ is not even this excuse here 1t was
/ sDent in a way that it was thought
/ would greatly aggrandlze the men who
directed the spending and it did. 1t
/ was spent to keep the DepeWs in the up
per house of the congress of the United
States for selfish purposes and it did.
An Election Bargain.
Again charge the truth to be that
/ the chief argument a year ago, advanc-
ed for the reelection of this very sena-
tor we are now discussing was that he
had been instrumental in raising large
sums of money from these very insur-
ance corporations for the use in the cleo
tion then just over, and it was broadly
intimated in more than one conference
on the subject if, indeed, not actually
stated, and argued that such contribu-
tions were made upon the express un-
derstanding that he was to be returned
to the senate. where he could continue
TO protect in their places these men who
thus gave away your money and mine
If there is here on the floor any timid
soul among the majority who thinks
that this recital viii hurt his party, I
want to say to him and to every one OF
my party associates. to say It kindly
but firmly. that if we do not expose and
rid ourselves of any of our party of
transactions of that kind there VIII pres
entity be no party to be injured.
you turn back in the pages of the
history of the body in which he has a
l seat to find single thing that he has
s dene worthy of the state. His eoncep-
: | ton of public duty has been confined to
; society functions and never has risen to
the level of even ordinary statesman
shi2.'
Senator Bracket bitterly arraigned
t. Senator Depew as having been knowingly
a system of loot and public debauehery,