St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-04-20
BROUSSARD, JUNIOR
SENATOR, DIED At
HIS IBERIA HOME
Unique Figure In Louisiana Politics
Passes Away After Long and
Serious illness
oBsEQuiEs ATTENDED
BY MANY THOUSANDS
Death Creates a Vacancy in States
Representation in Upper Branch
Of Congress and Governor Will
Make Appointment

States senator from Louisiana, Ions
ill, passed away at his home in New
Iberia Friday night of last week. Mr.
Broussard had been seriously i'll fol
many months and every effort known
to medical science was made in ar
1endeayor to either kill the ma1ady
from which he suffered or to proIone
his life. But to no avail, for within
the last few weeks it was plainly ap
parent that his passing was only a
matter of days and the meagre re
ports which appeared in the public
print schooled his thousands OF
/ friends and admirers to the grim re
Iality that the noted Louisianian was
about to be gathered to his fathers.
Hence, when the news was flashed
out that "Coozan Bob" was dead
I there was no great surprise but a
deep tenor of regret was expressed
that the magnetic Iberian was no
more.
Though the death of this brilliant
Louisianian occurred early Friday
night, yet the funeral was not held
until early before noon Tuesday fol
lowing his demise This arrange
ment was made in order to allow the
congressional delegation to arrive
from Washington as well as the host
of friends of the dead senator to be
on hand and view for the last time
the body Of their deceased represen-
tatiye.
Countless thousands arrived in
New iberia and the crowd was SO
large that it was decided to hold the
funeral at the parish court house and
t5 that end the body was laid in state
in that ancient edifice which was
dear to .'Coozan Bob in that is was
designed by one Of his uncles and it
was within those historic walls that
he first won fame as an attorney.
Senator Vardaman of Mississippi
one of the congressional delegation,
delivered the eu1ogy on the part of
the senate while Congressman Vreed-
enburg of Illinois represented the
lower house in which Mr.. Broussard
erved SO long and honorably before
entering the senate.
Amid the tears and lamentations
of the gathered crowd, the remains
of the gallant Creole were laid to
rest in the Catholic cemetery fol-
lowing the ceremonies of the three
lodges of which he was a member,
the Masons, the Pythians and the
Elks. The interment was only tenn
porary pending the erection of a
permanent tomb. Mr.. Broussard
leaves a widow but no children to
mourn his untime1y end, for he pass
ed away in the very heyday of life,
having been born near New Iberia in
people all over the state, particular
ly in the third congressional district
which he SO long represented, who
will miss his wise counsel, deep con
cern over their welfare and his un-
firing efforts in behalf Of their in
dustries.
The death of the senator leaves
vacancy in the states delegation and
under the law Governor Pleasant will
have to fill this vacancy within ten
days from the time of the official
death. This appointment will run
until the regular election in Novem-
ber at which time a senator will be
chosen by the people to fill the bal
ance of the Broussard term
Quite a large number of names
have been mentioned in connection
with the vacancy but up to Thursday
afternoon the governor had not Civ
en- out who the successful one will
be. Among those mentioned we re
call the following: Ex-Governor Hall,
L. E Thomas, Robert Ewing, Martin
Behrman, Congressman Aswe1l, San
ders and Lazaro and ex-Congressman
Puio and others. Mr. Broussard's
death and consequent vacancy will
bring on a double election for sena-
tors in November as Senator Rams
delrs term expires next March. and
this means that the state is due for
another saturnalia of politics.