Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-28
HOW PLATT DID 1T
His Boom Killed Those of Fish and
Aldridge.
THEN he BROUGHT out BLACK
With Peace in Republican Ranks
the Campaign Opens.
We WORK BEGUN
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
NEW YORK, August q, 1885,
The nomination of Representative Frank
S. Black of Troy as the republican can
didate for governor has relieved Mr.. Plat
OF considerable trouble. When the dele
gates went to the convention at Saratoga
Mr.. Platts own followers were engaged in
bitter rivalry over ambitious candidates,
and there were anti-Platt factions in New
York, Kings and Erie counties, who were
threatening to make trouble for him il
he selected any one of his lieutenants as
a candidate. Mr.. Plat went up to Sara
toga, took brief look at the situation, and
to divert attention from the booms of
Speaker Hamilton Fish and Superintendent
of Public Works George w. Aldridse, he
projected himself into the field as a can
didate. This was SO unexpected to the poll
ticians that it caused a sensation and
easily effected the purpose for which Mr..
Plat designed 1t. 1t prevented the delegates
from arraying themselves under the ban
nerS either OF the leading candidates or of
combining on any dark horse. 1t caused
sensation, to be sure, such as Mr.. Platt
has seldom been responsible for. Mr.. Plat
nursed 1t for two days. and allowed it to
live until within a few hours of the open
ing Of the convention.
All for Platt.
Everybody was for Mr.. Plat, except the
very hostile leaders of the opposition fac
ton, and some Of them, including former
Representative in Congress James ]. Bel
den. promised loyal support to the leader
from Tioga county, if he became the can
didate. There is pretty good evidence that
a gubernatorial bee was buzzing in Mr.
platts hat. but when he looked the state
all over and counted up his ancient
enemies who would be likely to make trou-
bic for him, he quietly got out OF the way.
Mr.. Platt then devoted little time 10
considering who was the next most avail
able man, and his choice finally rested on
Mr.. Black. The Congressman has always
been allied with the Plat machine, When
ever occasion presented itself for MIN to
appear In state politics. Those occasions
have been few, he has never been a
candidate for state office, never served en-
a state committee, and has been a .Ieleg ite
at no convention where the Plat and anti
Platt forces were arrayed against each
other. When he was nominated for Con-
gress he had the support of Lou Payn of
Columbia county, who was the messenger
to bear the resignation of Thomas c. Plat
and Roscoe Conklng from the United
States Senate to the governor of This state.
Ever since that time, as. indeed, for wears
before, he has been one Of the most in
innate OF Mr.. Platt's political friends. So,
IN selecting MI. Black Mr.: Platt secured a
candidate thoroughly in line with his Or
ganization. At the same time he selected
one who had never made himself obnoxious
to the anti-Platt elements in the state.
Milholland surrenders.
Chief among these is the so-called Nc
kinley League, an organization of which
George E. Matthews Of Buffalo is presi-
dent and John E. Milholland of this city
one of the leading spirits. They. with sew
eral hundred of their followers, attended
the state convention, each carrying knife.
h1ry
Platt and they announced that fact with
flourish of trumpets. II Mr.. Platt had
nominated Mr.. Fish, Mr.. Aldridge, ex-
Representative Wadsworth. or any enc of
the other leading candidates. they would
have had parade, with banners, denounc-
ing MIR. Plat and his organization. More
over. they were prepared to divide the vote
in New York. Kings and Erie counties
against any of Mr.. Platts lieutenants;
but the selection of Mr.. Black blunted
their knives The anti-Platt delegates, of
whom there were perhaps twenty-five from
New York city, and about as many more
from Brooklyn. were apparently hypnotic
ed by the events Immediately preceding the
balloting. and they Joined with the rest.
For the first time in the history of the
state when there was any contest Kings
and New York counties went in a solid
block, 227 delegates, for one candidate. The
Mckinley leaders in Buffalo followed the
lead of those in New York. and gave their
forty votes for the machine candidate.
Slight Opposition.
After The c"I.venti n there was % pa
rade of the Mckinley leaguers against Mr..
Plat. Apparently the organization had
ceased to exist. John E. Miiholand went
to Candidate Black within thirty minutes
from the hour of his nomination, and told
him he proposed to support him. 1t is more
than likely that the anti-Platt men will
continue fighting the ex-senator in the To-
cal affairs of New York city. They cannot
very well acknowledge that they have been
wrong during the last six months that they
have been making loud cries against what
they term the fraudulent enrolment in
some of the assembly districts here. But
as there is no local contest this year, and
as Mr.. Platt's organization, headed by Ed
ward Lauterbach. is in absolute control in
this city, Mr.. Platt does not care very much
what they do, SO long as they support the
state ticket. Essentially the same situa-
ton was found in Brooklyn after the nomi-
nation of Mr.. Black. The so-called Wurs-
ter-Willis faction, headed by the mayor of
the city, went to Saratoga as bitterly OPP
posed to Mr.. Black as were John E. Mil
holland and his followers. Mr.. Wurster
took occasion while he was there to call
upon Mr.. Platt, and it is said by the friends
of both factions, and denied by none, that
an olive branch passed between them dur
ing the forty minutes that the visit lasted
After Kings county had voted solidly for
Mr.. Platt's candidate, it was hard to find
any remnant of the Wurster-Willis faction
among the delegates, although it is ex-
pected that they will still fight the organ
ization in some of the assembly districts
of Kings county.
Peace Behind Him.
Mr.. Plat is thus able to open the state
campaign, In conjunction with Mr.. Hanna,
under peaceful circumstances. The friends
of the defeated candidates. as a rule, say
they will support the ticket loyalty, and
they probably will do so, because the other
candidates who were strongest among the
delegates have had extensive favors al
ready at the hands of the Plat organiza-
ton, and they are accustomed to recogniz-
ing tie rule of Mr.. Ilatt III all matters of
politics. speaker Hamilton Fish has shown
more signs of cIsapp ointment than any of
the other candidates. He has served in
the assembly at intervals ever since the
early seventies. He has twice been elected
speaker. He was the man, more than any
other one except Mr. Plat, who was re-
sponsible for the passage of the Raines
liquor Law last Wluter, a measure which
was warmly Endorsed in the state platform
1t has been h ,mh tion 10 follow the fool
steps of his father to the office of the chief
executive IF the state. He has considerable
money and a taste for official life. His wife
is prominent society, ard is ambitious
for Ger husband. Mr. Fish is not making
any threats, nor is he likely to make any
serious trouble because of his defeat; but