New-York tribune., 1896-05-15
Mr.. PLATT AND HIS FOLLOWING.

Great Caesars Ghost. What an army this Is
that Mr. Thomas G. Platt draws after him in
the holy war he has set on foot to save the
Republican party from itself, and the whole
country from financial panic, business distress
and the "demniiiOn bOw-wows. What a med
ley OF uniforms that are not uniform, and what
q Babel Of diSc0rdant voices struggling 10 strike
a harmonious note on widely different keys.
1t recalls the army composed OF "the cankcrs
of calm world and long peace" with which
Falsaff refused TO march through Coventry, and
which suggested to "A mad fellow" whom he
met that he had unloaded all the gibbets and
pressed the dead bodies" Moreover. when one
considers the purpose Mr. Platt has In view and
his evident hope Of accomplishing 1t by scatter
ing the Republican party in fright, the remark
made by the merry jester on that occasion seems
uncommonly appropriate TO this, NO eye hath
seen such scarecrows." What motley array
it Is. to he sure. What a racket they make
with their tomtoms and Thomas c. toms. their
gags! There hasn't been such a holy show
since the jackass broke up n dancing party on
Mount Ararat because he was not selected 10
lead the animals out of the Ark.
Just look at Mr.. Platt And the state Of mind
hN ~ "uhPAHS "p "3N N'NA' NiA'Nthe ="
terviews of the most alarming character at the
rate of two week. which Is twice his usual
dose issuing hurry calls for his State Commit
tee; saying things TO Amasa Thornton that make
that statesman fairly forget himself and almost
fall over his dog; and kindling the lethargic
Hackett to such degree of animation as actual
ly to take his feet off the desk Then look at
the newspapers behind him. All in full cry
foaming and perSpiring, lest the Republican
party should "a itself into turmoil and trou-
ble' by nominating Mckinley for Presdent-a
man so utterly unsoInd on the money question
that he would probably sooner think of swallow
ing the entire product OF our silver mines than
of appointing Mr. Platt Secretary of the Treas
ury. There are The NewYork Sum-" The
'New-York Herald" The NewYOrk World
The New-York Evening Post" and The New
York Times"-which continues to be published
as usual-all of them falling along after Mr.
Platt and constituting his only retinuc bur
making as much noise as whole chorus Of
Pickannnies, Joblilies and Garyulies, led by the
Grand Panjandrum himself. And all Of them
worried and distressed beyond measure lest the
Republicans should nominate n candidate whose
election would he endangered by his unsound-
ness on the money question!
The funniest thing about the whole demon
stration Is the absence from 1t of any Rcpub-
lican newspaper, or any prominent Republican
except Mr. Plat. For the purpose of il Is To
affect the Republican nomination. which none
of these deeply interested newspapers has the
remotest idea Of supporting. whoever may be
the candidate. Just think Of THE Sum- which
supported the Greenback Labor candidate for
President In 1884 upon platform which boast
ed Of the reconciliation Of the silver dollar"
exhorting Republicans not TO nominate McKin-
ley because he once said, II am in favor OF the
double standard" though he said In the same
sentence, which THE Sun suppresses, "but
IAN not in favor Of the free and unlimited coin
"age Of silver in the United States until the
nations Of the world shall join us in guaran-
"teeng TO silver a status which their laws now
accord TO gold. Or of The Herald" and
"World," insisting that Mckinley must not be
nominated by Republican Convention, because
in dignifed and sef-respecting way he de-
cined 10 be catechsed by the represent
atives Of newspapers which will not. under
any circumstances support him or any other
Republican candidate. and whose only object Is
to extort something from him Of which they can
make newspaper sensation. Or Of THE Even
ing Post'-after saying that the convention will
be composed Of persons OF no account, "a vast
majority Of whom find 1t hard work TO make
IA Notwithstanding to advise that conven-
tion whom Ii should nominate.
And these are the newspapers which constitute
Mr.. Platts following-the only newspapers in
his bhliwick which partake of his solicitudc lest
the Republican National Convention should
make q mistake in choosing a candidate whose
election would be endangered by the doubts
they have as TO his soundness the money
question. What fine show Mr. Platt makes
with his recruits! That he derived most Of his
strength from his business relations with Dem
ocratic leaders and the Democratic press has
long been known. but this Is the first time he
has marshaed them behind him and led them
out into the open TO scare the Republican party
into obedience to his leadership. And it Is the
most grotesque parade Of Antiques and Horribles
that ever enhanced the gayety of a festive oc-
casion.