The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-26
PLATT AND CROKER.
Two Public Men Whom Few People
Know Well.

New York Letter, In New Orleans Times
Democrat.
The writer has a occasion TO meet
both these men. and regard them without
either personal or political prejudice.
Thomas c. Plat looks and talks like a
gentle. cultivated and refined doctor or
clergyman or scientist or literary man.
There is nothing OF the politician. as gen.
orally understood. about him. He does
not impress one as crafty. nor foxey. nor
vindictive, nor sycophantic. He neither
acts nor talks as if he were trying to
please. yet he does please. He does not
hatter nor fawn on anyone. His demeanor
is the same with all men. whether power
full or weak. If Plat talks with one at
all he will treat a newsboy with the same
gentle consideration that he would a SEN
ator or Governor. One OF Platt's attractive
traits is the Impression of genuine SINGER
ity which his actions and words convey.
One cannot reconcile deceit with Platt's
words or manner. He says very little, but
what he says he appears TO believe. and
the g~entleness and thoughtfulness with
which he talks is very convincing. Most
men who are earnest and sincere are en-
phatic. Platt is not. He is soft without
being oily, gentle without being timid.
earnest without being vigorous. forcible
without being coarse. And with IT all there
is the impression on one coming in contact
Will him that his talk and his demeanor
are a part of his heritage and not assumed
nor acquired. In meeting Plat the ques-
ton of honesty or dishonesty never rises
in the mind-one does not think OF that.
The average man who lives a life Of strife
In one form or another enjoys meeting
Platt. just as one who is much exposed 10
cold likes TO enter a warm room. You do
not feel that you have to be on your guard.
You feel a relief from what you have been
enduring in the world.
Croker is a different character. He is
below the medium height. being about FIVE
feet four or five. thus being several inches
taller than Napoleon. who was but FIVE feet
two. but built like a small Hercules. He
probably weighs $50 pounds, and none Of Il
is fat. His neck is short and thick. his
chest thick through. his shoulders and arms
very powerful. His hands are short and
broad and his fingers enormously thick
and muscular, yet very short.
While Croker's form is common and SIM
llar 10 hundreds OF others seen about New
York. his carriage and head stamp him as
uncommon, and his head and face are such
that he would be noticedfin any gathering.
no matter of what character, whether at a
church, a political meeting. a literary en-
tertainment or a prize fight. His face is so
distinctively a strong one and a thoughtful
one that 1t would impress a scientist or a
preacher as strongly as IL would a thug.
From the nose up Croker is said by those
who study heads TO have an ideal intel
lectual head. His eyes are a clear and
brilliant gray and his brow Is as fine as a
Greek god: Below his eyes his face is so
different that one cannot help wondering
why nature made the combination; but a
short, thick beard relieves the hard, pro-
trudins, bulldog Jaw. though the thick nose
is plainly visible.
This short, thick, bull-necked. muscular
little man, with the Godlike head and eyes
and bulldog jaw, IS the absolute leader 81
world. This man. who was raised with
toughs and roughs, who was a boiler max
er, a fighter and was tried for killing a
everything except men and politics. with
everything distinct from refinement and
gentleness, is so strong that men Of wealth
ana power bow down TO him and are eager
TO do that which will please him.
In meeting Croker one instinctively knows
that his strong point is war. Everything
about him indicates that he is a man OF
force There is nothing soothing or soft
or warm about Croker. Croker's strength
with people is not because they love him.
but because they fear him because they
desire him as a fighting ally and because
they always know where he stands. Croker
afraid TO state IL. II he is with you he
says so; If he is not he says so, and no
matter which position he assumes he en-
deayors to. win at it. AS he is a strong.
~tlreless tighter, resourceful and merciless
the politicians of his party are afraid OF
him and hence think more can be GAINED
by being with than against him.
Croker would not be a successful leader
among the Republicans of New York.
He is not a born leader of men, but only
of one kind of men. Plat would not be
a successful leader of toughs. He is not
brutal e~nough-not fighter enough.
croker Is a very silent man. Much
more so than Plat. Plat is a man OF
wide reading and of literary tastes: Gro
ker probably never read a book through
In his life: Croker spends far more time
With politics and politicians than Plat.
Croker, when not in Europe, is always az
Tammany Hall or the Democratic Club.
listening to his followers and giving them
orders. He will walk up and down an
nour or sit for an hour with the room
full or politicians without speaking a
sentence TO one OF them. One will ap-
proach him and say a. few words. Cro-
ker Will smile, or shake his head. or
may be say Eyes" or No. and continue
his walk or return TO his thoughts He
has rather a melancholy cast OF counte-
nance when in thought. He is not A
genial man nor companionable. He viii
pick out one man and take dinner with
him or walk with him. but hs rarely
puts himself in the center Of a group and
4 ElOrlcS In his nOuar He oIp,ocf holGa