New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-24
WILL, PLATT NAME HIMSELF? :?
.v UNEXPECTED DIVERSION IN THE
SARATOGA CAMP.
d. wAc1I1NE-MADB BOOM OR ADVERTISEMENT
corning AMID FLAUDITs OF THE MACHINE
NEN-MR BEIDEN TENDERS THE
GovERNoRsHIP CROWN. WHICH
is HESITATTNGLY
PUT ASIDE.
fsr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l

Lar seemed TO be considering wnetner ne shoulu
,or,nate himself for Governor. He thinks ne
ss.a majority in the Republican State Conven-
,,on which meets here on Tuesday. and could, II
no 60 desired grasp the nomination; and large
..o,ortion OF his followers. whether under his
,rstrpctions or not. urged him to say he would
.ccent the nomination. Publicly. Mr.. Platt says
no ,s not a candidate. but it is noticeable that ne
hos thus far put forth no hand to check the
n,ord,,s Of members Of the Platt machine over
A. s,,0oest,on that he should be nominated.
GOOD ADVERTISEMENT. ANYHOW.
Whether he becomes candidate or not at
least he will have secured good advertisement
Of his power and authority IN the convention
All day long his boom has expanded Inc
so,uootes 70 the convention and candidates for
the nomination for Governor had expected 10
noss rather quiet Sunday, but the talk about
NJ, PIatt's candidacy interrupted this pro-
gramme and excited political commotion The
oros,,,on TO nominate Mr.. Platt may be said
49, 90 have paralyzed the canvasses Of George
w .,ar,dge Hamilton Fish, Timothy f. Els
n,o-.b John Palmer, Frank S. Black and other
o,ganization candidates for Governor. Possibly
Mr. Ellsworth was not much disturbed about
the naralvsis which had settled over his can
h,aacv since a letter had been made public from
him advocating the nomination Of Mr.. Platt FOR
Governor Owing tC Mr.. Elsworths intimate
relations with Mr. Platt. there was a general
,nonression that this letter might be "feeler'
N test the minds Of the public and also to
nrepare the machine delegates for direct orders
from Mr. Platt 10 nominate him.
The movement 10 nominate Mr.. Platt was
especially powerful in the ranks of his confden-
,ial followers from New-York City. The lead
ers Of this movement seemed to be Edward
Iauterbach Congressman Quigg and Cornelius
Van Colt From the interior of the State men
most prominent in this respect were Congress
man BENJAMIN B. Odell, jr.. of Newturg; Senator
Clarence W. Lexow, Of Nyack. and William
Barnes jr. Of Albany. Mr. Platt they urged
was Just the man to nominate for Governor
He ought 10 be rewarded for his political labors
BY receiving that great office. No one could
doubt his triumphant election II he were nomi-
mated
Mr. BELDEN OFFERS THE CROWN.
Ex-Congressman James ]. Belden, Of SYRIA
cuse about noon went 10 Mr.. Platt's room and
said:
.Mr Platt think you ought TO accept the
nomination for Governor. You have majority
in the convention. The man you name Will be
nominated for Governor Why select some
other man? would rather always deal
with a principal than an agent Perhaps
YOU were Governor, could have some requests
Needed at Albany which a lieutenant of yours
would deny. I have heard it said that at some
point in your political career, when you fel'
that it had been rounded out, you would retirc
from politics and not before What better way
Of rounding out your political life could there
be than that Of acting as Governor OF the great
State Of New-York? You are sixty-four years
old. 1t is fitting time to assume one OF the
most eminent positions in the United states
and then to retire from active participation IN
politics"
Mr. Platt smiled and replied: Il will take what
you say Mr. Belden. under consideration
The news of Mr. Bedens visit TO Mr. Patt
and what each statesman had said quickly
spread over the United States Hotel and be-
came the subject OF excited talk In the head
quarters Of each organization candidate for Gov
ernor and among the organization delegates 1t
was argued that Mr.. Patt certainly was looming
UP as a candidate and what at first con-
sidered a joke on the part Of Congressman Quigg,
Edward Lauterbach and Cornelius Van Colt
must be taken seriously Mr. Platt clearly was
not putting a stop to this talk about nominating
him for Governor
CANDIDATES CLEAR THE WAY.
The friends Of George W Aldridge Hamilton
Fish and James ". Wadsworth urged them TO
90 to Mr. Platt and 70 say TO him that If he were
q candidate they should retire In his favor.
George ". Aldrdge the first to accept this
suggestion. He went TO Mr. Platt and said to
him that II he a candidate he was willing
70 withdraw in his favor But" added Mr.. AL
drdge, Il shall not De forced out in favor Of any
other candidate"
Il am not a candidate for Governor, George
replied Mr.. Platt, soothingly; and Mr.. Aldrdgc
g Mr. Dtasf
did not say. however that he would not accept
the nomination If the Convention should be stam-
peded for him. He merely said he was mot
candidate" This does not put him In any posi-
tion where he cannot accept the nomination.
little later in the day Mr.. Platt received a
visit from Mr.. Lauterbach. Abraham Gruber and
Congressman Qugg, and again urged 10
announce himself candidate for Governor MIR.
Platt this time made arrangements for another
conference later in the afternoon. which was at
tended by Francis Hendricks. John F. Park-
hurst, Edward Lauterbach. Jacob Worth, Con-
gresham Odell. Frederick s. Gibbs Louis L.
Payn and Abraham Gruber. At this conference
Mr. Platt is said TO have assumed a laughable aI
Of perplexity about his candidacy. and to have
said once more that he was mot candidate for
Governor" One Of those present at the confer
ence said to Mr. Platt:
You cannot afford 10 accept this nomination
for Governor. No political boss prudenty
assume Office If he does. he quickly has to bear
responsibility for appointments to Office and
loses political strength. Some must be dis
appointed II political leader cannot get an
appointment for follower he puts the blame on
some ofice- holder who has the patronage dis
pensing power. II he assumes that responsible
ty himself of Office dispensing all the fault1nd-
Ing is directed at him"
1t should be stated that this advice to Mr.
Plat not 10 announce himself a candidate for
Governor came from an ardent follower Of Mr.