The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-26
oLEvELAND's FIRsTLIBUTENANr.
A Republican Newspaper Says Some
thing About william O. Whitney.

A Republican Newspaper Says Some
thing About William O. Whitney.
From the Ne,o York Recorder.
When the anti-snappers began their work
after the Hill ''early- bird-that-catches-th
worm"-but didn't-the convention, all the
slow boys and numskulls in Tammany-
their Is to say the majority Of TammanY-
set their eyes upon William B. Grace. He
was the man, in their view oft, who was to
do the engineering OF the fue work against
the wig warm plan for Hlll's crowning. Con-
sequenrly he WAS the man to lay low for at
Chicago At the time, way "behiud the
scenes" there was man with more diplo-
macy as politician, more knowledge of
strategy as a general-political general
more acuteness as judge of human nature
"a man, in fact, who had, to use an Irish
man, more brains in his little finger than
Grace has in his whole body" He never
showed his hand, much less bis face, while
tho recording of the alleged $780, 600 anti
snap convention voters was going on.
Not a newspaper interviewed him, for he
was never at nome, and the Lord only
knows where he was until democrats began
to crowd the trains for Chicago. Then it
was that he appeared-the same stalwart
democrat, the same gentleman he always is,
in or out of politics; who can say "no" with
feels honored By that ans wer
That man behind the scenes was William
Whitney.
MR.. wHITNEY's DIPLOMACY.
What he did in the little pettifogging way
in the anti-suap convention business is
neither here nor there. 1t is to be taken for
granted that what was done without po-
litical stumble was his doinR-what was
done thas was nonsensical, even in Tam
many eyes, was the doiugs Of the man who
hopes, out of oil the screech-owling business,
to be one day mayor of New York again
William r. Grace.
Since the Chicago delegates began to pour
into the Windy City after Whitney got
there the Cleveland tide began to rise, the
waters became clear, the Inducements were
stemmed, aud the very men who were on
the point OF joining the Tammany crew
wondered all OF a sudden why they we're 80
blind as not to see the dit hes before them.
William C. Whitney is the man who
brought order out of chaos; and everybody
during the campaign will refer once in
awhile to Whitney as Cleyeland's right
bower So let the way-farer in the struggle
know few points about him, although
everybody knows something ABOUT him ia a
general way.
Mr. wHITNEYs LIFE.
Mr.. Whitney is the son of James S. Whit
ney, who was a political democratic power
in Massachusetts under the Pierce and Bu-
chanan administrations. 1t is recorded
lmew where that be was born in 1889, aud
yet it is elsewhere recorded that he
was born IN 1871. Be that as
it may, iron gray as he has
become Of late years, he is still an active,
energetic man, elastic in step and with eyes
as bright aud keen as q healthy youth Of 81.
No man who sees him can believe that he is
81. much less than to believe he ia 50. He
was born in Conway, Mass, and graduated
at Yale in 1868. He delivered the class
Grafton. He shares. too, the fret prize for
English essay" with William q. Sumner,
after ward professor OF political economy in
Yale. Whitney graduated long afterward
from the Harvard law school, and, after
entering the office Of Judge Abraham r.
Lawrence, he began the practice OF law.
He soon became prominent and was after
ward engaged as counsel for big railroad
and other corporations. For two years he
was the sole trustee of the Dayton and Union
railroad of Ohio. In 1901 he came into
noIitical prominence and did splendid work
during the anti-Tweed campaign. His in
dependeDce and ability attracted the atten-
tion of Tilden and other reform democratic
leaders. In 1872 he ran for district attorney
on the Apollo Hall ticket, but was defeated.
After ward when the ring" was dead he
became a member of the Tammany society
as well as Of the Eighteenth district general
| committed He was one OF the principal
organizers OF the county democracy ana