New-York tribune., 1896-08-31
MR.. BLACKS NOMINATION.
HOW 1T WAS BROUGHT ABOUT IN THs
CONVENTION.
We CAME TO SARATOGA WITH SCARCELY HOPE
HIS REHAIF-ANTl- MACHINE fENTl-
NENT 4 POTENT FACTOR
plATTs TREATMENT OF

PLATTs TREATMENT OF
FISH AND ALpRIDGE.
saratcga Aug. % (SpeciaD.-The roar OF inc NV
nublican State Convention has dled away nut ="
few echoes OF It's proceedings are st anuio'e mere
This s due 70 the presence OF some poltic ins VINO
have fingered to recuperate from the eHhaus'Ne
efforts that they arc supposed to have put forth IN
bringing about the nomination OF Mr. B!ach
They are talking a good deal about H. II seems
70 be a theme Of endless discussion with tn' ~ anu
the explanations Of how II was done. ACCORDING 10
these veracious statesmen would MI quafto
volume <o
When Mr. Black arrived here. three days oefoie
the Convention. he generally looked upon aS
the candidate whose chances of success were oi 'n
feeblest character. With the possible eNcep'o" o
Mr. Francis. whose paper. The Troy ll"'s, ""u
been laboring indefatigaby TO expand MT biaCn
hoon no one took his candidacy seriously Inc
roliticians looked upon the Rensselaer, congress-
mans appearance as one OF LOUIS r. dS" W
Jokes Payn himself considered the case hoPe'eSS
He worked for Aldridgc but he had told his irienos
that Blacks speech as temporary CHAIRMAN "o",'
- .ho dav This was charged up to Payn's
enthusiastic admiration OF his latest idol.
The speech Itself was disappointment 10 most OF
the politicians Mr. Black did not SPEAK ~ '"'
galleries He took a higher plane than hao pee"
looked for and as a result many of the ola war
horses EXPRESSED dissatisfaction. So. whlie 'he
sneech drew praise from intelligent people VINO
heard or read it, IT cannot be said TO nave ihpd''e"
any Irresistible momentum TO his canvass ''o
had however. gained one point OF advantage over
his adycrsaries he had made himself known 10 '"e
convention and he had impressed the neiesa'es
with the fac, that he was man Of intellectual
force capable Of discussing National issues f's
rivals realized this fact when il was too laie
Mr.. Platts withdrawal from the race instead OF
simplifying the situation, had complicated II nun
dred-fold 1t intensified the feeling of rivalry on
the part Of the various candidates WIN MI
Patt out of the way each one of them felt tha' nc
had chance to win and each pressed MS claims
with corresponding edgerness Platts help vas de-
ma nded in turn by the friends OF each asphah'' anu
when he declined 10 give IT, an equally vigorous
demand was made that he should Keep his hanus OH
the fight He could not do this either ior 'ne
simple reason that left to itself the Convention
might have been carried by Aldridge. lie hau
more delegates than any other man lie also hau
more of the galleries. The attacks OF 'he 'Nl
Service people only created s!mPd'"S io' III" ~
The part Of the spOilsnunters.
Rut Mr. Plat invariably bows before the storm
,,e did So in this case He wanted 10 run for GOV
ernor more than he wanted any office III All MS i'e
before hut he did not have the COURAGE ~ man
the experiment. As one after announcer VI '"'
closest friends sadly confessed when he took NM
solf out OF the race. he lacked nerve ne
would ike to have had Aldrdge nominated nu'
he was afraid to do It, TIE probabilities OF 4 DOH
alarmed him; the possibilities OF defeat oVeroal"e
his LOYALTY TO the who had prosituted 'he De-
of Pubic W orkS III tnt StiNN' " 49,
machine He sent out word that Aldridee must
he defeated He also let Fish understand that he
could not support him Wadsworth had been kiiIeu
some time befoio-Payn is looked upon as MS exc
cutioner Fish was told to select one OF 'h'ee
men -Odel Ellsworth Black. He chose OdeH'
Aldridee toh Worth and Payn. who came 10 hlm'
,hsi he had no ether choice to make than him-
ssf. he vas still candidate and proposed to
nrht it ont 70 the end. Mr. l'att he ntmated'
had annie opportunity weeks previous 70 as
sumo the position Of antasonism to him. but II
was too late row; he was in the field ana ne pro-
posed 70 stay Payn and Worth reported 10 Platt.
bur took tho liberty OF saying that If any one
we're chosen aside from Aldridge. that gentleman
would proba bly, prefer Mr. Black
Ellsworth's canvass proved an utter failure
odelrs was lacking in home strength. The Nc
Kinlev League had elected one delegate In his
district That gentleman Mr. Wilder. absolutely
refused % vote for Ode; # was matter Of con-
science with him not to vote for a Patt man. and
al the influence OF the other Orange delegates
failed 70 influence him in the slightest degree
Nevertheless Mr. Odell the choice Of the
ma jCrity = the final conference called 10 settle
the momentous question of the hour There were
twenty y-onc present at this meeting. including
Mr. Platt Sixteen OF these. Ted by Congressman
Qulgg and Mr Lauterbach. voted in favor of Mr..
Ode. while only four favored Black. But one OF
these four Was Payn. than whom stands
closer to Platt ana whose influence with Platt is,
aS i has been for over quarter Of century. un,
bounded lie saw his opportunity. he tmbraGred
Worth also wanted Woodruff Payn showed him
that Odell lived too close TO BROOKLYN for Wood
ruff. This argument was repeated by Worth to
the Kings County dessati9yn 1t & had its effect
sentiment would be satisfied with Black, while
Odell would be looked upon in much the same light
Aldrdge or Fish. He pleaded the ground of
lifelong friendship and the personal advantage it
pleaded strongly for Odell They insisted that the
decision of the caucus should stand. They had
won fairly. and IL was most unfair 10 have them
put record a. being against Black II ne to
be chosen. in the face of the adverse vote The
speeches on h0ih sides Nere surcharged with ieei-
ing. bat the old campaigner's argument prevailed.
and while the opposing wings argued and reargued
the case Platt finally cut short an discussion by
quietly remarklng %" think we would better take Mr..
Black That enough. The word went forth
and Mr. Odell who I'VE minutes before had con-
sdered himself practically nomina ted and elected.
proceedings. and that Mr.. Platt had by circum-
stances been compelled 10 take the candidate most
acceptable TO the Anti-Machine element
OF course. all this has caused much bitterness.
Adrdge j. ugly. Platt had promised let the
convention decide the matter He feels that he has
been outrageously treated. but he IL TOO much or
ma chine politician express his thoughts. Fish il
furious II IS understood that he will retire from
politics and travel IN Europe with his family for
ihe next two wears WadsWOrth says little. but his
faith In machine politics is rudely shattered CON
troler Roberts and Northumberland Saxton.
sOphically Both made an open honorable night In
opposition the machine. and when the machine ,
could do nothing more than simply try TO get the
best possible candidate al Mr. Piatts hands This
dcne.
Mr. Black Notwithstanding his affiliations witn
Patt Is undoubtedly well equipped for the ofhce Of
Governor. lie has, moreover elements OF growth
IN him. and there those here VINO confidently
believe that he will make a record IN every way
credtablc 10 him and TO the party. He is young
ambitions and fl Is incredible to suppose that he
will illustrate case % arrested development.