The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-19
LAWYER, BUT NOT AN ORATOR.
TRAITS OF SENATOR PLATr OF
CONNECTICUT.


House-Dihers in Many ways From
senator Plat of New YOrk-Not n
Great Political Leader, hut Blessed
with Good sound Common Sense.
knows what the Average Man
Wants.
Washington. March 17.-There are two
Platts in the Senate. one from Connect
cut. the other from New York. One OF
them has been a senator over twenty
wears: the other is serving his first time,
barring a few weeks of service as Conk
Lre's colleague just prior to the dramatic
resignation OF Conkling and himself in
MAY. 1881. Aside from their names, The
two Platts have hardy anything in com
mon The New York Senator is great
political ieader-one of the most astute
politicians of whom American history has
carried any record. The Connecticut man
is about as Indifferent to the machinery
of politics as any man can be who figures
in public life at all. The Connecticut
Platt is less widely known than the other;
but within the narrower bounds of mis-
reputation he ranks high.
If the selection of President of the
United States devolved upon the Senate,
the first choice would probably be Allison
of Iowa The second would he Orville
H. Plat For years he has been noted
among his associates for soundness of
Judgment firmness of opinion, conserVa-
tism and high integrity. Without any
OF the glttering and sensational qualities
which go to make the popular hero, he
has almost every quality that begets con-
fidence and inspires respect. He has
homely virtues chief among which Is his
never failing common sense. He is never
carried away by popular clamor or by the
emotions of the hour; but he knows in
stinctively what the average man is think
ing about and what the average man
would like to have done. He is the kind of
a person who would be selected for trus-
tee of an estate; he would insure il
steady income and would never take I'M
due chances. He never undertakes to dis
cuss public question until he has stud
led ID in all its phases; and so he is not
one of those who rush promiscuously into
debate. When he addresses the Senate he
is always sure of close attention. He is
one of the few whose arguments some
times affect votes.
Not an Orator.
He is nothing of an orator. Public
speaking has no glitter or charm for him.
He speaks only when he feels that he
ought 10 ana not because ne likes the
sound of his own voice or looks for the
responsive Jingle of popular applause. He
understands his own limitations and lacks
even the trace of a delusion. There are
not many men in politics of whom this can
be said. He may wish it were otherwise
at times, but he does not deceive himself
in imagining that il Is Gen. joe Haw-
ley, his colleague, is an effective public
speaker. He has genius for sWaying aud
fences, for stirring the emotions and
for inspiring applause. Plat recognizes
this as a gift which he does not possess.
Among his friends he sometimes talks
about it, occasionally with regret. but
never with even an infinitesimal touch of
jealousy or envy
Il am not like Hawley," he says land
it is just as well to recognize the truth.
! always hesitate to get on my feet in
public. l know that there will never be
anything especially entertaining in what
/ say, and feel that l am tolerated rath-
er than admired. The best l can do is 10
talk along without attempting any ora
torical frills and without expecting to get
anybody excited. / usually say what l
want to say and I try to tell the truth. 1
haven't any pretensions beyond that.
Hawley can't even walk to the platform
without bringing his auditors to their feet
yelling and cheering. 1t is Hip hip, hur-
rah! for Joe Hawley! from the minute he
puts in an appearance until he gets
through. That is the genius of the man.
It's something 1 never had and never can
have. 1 may be sorry, but what's the. use
of worrying about it?'
Platt is one of the best lawyers in Con-
gress. Well read, practical and hard-head-
ed; for years he has been a leading MEM
Der of the Judiciary Committee. He is
one of the men in the Senate who have
a grasp of financial affairs. He represents
great manufacturing state and he is
familiar with all its diversified industries
I'D i'm rn M ha mos eff
members of the Committee on Finance.
He had as much as any other one man 40
do with the framing of the tariff law
which is now on the statute books. When
IL came to selecting a chairman for the
Committee on Cuba, the choice of Repub-
lican senator's fell with unanimity on
Platt 1t was shown that he could be
trusted; that he would never be carried
away by any fads, and that nothing sus-
picious or shady would ever find a place
in legislation over which he had superVis-
ion. He is one of those who appreciate
the value of refraning, at times, from leg
islation at all.
Three Score and Ten.
Plat is no longer a young man. He
is three score and ten and the passing
years have drawn burrows in his face. But
there is no youngster in the Senate who is
better equipped to cope with new problems
than constantly arise than he. He is a
strong partisan and an intense American.
He is full of courage and endowed with
hope. He never wastes time in dwelling
on the past or regretting the days that
have gone. His conservatism is not the
fruit of timidity; it Is the lifelong habit
of mind untainted with illusions and
uninfiuenced by impractioabe ideals.
IL is often said by those who know Sep
ator Plat that he has many of the quail
ties that made Lincoln the President he
was-caution in expedients, patience, cour-
age in execution, common sense and a
sympathy as broad as mankind He is
tender in his friendships and helpful
Physically, he is the type of a New Eng
land native, tall, angular. a little ungain-
]y, with a face that makes no pretensions
TO beauty, but he is none the less likable
for that
News Notes From Douglas.
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