Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-15
NEW YORK LETTER.
scENss IN AND ABOUT THE GREAT
METROPOLIS.
Tom Platts Rise to Power Clerical Butch
ers-chsrles misunderstanding
the Prohibition Laws
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dlspa,ch.I

Heterogeneous OF VIC tlCniuoIN ilNi*'Nil
New YORK, January IL. 1888.
A medium-sized man. who looked like
q Methodist deacon, passed rapidly
through the corridor of the Fifth-Avenue
Hotel at O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
He was slight Of build, weak-looking
about the knees, and his arms hung loose
jointed from his shoulders. A frock
coat was buttoned up close to the neck.
A soft hat rested comfortably on his
head. His hair was a trhe long, and his
brown thin beard long, straggly, and
here and there gray in patches The
clerks bowed TO him pleasantly. The
men on the settees nudged each other
and said "There he is. The boy at
the elevator bowed obsequiously. 1t was
Tom Plat, the boss OF the Republican
party in New York State
A few years ago he resigned from his
place in the United States Senate, and n
loud euffaw at his silly action swept like
cyclone from one end of the county
20 the other. Everybody laughed at
"Me Too, aud everybody thought that
he would soon be swallowed mp IN the
great maelstrom Of human life IN the
busy CITY. But be wasn't. When
be found that the political leaders
intended to push him aside nc
made his plans to cheokmate them;
He gathered together n force Of loysl
young men in all parts of the State and
began his work. la every assembly and
senatorial district where he saw that
the Republican party was weak ne m
duced some young ami uslng iell"" 20
stand for an election. lie was an export
organizer. II he had been schOoled with
that master of wire-puling. Samuel j.
Tilden. he could not have shown more
tact and ability. He went down into
Wall street aud raised barrel OF money
for campaign expenses. He spent 1t
freely and went deep into his own POCKET
for what was lacking. He succeeded be
yonA his widest hopes. and soon bad
small army of Spsrtans at his back.
When the Legislature met III Albany
and noses were counted It was found by
the political leaders that tine man
whom they had sneered at was boss.
They couldn't do anything without him.
He was invited 10 name his terms. lie
did so. 1t was complete surrender. The
leaders rebelled. Platt insisted. They
laughed again. Then he went to WORK
and proved his claim TO the bo'ship, for
they couldn't do anything without hun
Theleaders surrendered. Platt was boss.
He sharpeued his knit for revenge, and
one by one the old leaders were forced
aside. Platt became autocratic. The
handwriting on the wall was plain.
New recruits flocked 10 his standard,
and as the months doubled INTO
wears Plat became more powerful, until
today he is tho boss OF the strongest po-
litical machine ever organized IN thls
State. He is as absolute rs the Gar.
He has killed off his old enemies, snd
on his belt bangles their scalps. 1t was
Plat who made iiscock senator and
Cole Speaker of the Assembly. 1t IS
Platt who is Worrying Governor Hill
more than anybody else. lie IS an ex-
pert in political jugglery. He IS as
Sharp as 81 ferret, as quick as
flash. and as daring as Napoleon. lie
never sleeps. lie works night ana
day. He is in politics because he loves
power. He IS wealthy, and could afford
TO take things comfortably If he would,
but no day laborer works harder he
knows every move that his opponents
make. The Republicans never act with
ont consulting him, or rather they DO
not act until he orders them to. lie IS
the engineer of the Republican train,
conductor. brakeman, and baggage-mas-
Ter. and if he doesn't name the candidate
OF the Republican party for President
next summer il will be because New
York State is left out of consideration
q proceeding, by the way, that is not
likely to happen Nobody knows whom
he favors. Everybody wants TO know,
and there is one man who would sleep
better if he Was certain that Platt was
for him. His name is James Gillespie
Blaine. The little thin fellow who looks
ike a deacon will not make bis plans
known before next June. 1t Is dollars
10 pennies that his choice Is not Blame.
CLERICAL BUTCHERS.
The Hebrew colony of New York,
which but few years ago was q mere
village, is DOW vast and populous city
ON the East Side of Manhattan Is
land. One of It's oldest customs is the
EMPLOYMENT Of rahbis or quasi-clergy-
men. exclusively rs by butchers. They
are known as s'Shochsts," and form IL
guild or trade union to themselves.
They dress differently from the other
members Of their race, and III Their
epeecb and manner are curious com
pouBd of clergyman and butcher. They
are prominent figures in the Jewish mar
kets and SLANG inter- houses around Gouve-
peur slip and also in the interesting
Slavonic Ilebrsic society which now dom
mates that neighborhood. One OF them,
a very popular and successful shochAt,
said 10 an inquSitive student OF human
nature
"Our profession, and ] use the word
advisedly rather than trade, IS very an
Gent. Ii was started by the Divine
command in the Book of Levitlcus, aud
thereafter developed into an art by the
Ta,mudic teachers 1t has remained I'M
changed now for at least 1000 years. a
Young Hebrew desiring to become a
shochat must have good moral charac-
ter aud excellent social position to start
with. He then must have or gam
thorough knowledge of the Ialmud
and the commentaries and also
of human and animal anato-
INV. This corresponds to good
theological and geologic education among
Christians. Upon all these points he IS
examined by veteran shocba;s, and I'M
less 'plucked. as you would call 1t, is
permitted 20 enter as an apprentice III
some Kosher (that IS, orthodox slaugh-
ter. house. Here he must serve al least
one year, and generally does two or three.
The training here Is chiefly practical, aud
includes tue use OF the small knife,
tue large knife, the saw, the cleaver, and
the axe, the position and relation Of
the large blood-vessels, csrtiages, mus
cles, joints, and bones Of birds and am
mails, anu the nature, condition, and
health Of animal tissues VIXEN he has
mastered these lac is again examined,
and if found well-informed and coupe
tent is recommended by the examiners
10 a chief rabbi, who thereupon issues to
him certificate or diploma. Without this
diploma no orthodox Hebrew will en-
y,lov him or huv meat NJ any sOrt that