The sun., 1896-12-09
Plat and Chonte.

Platt and Choate.
II he chooses, the Hon. THOMAS COLLIER
PLATT OF Owego will succeed the Hon.
DAVID BENNETT HILL Of Wolfert's Roost
rs Senator in Congress from New York
for the term beginning March a, 1897;
and 1t is generally supposed that Mr.. PLATT
will choose. The changes of politics are
80 quick and vast that neither revenges
nor compensations are often possible in 1t;
but it should be some satisfaction to Mr..
PLATT to return in triumph to the body
from which he resigned nearly sixteen
years ago. A satisfaction not un-
tempered with melancholy, perhaps,
for the leaders of both sides Of
the passionate fight between the GAR
FIELD Administration and Mr.. CoNK-
LING are gone; new alliances have been
formed and new feuds have arisen,
and little of the enmity tn Mr.. PLATT
which is still felt in small but fiercely
conversational part Of the Republican party
of New York goes back to 1881. So rapidly
does very modern history grow ancient and
so swift is the turning Of the wheel of poll
tics. For some years, however, Mr.. PLATT's
position has not changed. Without Office,
and without seeking Office, he has led his
party in this State, and he has shown that
his hold upon it is not dependent upon the
distribution of favors from Washington.
He has played the straight game Of politics,
and he has won; and while he has never
cared to walk in fog Of virtuous pretences,
it is the prevailing and sound opinion that
he is at least as unselflsh and patriotic as
the members Of the MCKINLEY League,
for instance, while he knows more about
politics in a minute than they would dis
cover in century. Common sense, an in
stnct for organization, and faculty of
attaching men to him seem to be the quail
ties which maintain him in the leadership.
Now the first of these is a rare quality, and
it is unusually rare among good many OF
the politicians whose main political prin-
ciple is anything to beat PLATr.
The service rendered to the Republican
party and the country by Mr. PLATr this
year is n sufficient reason for making him
Senator II he wants the job. A good deal
earlier than many other excellent gentlemen
who afterward worked we'll against Repu-
diation he saw the necessity OF avoiding any
equivocation on the money question; and at
the Republican National Convention he and
Mr.. HENRY CABOT LODGE OF Massachusetts
did at least as much as any other men to
have the platform clear and sound for sound
money. There were plenty Of weakened
brethren in May and June who were reso-
lutte enough afterward. Mr.. PLATT was
resolute from the first and he did much to
impress upon his party the necessity Of the
course which was right and which tri-
umphed. Even though Mr.. PLATT be wicked
politically and Mr.. MILHoLLAND and his
swashbuckers be truly good, yet Mr.. PLATT
deserves to be rewarded by his party, for he
helped to confer substantial benefit upon
the country. Besides, as a Senator he would
be able to show an affectionate interest in
the Federal Offices in New York, which are
now watched with protuberant eyes by Mr..
MILHoLLAND and his crowd.
Some humorist, rather hating Mr.. PLAT
than loving Mr.. JOSEPH HODGES CHoATE,
has suggested that the latter should be
elected Senator, and the suggestion has
called forth string of compliments for Mr..
CHoATE that would make a fat scrap book;
and all Of them have the singular distinc-
tion of being deserved. even il few OF the
makers Of them were a little hypocritical
and did not so much wish to give honey to
CHoATE as vinegar to PLATT.
Everybody knows that Mr.. CHoATE has
genius, learning, and wit enough to furnish
n whole Senate; and it would be Joy to
hear him cbaff the solemn bores and cranks,
who are to be found in no inconsider-
able numbers in the Senate, the Hon. BILL
STEWART, for instance, the Hon. WIND
ALLEN of Nebraska, and the Hon. MARION
BUTLER of North Carolina But Mr..
CHoATE is New York institution, one of
the monuments OF the town. and he can; ha
spared, He is in Washington, in attendance
upon the Supreme Court, more than sufli
cent part of the time already. His place
is here, and he is to be congratulated
upon his ability to keep it. Senators are
common enough, but there is only one
JOSEPH HODGES CHoATE. A writ ne eTcdt
is hereby issued against him.