Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-08
7. C. PLAT DIES SUDDENLY
Noted Figure in Politics Dies After
Brief Attack
LONG IN ENFEEBLED CONDITION
sons Had just Left Him In His
Usual Henlth-wRs Power I'm
Empire state for Many
Years.

NEW YORK, March I-ThOmas Collier
Plat. formerly United States senator form
New York and for many years a ma
tional figure in republican politics. died
at 3:45 O'Clock Sunday in the apart
ment OF Mr.. and Mrs. Gustav Adele on
West Eleventh street from whom he had
rented three rooms for the last four years.
Mrs. Adele had been his nurse.
DR.. Paul Auterbridge, his physician, said
tonight that the cause of death was chronic
and acute Bright's disease. The body was
removed tonight 10 the home of Frank
II. Plat, his son and will be taken Tues
day to Owego, N. Y, the senator's BIRTH
place, wher 1t will be buried. Funeral
services will be held Wednesday at the
Presbyterian church in Owego.
The end was stsrtlingly sudden, An
hour before the senator died his two sons,
Frank and Edward, with their families,
and his widowed son, Harry, with the
latter's daughter, Charlotte, and son. Sher-
man had left the house, after their usual
Sunday visit. The senator said at that
time that he felt very well and thought
he would read the Sunday papers. At
o'clock he was taken with a faintlng spell
and DR.. Auterbridge was hurriedly called.
Family at bedside.
The family was notified and returned in
haste. Mr.. Plat recovered from his first
lapse, but sank into unconsciousness again
at $3.50 and died fifteen minutes later. The
relatives were all at the bedside.
Only last Wednesday Senator Plat was
at his office down town. For several years
he had been in feeble health and ~latterly
the use Of his legs had almost deserted
him, but his condition until today was not
looked upon as more serious than usual,
although a physician called upon him daily.
Thursday at breakfast the senator had a
momentary fainting spell, but rallied
quickly. A year ago his feebleness was
markedly accentuated and his life was
despaired Of for a period, but with re-
markable vitality he recovered and went
about his business as usual.
DR.. Auterbridge said tonight that the vi
tally Of his patient was truly unusual. In
spite Of his feebleness he took an active
interest in affairs and refused to neglect
his business, until the dictates of nature
imposed a rest. He was out of bed at 7
o'clock every morning and always early
at his office.
No pallbearers have yet been named. In
fact, all the family were so Frustrated by
the unexpected suddenness of the senator's
death that they were unable to discuss 1t
in any manner for the public.
Plat National Figure.
Thomas Collier Plat, the Easy Boss" of
earlier and brighter days, was for many
years not only the republican leader of
his state, but a figure in national politics
shoulder to shoulder with men of such
ra nh ag tha Iafa Matthew GfoplaYv n,,ou nP
Pennsylvania. Both were men of excep-
tional intellectual attainments. and both
turned them, with signal success, to party
organization. Quay died still a power;
Plat outlived his time and fell himself in
late years out of touch with the moving
spirit of, events, -.,
"In Twenty Years in Congress-" James
G. Blaine described Plat as "A business
man of great personal popularity, He has
an aptitude for public affairs, and is a
man of strong influence in his state. He
is no debater, but has strong common
sense and a quick judgment of men,"
Yet with all his native judgment, wide
experience and skill as an organizer 1t
became the fate of Plat to win remem-
brance more for his associations with others
than for anything he did of his own initia-
tive, Twice in his life Plat was the CEN
ter of the national stage. Once when he re-
signed with Roscoe Conkling from the
United States senate, and was instantly
nicknamed Me Too, Platt," and once when
ne induced Theodore Roosevelt to run for
vice president with Mckinley, very much
against RoOsevelt's better judgment, in the
face of his repeated declarations that moth
ing could induce him to accept the nomin-
alton.
Irony of His Fate.
There could not be a better instance of
"Platt's skill" in persuasion and manipula-
ton or of the irony that Knocked his ripest
wisdom. Mckinley was shot. Roosevelt be-
came president and the days of Platts
domination in the state lapsed. His bodily
strength declined rapidly. He made a Sec
ond marriage which ended In the courts
and he was sued by Mae Wood, formerly
a clerk in the government employ, for a
divorce on the strength of a third marriage
never proved to nave taken place.
The episode with Conkling, which was
not exceeded in public excitement, say the
newspaper files OF that day, by any event
in. the civil war was as follows:
Plat was elected to the senate in 1851
He and his colleague, Conkling, became EN-,
brolled with President Garfield in a bitter
controversy over the appointment Of VII
liam II, Robertson to be collector Of the
port of New York, The nomination was
distasteful to the New York Organization
and both Plat and Conkllng refused tc
confirm 1t in the senate. Thereupon Presi.
dent Garfield withdrew all other New York
nominations made at their instance, among
which were those Of Stewart L. WoodforC
to be United States district attorney and
Lou f, Payn, recently remembered as ar
"acceleratOr Of pubic opini n" 70 be Unite
States marshal.
Versatility and Power.
Finding themselves in a hopeless dead.
lock, Plat n Conklln both resigned
Conkling was caught IN the great blizzard
OF 1SSS and died OF exposure. Plat wa,
supposed to be frozen out OF politics. Moth.
ing Of the sort-he turned his attention Il
building up influence In the southern tiei
Of New York counties, became state Leader
in 1904 and in 1897 was elected a seconG
time to the United States senate, sic.
eeeding David Bennett Hill. A.
He fell out with Governor Frank Blacl
aud to defeat his denomination put forwart
Theodore Roosevelt, a type whose unde
veloped possibilities he did not justly esti
mate. 1t was ROosevelts rapid progress
toward popularity and power that late
| led plat 10 g1ouast him Frr tha ,tS