New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-11
PRICE THREE CENTS.
PLATT AND THE ELECTORS.
THEY MAY INDORsE HIM AT THEIR
MEETING TO-DAY

THE cHoATE COMMITTEE MAKING PREPARATIONS
FOR THEIR WORK AT ALBANIA NUMBER OF
MEMBERS OF THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB
EXPECTED TO 60 ALONG. ALSO
The friends Of Joseph r. Choate and Thomas
c. Plat the recognized Republican candidates
for United States Senator were busy yesterday
making preparations for the joint caucus to be-
held In Albany next Thursday evening 10 select
the nominee Of the party for that ONCE.
Speaker O'Grady and a lot OF upstate legis-
!ators were down from Albany and conferred at
the Fifth Avenue Hotel with Mr.. P!att, Charles
w. Hackett. Edward Lauterbach and other
machine leaders Senator r. J. Coggeshall. Of
Oneida County wac Prominent among the or
ganization people again. and apparently
as much at home with them OF old
Members Of the Choate Committee Of Fifty
OF the Union League Club were busy with their
arrangements for making short. sharp and
decisive campaign for their favorite when they
open their headquarters at the Kenmore. In
Albany. on Wednesday. The Committee OF FIFTY
is to have another meeting at the Union League
Club at > p. m. to-day. when the final details
for the committees trip will be settled. 1t was
said last evening that besides the committee. at
least a hundred well-known members of the club
will go to Albany the Empire State Express
on Wednesday
An interesting annex to the New-York Sena-
torship may be found in the meeting Of the
Presidential electors at noon to-day in Albany.
to cast their votes for Mckinley and Hobart. 1t
said last evening that the abors OF the
electors would not be closed when that duty
lad been performed. A canvass Of the men,
bers OF New-Yorks Electoral College has been
made. and. according to reports received at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel. its members with practi-
cal unanmty favor Plat for Senator.
How this conclusion is to be shown at Al.
bany to-day not specified yesterday, but It
said that the electors would either sign
paper signifying TO the Legislature that Mr..
Plat was in their judgment. the proper man
to be elected Senator, that resolution to
the same effect would be adopted. Mr.. Lauter-
bach. when asked about the matter last evening
said that he thought action Of the kind would
be eminently proper" but he abstained from in
dcating precisely how Mr.. Plat was 10 he in
dorsed by the electors. Chairman Hackett Of
the State Committee. VINO goes to Albany this
morning to assume full charge of the Senator
ship matters. may show the electors the best
way Of doing It,
A PRECEDENT FOUND.
Precedent for such action found in the
proceedings Of the Democratic electors four
years ago when they met in Albany to cast the
vote Of the State for Cleveland and Stevenson.
They also declared their preference for Edward
Murphy. jr.. Of Troy. for Senator. and he was
chosen for that office by the Democratic Legis-
lature the following week Eight years ago
friends of Mr.. Plat proposed TO make him the
choice Of the New-York Republican electors for
the office OF Secretary OF the Treasury In Har-
risons Cabinet. but the scheme fell through.
methods Of unskilled politicians who had
poused Mr.. Platts cause
A paper addressed to the Legislature is being
signed by members of the Union League Club
which sets forth that the Committee OF Fifty
which has been appointed 10 promote the candi-
dacy of Mr.. Choate for Senator. does not voice
the preference of the signers in that regard They
particularly protest against Union League Club
members being represented by the Democrats OF
that committee. This is understood to allude to
James c. Carter Dorman b. Eaton. and certain
other members of the Choate committee. Colonel
George Bliss. who declined to sign the paper.
wrote the following letter. giving his reasons
therefore. which was made public last evening:
/ cannot sign the paper with reference to the re-
action of the meeting OF the Union League
club because It contains statements TO the cor
rectness of which / am doubtful. A. a mere
fusal might however leave false impression as 10
the action which resulted in the appointment OF the
Committee of Fifty. | became member OF the
Union League Club In the first of its existence
all these years have never supposed II possible
that any one claimed the right TO commit the MEM
bers of the club the support for any office OF any
one unless full notice was given OF the intended ac-
ton Certainly such thing ought not TO be al
lowed when sprung upon meeting OF the club with
such total absence OF notice OF what was IN
tended that prominent members who were In the
clubhouse had no information as TO what was going
on until the club unanimously committed TO
action which fully believe could not have secured
ANYTHING like "A majority vote II due notice had been
given.
II WIS bod political game by comparatively
ney members Of the club. who apparently desired
10 exhibit their adherence for unfair machine poll
tics by induging I'm a specimen OF them themselves
I trust and believe that the result Of this pro-
ceedng will be lead to the adoption of such safe
guards as will prevent such a snap game" in the
future
Mr. 6'hoate We in college togo Their, and over
fortv Years ago came 10 New-York the same year
TO become lawyers here. We have been personal
friends during all these forty years. We have
rarely, if ever differed Oh political questions. To
m personal knowledge. some of tine criticism Of
him is based incorrect informatio For in
stance he was certainly very in his fight
in the courts against the stealing OF the Sem
ate a few years ago. putting himself TO consider
a BILE personal Inconvenience On the tariff ques-
ton too | am satisfied that his yiews have Of late
years certainly been in general accordance with
those of the Republican party.