The National tribune., 1910-03-10
DEATH OF EX-SENATOR PLATT.

The passing of ex-senator Thomas
c. Plattiremoved from the stage one
who was near its center for nearly a
half century. His life is another illus
tration of the truth Of the proverb:
| Behold man who is diligent in his
business. He shall stand before Kings"
Mr.. Platt was one of the most abused
men in. public life. and for 40 years at
least he was theI target for cartoonists,
Jokesmiths and the bitterest editorial
and stump-speech abuse. He survived
1t all, and died generally regretted and
praised. While not a man of command
| ing ability, yet he was a very able man.
He had little of the personal magnetism
and attractiveness such as seem essen
tial to popular leader, and yet he was
one of the most successful leaders. and
retained his hold on the organization
for wonderfully long period, despite
the most strenuous efforts of able men
to wrest it from him. He gained his
commanding influence and held it sim
ply by diligence in his business. He
was one of the comparatively few men
to be found in life and in politics who
will patiently study their business. mas
ter all its details and industriously la
Dor at the tiresome routine. This char
acterized him in whatever he did in
life. He began his party career as the
| leader of a Fremont and Dayton Glee
Club and tho he was not much of
singer, yet he made his club a success
by untiring industry and attention TO
its needs and the ways of making it eff
fective. Ii was the same when he be-
came County Chairman. and so on up
until he was the head of the Republi
can organization in New York and di
rected it for years with the certainty
of a General issuing orders to his army.
politician without other convictions
than to hold office, he was a man of
deep-seated principles, from which he
never wavered. He was a Republican
in every nerve and fiber, but had his
choice among Republicans. He stuck
unwavcringIy by Grant and Conkling
when this meant political destruction,
and he hated Horace Greeley and the
men who went over to him when Gree
ley received the Democratic nomination.
Next to his interchangeable activity in
mastering the details of his business
Mr. Platt's success depended upon his
absolute truthfulness aSd his loyalty
to his friends He dictated every Re-
publican nomination of Governor from
1883 down until that of Gov. Hughes.
He brought about the nomination of
Harrison in 1888, but failed in his ef-
fort to defeat his nomination four years
later. He and Senator Quay forced the
nomination Of Roosevelt for the Vice
Presidency over the protest of Senator
Hanna. He carried New York in every
Presidential election but one, in every
Gubernatorial election but one, and
maintained the ma ajority in every Legis-
iature. Senator Plat cared little for
money, but his talent for organization
and for detail brought him money, po-
sitionEand influence. In 1879 he was
elected General Manager and Secretary
of the United States Express Company
became President of the Company IN
1886, and remained in that position I'M
til his death. He was also q leading
director in other large enterprises. He
belonged to the Presbyterian Church.
and sang in the choir for many years.