Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-07

stranger there. The chief reason for this lies in the fact that he is not addicted to spcechmaking. I have seen it stated in print two or three times recently that he never speaks in public, but that is a mis- take. Ono of the most important and cleo trifying addresses ever made in the history of New York state politics was delivered by him at Rochester in 1877.
 Mir. Pla:t was to be the chairman of the Republican state convention that year, and he prepared two speeches in advance. As he was greatly opposed to the policy of Rutherford B. Hayes, then president, he wrote ono address in which the chief ex- ecutive was arraigned in tho most scath- ing terms. Then, bearing in mind that it might not be considered good politics for the chairman of n Republican state con- ventiOn to attack a president of the same political faith, he got up another and a milder ono, in which no reproaches what ever were hcaped upon Hayes. On the evening before the convention Mir. Conk- ling, in his usual impressive manner, asked Platt if he had written out the re- marks to be made upon taking the chair. Platt said ho had and handed Conkling tho manuscript of the "redhot' speech. Conkling read it aloud, and so lively was it's nature that the listeners pricked up their ears nightly. As soon as the read ing was finished Platt forestalled com- ment by handing out the other manu- script.
 "In case you don't like that one, sen ator," said the man from Tioga, II have prepared another-'meat for babes and food for sucklings.
 Conkling read that one too. When he had finished, he turned to Platt.
 Have you the courage to read the first
 one, MT. Platt?"
 II have" was the reply, and I prefer 1t to the milder One.''
 Well, "s said Conkling, 'you arc of age, and think your judgment is good. Go ahead and deliver the first speech.'
 Although MT. Platt was a leader among the stalwarts before that and had for some years been a representative in congress, the address delivered at tho Rochester con Vention. backed up, us 1t was, by resolu- tions adopted by a rousing vote, added greatly to his prestige until the sudden po- litical downfall of both him and Conkling. Mir. Platt is a little past 50, but he hard ly looks it. His appearance is deceptive in many other ways as well as with regard to his age. For instance, no one on seeing him for tho first time would imagine him ! to be politician. His demcanor is solemn to degree He appears to take every thing seriously, and his movements are al most painfully slow and deliberate. Every word he says is uttered with the utmost care, as if ho were weighing each syllable. His eyes have just the expression that Is so often presented by the eyes of men who ponder deeply upon religious topics, and his voice has a peculiar, half plaintive intonatiOn that for n moment inspires the most profound pity in the breast of the listener. This emotion, it is only fair to say, however, disappears before Mir. Platt has been talking very long, for his words are shortly seen to be the outgiving of a thorough man of business, with mo non sense whatever" about him.
 He does not like to be interviewed often, and he will not submit to that ordeal un- less he has had time to think out and put in verbal shape exactly what he wants to say. But he is altogether too good pOli- tician to be at all brusque in his refusals to talk when questioned by reporters. It is imagined by many that Mir. Platt lives for politics only, but it Is not so. Absorbing as are his political interests, his business is even moro absorbing. Just how he manages to get through with all his transactions of both kinds it would be impossible for any one but himself to say. Of course a rigidly adhered to system and tho most absolute mental concentration arc the two chief factors of his power. NJ. I. DEXTER