The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-06-13
A Bitter Opponent Of Free Silver and
an Earnest Advocate of the
Gold Standard.
MATT QUAY A SILENT MAN
TALK WITH GEN. LEW WALLACE
ABOUT POLITICS AND LITERATURE.
Ex-senator ingalls, n Newspaper Cor
decentralization stone and
KohIsaat Ready for the Fray.
annapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ST. LOUIS, June 12--I had a talk with
Thomas Platt, the famous New York boss
and manager of Levi p. Morton's boom.
this afternoon. had just left Mark Han
ma whose face was one broad, substantial
smile and whose rooms were filled with a
jolly Mckinley crowd. l found Platts S
quarters away up above those of Hanna's.
Their surroundings made me think of
funeral, and this impression gathered
strength as L entered his room. The hall
was deserted. i knocked. The door was
opened softly and a sad, slick, quiet-look-
ing man put his head out. He said. yes,
Mr. Platt was in and l could see him. but
L would have to wait q few moments He
silently motioned me TO come in and, with
gestures like those of an undertaken, di-
rected me to sit down.
There were a dozen politicians In the
little room. and yet the Stiffness was SO
great that it could be felt. No one spoke
above whisper. All were stifr and sad.
and in an armchair near the window sat
the stiffest and saddest of them all. 1t
was Tom Platt. Imagine tall. thin, sal
low-faced, slender man, with student $
stoop. Let him have brown hair, brown
beard, and let him be dressed In business
clothes of brown. Let him stop during MS
conversation now and then and so off into
a brown study, and you have some idea Oh
the great boss as / watched him there
whispering to his callers. AS looked at
him he seemed worried and worn. His eyes
were sunk in and the crows feet about
them were large. I could see that he was
nervous. Now his foot tapped the foor.rap-
idly again and again. like that of a woman
toI no II
ON the handles of his chair, and, with the
gold seal of the ring of his little finger,
played a devils tattoo on the mahogany.
When I chatted with him he told me he
was not at all worried and was not
nervous. but l did not believe it. He Is
disgusted with the situation He has less
power here than he has had at any con-
vention for years, and he is now passing
through the most nervous time Of his ner-
vous life.
MIR. Platt has, you know, been one of
the greatest political fighters for the past
twenty years, and now. at sixty. he is
better fighter than ever. When Roscoe
Conkling resigned from the United States
Senate you remember how Platt went out
with him, and how he got the title of Me,
too. Platt." Everyone then thought he
was Conkling's puppet; and Western
Senator. as he passed one day, said OF
him: There goes a politician suicide" Mr.
Pls.tt, however, is a very lively corpse.
He has bossed New York State ever since
Cleyeland's first presidency, and he has
more power now than any other Republic
an in the East He has at times owned
the Albany Legislature, and, as usual
thing. he runs the New York conventions
as he pleases. Platts bossism Is curious in
that he rules without holding any political
Office himself. Roscoe Conkling was strong
only when he was United States Senator
and had patronage. Matt Quay has held
his own through holding Office, and he
works through his subordinate officials.
Platt plays at politics for the fun of the
thing. He devotes his day time to money
making and his nights to politics as side
issue He is, you know, a rich man. and.
as president of the United Express Com
pany and through other interests, has an
income of many times ten thousand dol
lars year. OF late. however, things have
not been running well with Tom Platt.
He thinks the New York delegation has
been sighted at this conversation. He will
take insults without resenting them, and
he feels inclined TO fight.
l had been in his room perhaps ten min
utes before he was at leisure. He then
came over and sat down beside me. /
asked: What does New York expect to
get out Of this convention?"
I'VE are here to elect a President" was
the reply. I'VE want Levi p. Morton; that
is what New York is here for
But if you can't nominate Morton. what
then?"
II don't recognize any IFS" replied Mr..
Platt. when / go into a fight i don't
have any ifs about it. 1t is not good pol
icy nor good business
How about the PLATFORM"
1--WE are unequivocal for gold. We want
the gold plank as strong as we can make
it, We want no straddle whatever. We
are for gold with capital G.
1T is said that New York Is not satis-
fed, and that there is some talk of pos
sibility of bolt
II don't think anything of the kind" re-
piled Mr.. Platt. I'VE are all Republicans. .
Are you satisfied with the way the Nc
Kinley national committeeman are settling
the contested cases?"
Not at ALL" replied Mr.. Pictt 'sfne ac-
tons Of Hanna and his party seem very