The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-26
Chaunesx Should Cheer Up.

Senator Depew addressed the New
York Transportation Club Tuesday night
1t was the Senator's first speech since he
fell i'll of the muck-rake fever. An i'm
p!OUs. not 10 say an impairment, indi-
vidual. rudeiy interrupted the statesman
with the question;
rs the fine condition you speak Of due
to the railroads or the general prosperity
OF the country"
The Senator's reply was gn0mical. 1T
is due" said he. TO many causes
The inteTTupter was not satisfied. He
persisted in his Interruptions, shouting
Answer my question"
Finally the Senator quoted the impor-
tunate person by saying; Il don't answer
questions"
Fie Mr. Depew! You could have an
swered the question If you had wanted
to. We much fear that in spite Of your
CHEEKY outward aspect your spirits are
still depressed. You are not your old
self. You have not made a speech in the
Senate since emerging from your long
retreat. What is the matter with you,
anyway?
The erstwhile delightful and talkative
Chauncey seems to be a symptom Of the
times. The day was, and not so long
ago, either, when our statesmen were
not so abashed by the contumacious
muck-raker as they are at present Take
the case Of James G. Blaine. for ex-
ample. The muck-raker got after the
Plumed Knight and produced Mulligan
F14+
in support OF the charge that Blaine had
cast anchor to windward," that he had
not been "a deadhead in the enterprise, %
&c, but the man from Maine did not
give up. Even after all these exposures
he was nominated by HIS party for Presi-
dent and was defeated by a very narrow
margin. Had Blaine shown timidity.
had he shrunk from the gaze of the ad-
miring multitude had he immured him
self in d quiet retreat for rest and re-
pose. had he done any OF the numerous
things that the victim of the muck-raker
does to-day-or at least what many of
these victims do-he would have lost his
wonderful hold upon MS party and the
people.
What Senator Depew should now do to
complete his rehabilitation is to make a
speech in the Senate That body vel
coined his return at the opening of Con-
gTeSs. Il contains other members We
wot OF who. like Mt Depew and his dis
tnguished colleague Mr.. Platt. have
passed through ordeals quite as trying
to their nerve and poise as have been
those through which the New York Sena-
tors have had to pass, but they seem 20
be made Of sterner stuff than Mr.. Depew.
They have lost neither their assurance
nor the witchery Of eloquence by which
they are enabled 10 convince large bodies
Of their constituents that they have been
grossly and outrageoUsly slandered and
traduced. And their constituents have re-
elected them.
So We bid Mr. Depew 70 cheer up. He
is still a Senator Of the United States.
In the next Congress he will have the fe-
| iicity to serve with Guggenheim, of Colo
rddo, and he will also sit in the chamber
with other Senators who have gone
through a fire every whit as fierce as that
through which he has passed, but they
have come out apparently unscathsd, and
are ready TO resume making laws for
the nation and entertaining the listening
Senate with their eloqLence- Mr. De
pew takes himself and his country too
seriously.