New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-29
A VERY ARLE LETTER.

There's no use talking. When the Honorable
Thomas c. Plat lets himself loose on n festive
or patriotic occasion there's no discounting him.
He does 1t 10 the Queens taste. lie doesn't
often speak eXtemporaneously. Though he Is
in the express business. he does not express
himself in that way But he can read remarks
from manuscript and arouse more enthusiasm
than many orators who speak iluently and clo-
quenty ofIhand. And when II comes TO stirring
the popular heart with the concord Of sweet
sounds. he cannot only touch the lyre-of which
he has an assortmcnt-wlth the skill OF an art
ist but he can sing with such sweetness Of tone
and depth Of feeling that the whole East Side
rises up and joins in The chorus. But he Is at
his best after ALL when he sits down AT his
desk with his tongue out and every fibre Of his
being quverns with emotion 10 write Il letter
10 dinner committee telling them how he had
cherished the hope TO be with them. but that he
really can't be there.
Nothing could be finer than the letter read nj
the banquet Of the Young Mems Republican
League at Rochester. Monday evening. which
our cnterprising contemporary. THE Ncw-York
Herald" printed In Tuesdays issue under the
startling caption. "Mr Platt Defiant" with
multitudinous subordinate scare heads and a
two column spread OF the text Indeed, II was
almost too good. 1t seemed inspired. Some
very nice things said in the letter about
General Grant, and particularly about his veto
OF the imitation bill OF 1874. which the writer
dwells upon with much eloqucnce. lie says:
"These be quite as trying times as the days Of
the spring OF 1S74'-a form Of expression not
usually INDUCED In by Mr.. Plat either In CON
versation or correspondence, but II Is 10 be re-
mcmbcred that his literary style varies with
the occason-and thereon he proceeds to say
that Grant never "straddled" nor "wabbed,"
the patent Inference being that In the trying
times" which these be- somebody Is "strad
ding and "wabbllng." He remarks other pc
cuaritles of General Grant; as, for instance.
"he did not believe in sudden jumps to secure
place and power" and when in the army "he
"did not join any cabal to pull a fcllow-solder
down that he might profit by his comrades
fall" Here Is a reference no doubt TO some
one who Is making Sudden jumps" and per-
haps to the same person as joining "cabals."
Continuing, he says "he never cut across lots
ito head Off an apparent favoritc OF fortune nor
did he trouble himself about the rivals who
"were making over the fields to prevent him
from reaching the goal for which they fancIed
him to be striving" This Is little obscure,
but It's very obscurity taxes attention and pro-
vokes curiosity In the writer's mind, no doubt,
there Is some one who Is cutting across lots
and making over the fields" and great literary
art is shown In setting him off so suggcstvely
in contrast with General Grant 1t was also
such an appropriate use Of the occasion. and so
we'll within It's proprieties. AS to the men who
made Sudden jumps" and Joined 'cabals' and
"cut across LOTS and made lover the fields" the
writer follows them to their fitting fate when
he says: AT the last every one Of them stuck
fast In morass Of one sort or another, and their
regulations are fostering In those boys to this
day, solemn warnings to schemers Of all sorts
land valuable lessons to those who can read
"arght their mournful tales Of failure" And
all rght-mnded men will say, no matter what
/ kind Of a morass they got stuck in, or where the
boys are In which their regulations are tester
Ing that 1t served them right
| Fine as the letter Is. II would be incomplete
without the moral. which Is that 1.-THE story of
| "the centuries shows the world cares nothing
"for the petty rivalrles and ranking jealousies
"of would-be leaders. though mankind every
"where hastens 10 do honor to the master spirits,
"who keep in the beaten paths OF duty and 20
straight forward with their work. regardless
' "of the gable OF the rabbe OF the hour The
I 'hypocrite the charlatan and the envious dullard
"shall find no place on flames eternal camping
ground" Beautiful. Beautiful. And also
true There's netting Mr.. Plat delights so
much to dwell on as 'the story Of the centuries"
| He spends hours and hours talking II over with
Edward Lauterbach and Congressman Quigg
| And nobody knows so we'll as these three who
! Is the master-spirit whom mankind everywhere
hasteus 70 do honor to- who keeps I'm the beat