New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-12
I UfEWLESS EYPLOSITE.


The attention Of The Tribune was directed a
few weeks ago to II paragraph which had ap
pcarcd in Mr. Flats Albany newspaper running
I'm this wise Before The Trihun" again ac-
.'c,ScS ex-senator Plat II being 'hlackmail'r
lit might b" we'll for il 10 use The cable I" hENP'
and log Mr. Whiicaw Rcid's memory Of II cor
tain incident connected with III" October cam
"paign in Indiana in 1850 II We nGhtE I'
member II was double headed, sort 81 danger
signal implying that II was heavily loaded ana
not 10 be- triicl with. one or two )"m"crilc
nowspapcrs in a spirit ~ racklcsSncSS only 10 be-
accounted for 10y The fact 81 ihclr being ont ~
range # The explosion. cried ont ~ once "Iou'h
il off, The Buffalo Courier for instance. III
its impaIicncc for the sensation, said. III III"
Evening Journal knows all about i'. why APP
peal - Mr. Rodr Why not give ia" public ~"
..hcncfit If the incldcn'F' In The Tribun" Ollie"
We cndcavorcd 10 bc calm There appeared p"
be- a distinct trace " smok" issuing from ih"
mysterious paragraph. but whether u was IA"
fuse IF a dynamite bomb or ~ a common IRE
cracker WAS uncertain: and there was only ray
of hope that il Nigh, be- The UucNtinguish"l "nd
If cigarette Bur the odor " emitted was s1iu
rated with sulphur aud Snggc-tiy" ~ ~alip''r'
And w.. could not but remember thar IN desperate
emergencies Mr. rlatt had shown himself 10 b"
a desperate man. We recalled M" crcum>i1n'"
that on one occasion. when nothing IN particular
had happened 10 him except that somebody lmd
been appointed 10 office against his wish oiN a
little singular that Mr. Flatts fame depends IN
tlrcly upon what has happened I" INN III ms
wayl he dropped a sure enough bomb maj blew
two United States Senators on" 81 whom WAS
himself ont Of public lifc. overwhelmed III" IL"
publican party In this stat" with l.2."" ddN'IN"
ma iorliy and made Grover Cleveland hrst toy
crnor and then President Of The United States
Was there any wonder, then. that. with this 'hnS
smoking I'm Printing HouS" Square. between ID"
statues ~ Franklin and Greeley, threatening IN
explosion which should reach 10 Egypt, we
should feel shvt Yet We cnlcavbrcd TO be- calm
II is now proper TO say that several days after
the. appearance. OF thu. mysterious pa"kng'. when
the smoke OF ii had died down and III" birthstone
smell had given plac. To- that If the dead end of
an INEXPENSIVE cigar the information WIS con
v.vcd tp lis directly from Mr. Platt that there
was really something very srrious in the matter
and that If We had any regard whatever for Mt
Whitclaw Reds character, reputation, present
welfare or future prospects, We would do well J."
refrain from any further reference To Mr.. Platts
II
lean State Committee by his own check AMI
without accounting II appeared, then. that Mr..
Platt had been 50 much disturbed by The 1rib-
unc's references 10 his peculiar methods in poll
ties that he himself had deposited in his Albany
newspaper this mysterious threat Of retaliation
As IT had not accomplished The desired purpose
Of silcnclng The Tribune on that point, II WAS
doubtless though, best 10 rclghi the fuse 10y
lir.s it,ifi
extent Of the danger. But the truth Is. the "x-
posion has been put off 80 long that W" have be
come II not entirely oblvions Of the immIn'nce
Of the peril at least somewhat callous TO its pres
cncc 1t nigh, go off now al almost any moment
without aroisng us 10 anything more than Ian
puid curiosity as 10 the extent Of the damage
and the more prominent names III the liSt "i
killed and wounded. II Is thus that suspense. too
greatly proiraclcd, loses in large degree lis power
TO intimidatc the simple minded and inspire
terror in the conscience stricken. lf there has
been a iimr-as there may have been since TINS
uncertainty began when we were ready to cry ont
In agony "Do. Mr. Plat, either touch ii of or
step on it," the tim" has passed. We really do
not much care what he does with his revelations;
but since he has advertised them 50 freely, we
don't mind Offering him the columns Of The
Tribune for exploiting them.
And. in order that Mr. Plat may not misap-
prchcnd the position Of The Tribune, we deem
it proper to say. further, that 1t has not de-
nornccd him as a "blackmailcr" That Is what
his own newspapers hurried 10 say was the real
meaning Of the transactions which he has carried
on. as we have explained as intermediary be-
tween the corporations Of this town. the Rcpub
lican State Committee and the State Legislature
1t is their definition Of transactions which are
notorious and susceptible Of proof Possibly in
their haste they cxaggeratc. Al any rate. they
have not yet persuaded Mr. Plat 10 begin Il libel
suit. Nor has he persuaded himself TO touch off
his dynamite bomb But The Tribune has said
and will continue TO say that the practice which
has obtained Of late years Of permitting the cor
poratOns Of this town 10 subscribe To Rcpub
lcan campaign funds with the understanding
that Mr.. Plat Is to receive their contributions
and dsburse them by his own check at his own
pleasure, without responsibility or accounting, IL