The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-21
The Decline and Fall of Platt.

TO an outsider who Is privileged to OBJ
serve things in the impartial capacity
of disinterested spectator, there is in
progress, at this time in New York
state. most diverting political COM
edy-drama. The main incidents that
led up TO it are generally familiar.
They comprise the election of Levi p.
Morton governor and Of William l..
Strong mayor, the former as Republl-
can who would, it was promised, be in
sympathy with the reform movement
| on Manhattan island; and the latter as
govern his conduct as mayor solely by
his conception of the public's real needs
The election of these two men, by
pluralities in excess of even their own
widest expectations, caused consterna-
ton, first to Tammany. which found it
self presumptively dispossessed of great
spoils; and secondly to one willy indi-
vidual, ostensibly Republican but in
| reality only personal, who had, when
it suited his purposes, been Tammany's
efficient assistant; to wit, the honorable
Thomas C. Platt. Tammany recovered
from the shock just in time to hear Mr..
Platt chanting forth from the house
tops that it was all his victory; and to
see him plunge, all undaunted, into the
task of trying to cozen favor with
Mayor Strong, so as to bag a large pro-
portion of the mayors appointments.
AS safeguard, he had first got his AL
bany lieutenant, Senator Lexow, to pro-
| pose legislation for New York city
which, if passed, would have laid the
| foundations of new Tammany, with
| the self same Thomas as absolute high
chief
Great was his grief when the afore-
said Platt found that the legislature,
under the scrutiny of DR.. Parkhurst and
the civic movement which he repre-
sents. would not pass the LeXow bills.
But this shock was as nothing COM
pared with that which he experienced
when, one fine morning, he read in his
| newspaper that Mayor Strong had eXer-
cised his authority as the representa-
tive of the people, by making non-parti-
san appointments to the chief city de-
partments, heading the list with the
name of an honest man whom Platt had
once deliberately betrayed. When he re-
covered the power of speech, he sent
post haste for a reporter and poured
forth the vials of his wrath. Then he
l. tr
ence and divulged a desire for
| r-r-r-evenge. Lastly, he rushed off to
Albany, to see Governor Morton; but
the consolation that he got from him
was evidently not re-assuring, for just
before he had reached Albany. a ma
jority of the Republican assemblymen
from New York city had signed state
ment virtually repudlating Platt, and
his old-time protege, ex-senator Fas-
sett, of Elmira, was telling the Gotham
reporters that I'VE cannot as a party
| or as Republicans, place ourselves in
the deplorable light of trying to out
Tammanyize Tammany in the rush for
spoils and plunder. Let Mayor Strong
so ahead in his non-partisan work, and
the people will uphold him"
Meanwhile, Mayor Strong, merely
smiles and says; mo, sir don't pro-
pose to allow any Legislature in Albany
to interfere with my actions here.
They can go ahead and do as they see
fit there and / will go ahead and do as /
like here. considering only the best in
terests Of the people and the city from a
| non-partisan standpoint"