The sun., 1896-08-24
PRICE TWO CENTS.
ALL EYES TURN TO PLATT.
EVEN MS 0LD-7IME ENEMIES AD-
TOC4TE ms NOMINlIION.

A Ground swell taAt Threatens TO Make
Him the Nominee for Governor by Ac.
cinmnt,on In Spite or HI- Efforts TO stop
lt-Aside from This Boom FOR PIntt
tho AIdridge Boom ls Far In the Lead.
SARATOGA. Aug 81. All political conversa-
ton and all discussion as to the Repu blican
Gubernatorial nomination were subordinated
to-day to the ground swell which has set In. and
which. despite all that Is said and DONE throat
ems to make Thomas G. Platt the candidate for
Governor Of this Convention. All day long Mr..
Platt has reiterated to his friends what he has
so frequently said in THE Sun, that no was not,
could not. and would not be the candidate for
Governor. He has given out dozen authorta-
tive interviews to that effect and. summed up.
they all emphasize his determination not TO be
the candidate.
He said to THE Sun reporter tonight that he
had been fully aware of the movement In his
favor for number of weeks. and for that rea-
son he had taken every possible means to stop
it He added that he had taken counsel with
some OF his wisest friends, men whose opinions
he respected and honored for the reason that
at no time in his career had he wished to shirk
a responsibility to the Republican party, and
their judgment coincided with his own.
Nevertheless Mr.. Platt has been powerless to
stop the ground swell to make him the candi-
date, and unless 1t can be broken by to- morrow
night this Convention. in an uproarious burst
OF enthusiasm. will nominate him for the high
est offleo In the country next to that Of Presi-
dent The situation 10 . national one, declare
Mr.. Platt's friends, and in this opinion they arc
Joined by James j. Belden and many others
who have not been for several years in line
with the Platt element In tho Republican party
Of the State Nobody recognizes tho situation
moro than does George w. AldridRe, the lead
ing candidate for the nomination MIR. Aldridgo
emphasized his views by calling on Mr.. Platt
this evening and declaring:
"Of course / am for Aldridge first in this
night but not for an instant could l remain q
candidate aaainst the leader Of the Republican
party In the State"
Mr.. Plau repeated to Mr.. Aldridge what no
has said all along, and afterward It came out
that AldridEe Fish, Wadsworth, Roberta, Bax-
ter. Black, and all the other candidates were to
take their fight into the Convention. and Mr..
Plat added: MAY the best man win" But
after tho AldridEe visit It was whispered
about confldentialy that at the proper time the
whole batch of candidates will pull out,
and with one mighty shout Thomas C.
Platt will be nominated This will GER
talnly occur II Mr.. Plat cannot break
the current that has SGT in. He will occupy .
peculiar place in the Convention. He is dele
RALo from llORh county. oplv Dy MS btrOn8
personality can he hope to prevent the pro-
posed volcanic outburst, and this he must do
outside OF the Convention and before 1t assem-
bles. Were ho either temporary or permanent
Chairman Of the Convention be might be able
TO command tho situation, and yet 1t Is remem-
bered that even such O strong and powerful
presiding oficer as Senator David B. Hill was
utterly powerless 10 prevent his nomination for
Governor two years ago.
President Lauterbach ~ the Sew;Tork lRs-
publican County Committee. Representative
Quigg. and many others. including old-time
friends Of Mr.. Platt In the country districts in
sst that Mr.. Platt Is the man for the hour.
Other equally old friends Of the Republican
leader OF the State are Just as violently opposed
to tho programme. and declare that It shall not
be carried out II they can prevent it. They do
not wish that Mr.. Platt should DO made the
target for the malevolenoe and bitterness OF his
factional adversares, and neither do they
wish him to be made tho target for tho
fierce assaults that would be made upon him
by the Democratic party. Those who insist
that MIR. Platt shall be nominated by acclAma-
tion declare that his factionAl adversaries
would not dare TO openly attack him after his
work in forcing the gold money plank upon tho
Republican National Convention at St Louis,
and that he should receive the greatest
honor his party can give him In the State. That
may DO all very we'll, but no leader who has had
such power as Mr.. Platt for the last half dozen
years could BY any possibility escape making
bitter and lasting enmites.
~; Another point has been raised against Mr.;
irsnds sa s rooa deal at: of
interest. 1t Is that men who have not been
friendly to Pis.t In y.Hs Gons by arc today
is the man for tho liour The ancient maxim. TO
the effect tha. you had better keep your weather
fIati,s cottage at tho United states. It was a
cal and seesl.. in shis age of dlpio;,
Il s Cannot mot be- aansald that U II frsnds G % who
have stood by Mr.. Platt In stormy weather are
maEa as hS Be-
for him. Those men were Platte l!eutsnants
when his friends RE @ we're few; They have been , At
They admire and honor him. They believe that
he has been the most roundly and the most un.
stats, and they declare that his nomination
seen before. AID that his nomination would re-
dound TO tho glory and advancement or the Re-
pp the ,tnaton Mr. PIa,s - friends are deeded
on THO question. while most OF those who have
the slightest hssitancy that he should be NOM
mated by acclanation, his wishes and his pro-
tes's TO- hs contrary nStwhs5HIand,Hg hnIa I'm ,o,,
the quiescent hooms that have been overshad-
owed by the great Platt boom. First and fore
most ID the boom for George w. Aldridge.
superintendsnt Of Public Works; 1t is BY az
In tho lead. There Is no mistake about this
statement Mr.. Aldridge's friends have their
dander up. They declare that the criticisms
full and loyal Organization Republican should
have no weight with Republicans who have
fought the battles OF their party in tho State for
the last dozen years. On the contrary. lMr. AL
bridges friends Insist that this should be his
certificate for the nomination and should be
accepted AS tho highest commendation of
lis worth. 1t Is claimed that within tho
last week or two, as AldrdRe's strength became
a predominant feature Of the nnts-convention
campaign. not n few shabby attacks have been
inspired by Republicans who should be above
such business. Mr.. Aldridse said to-day that
these attacks did not annoy him In the least,
but that there were others rho were near and
dear TO him who had been panied to read them.
Nevertheless Mr.. Aldridge added that be un-
derstood we'll the nature OF the political battle
he had entered, and hs believed that he and all
his friends should accept the criticisms with
philosophical indifference.
Something has been said about the boom for
Reprssen tative James w. Wadsworth in tho
last few days. 1t has al ways been q weakllng.