The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25
WITTY MR.. CHOATE.
He Has a Keen Humor and Would
Grace the Court of st. James.

New York Herald.)
There are many men who do not like
Mr.. Joseph H. Choate, who is said to
be President McKinley's personal
choice for ambassador to the court of
st. James to succeed Mr.. Hay. But
they are in the minority. They are, for
the most part, distinguished personages
in business and politics, who have felt
the sting of his sarcasm and the lash
of his ridicule. Mr.. Choate can say
more mean things about a man on the
opposite side-and say them in per
fectly good-natured way-than any
man who ever achieved a reputation
for oratory. He says them so as to de-
light his auditors and set his victims
writing. He hits at big men in finance
and big men in politics alike.
Who will forget his adaptation OF
Mother Goose in the great Van Wyck-
Tracy-Low campaign of 1897 at Car
negie hall? Mr.. Choate took the stump
for Low The Republican machine was
determined on but one thing-that Low
should not be elected-and was aiding
Van Wyck, Mr.. Cookers candidate, in
every way. Pausing in his description
of the alliance between the two great
political parties, Mr.. Choate quoted
Tom Platt
Could eat no fat,
Croker could eat no lean
And so between them both,
I quoth,
They licked the platter clean.
'Uproarious applause, lasting several
minutes said the newspaper reports
the next morning.
Mr. Choate's wit has sometimes been
too fine for the memory of his audi
tors. During the last campaign he said
many bitter things about Richard Gro
ker in connection with Tammapy's re-
fusal to renoninate Judge Daily Mr..
Croker retorted by saying that Mr..
Choate was the attorney for trusts and
corporations, and rich men, and, I'M
like his illustrious kinsman, Rufus
Choate, he had never taken case
from poor man. Mr.. Choate's retort
the next time he made speech was
delicious. 1t was again in Carnegie
hall. He disavowed the charge of in
difference to poor clients Mr.. Croker
had brought against him, and said:
IF Mr. Croker will let his mind go
back a few years he will doubtless re-
call when l took a case for a client
who was, on his own sworn testimony,
q poor man.
Alas for the memory of New York
Choate was seriously defending him
self, and was abiding to his taking the
case of Laidlaw against Russell Sage.
He was, as a matter of fact, speaking
of the time, in 1890, when he acted as
counsel for Richard Croker before the
Fassett committee, at which time Mr..
Choate had sworn that few years
before he was a poor man. In eight
short years everybody in a great au-
Il of 11o fO1sUnftnn
the Fassett committee, and Mr. Choate
privately expressed regret that he had
not brought his diagram along.
Speak louder, Mr. Sage said Mr..
Choate to the aged financier when he
had him on the stand in the Laidlaw
suit. Speak as loud as if you were
buying 1 900 shares of Missouri, Kansas
& Texas on the stock exchange"
Mr.. Choate on that occasion took Mr..
Sage back to his boyhood days, when
he traded jackknives and various
knickknacks
Were you as clever, Mr.. Sage ask
ed Mr.. Choate, Sin trading buttons as
you are now reputed to be in trading
railroads."
Mr. Choate has made much more
than 81, Geo. 900 at the practice of law.
He has won some of the most famous
suits Of the age. He was one of the
The great lawyer has a country home
in Stockbrodge, Mass There he spends
three months every year. He seldom
comes to the city during the summer.
He is an athlete. In his study are a
pair of boxing gloves, much worn. He
is exceedingly regular in his habits He
never eats too much. He never drinks
too much. He never missed a good
nights rest in his life
The only times in recent years Mr..
Choate has been candidate for Office
were in $685. when he was elected a
member of the constitutional conven-
ton. and in 1897, when he ran against
Platt for United States senator. Platt
got 142 votes, Choate got Z.
Mr.. Choate has been president of the
Union league club and president of the
New England society. He is great
Shakesperean scholar and can quote
whole pages off-hand. Once he and
Roscoe Conkling were pitted against
each other in the Huntington railroad
suit. MIR. Choate had nettled Mr.. Conk-
ling and Mr.. Conkling retorted by read
ing in court a most famboyant and
ffattering description of Mr. Choate,
printed in newspaper The court and
jury were convulsed with Mr.. Conk-
ling's comments. Quick as flash Mr..
Choate said he would let the descrip-
ton go without objection if the court
would permit him to file for his side an
exhibit of Mr.. Conkling, drawn by i'm