Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-11
DENIED PROMISE
Letter Written by Harrison AT.
ter Leaving White House
Printed.
ADDRESSED LAW PARTNER
In 1t Makes Declaration That NeitheI
Plat nor Anybody Else Was
Promised Office.

Indianapolis, Ind, March 11.-Fol.
lowing the publication Of statement
by the late Senator Plat to the effect
that former President Benjamin Har-
rison indirectly had offered him the
position of secretary of the treasury,
w. H. H. Miller, attorney general I'M
der President Harrison, and the former
presidents law partner, gave out a
statement denying that Mr.. Platt had
been promised a position in the cab
met The statement is as follows:
"As to the statement purporting to
have been written by the late Senator
Thomas c. Platt, attacking former
President Benjamin Harrison, which
statement appeared in last evenings
and this mornings papers, desire to
say:
"On the 22d day Of August, 1900, in
answer to a letter written by me to
ex-President Harrison and sent to the
Adirondacks. he wrote me a letter,
which so far as this subject matter is
concerned. is as follows:
Refers to His Record.
my dear Mr. Miller: / have re-
ceived your letter of the 18th, with
the inclosed clipping. We take the
Press here and 1 had seen the same
matter in substance in other papers.
1t seems little hard that man who
had made as good a record as l on the
subject of promises, while a candidate
and while in Office, should be subjected
to the imputation-if one is conveyed
that had promised cabinet Office
to Plat 1 not only promptly mega
tived the suggestion from New York
that should make some promise, but,
while the convention was in session
/ absolutely refused to hold out even
The vaguest hint of a promise to Penn
sylvania and to the Pacific coast sup
port.
LAS to Mr. Plat, as I told him
when he came to see me after the
election, l never had so much as a
suspicion that he wanted a cabinet
Office, nor had 1 any thought at any
time of giving him one.
Doubts PIntt's Veracity.
"1f Mr.. Elkins communicated to
him what said to him IT was only
that / had no such prejudice against
him as to prevent me from giving. him
his fair influence with my administra-
ton, if / should be elected 1 think.
while Mr. Plat claims that Mr.. Elkins
said more to him than this. Mr.. Elkins
denies it, and am sure that after my
talk with him Mr.. Plat was convinced
that 1 never had authorized anybody
to make him any promises.
This is not all. When l met Mr..
Plat at Mr.. Reid's country home in
the campaign of 1892 had a long con-
versation with him in Mr.. Reds par
lor, and again was careful to say to
him that 1 could make no promises CT |
any kind, and he must not assume |
that anything said meant any such |
thing.
Never Made Promises.
"'You must know that while was |
president 1 made myself unpopular, |
perhaps, by reason of the fact that /
never said to anybody that I would I
make this Or that appointment until it |
was made actually. I have had sena- |
tors standing by my desk urging an
appointment which I had determined |
to make. the unsigned nomination be- |
ing in my desk within reach of my
hand, and l have declined to tell what |
1 intended to do, for fear that some
thing would happen before the nomina-
PAPER HANGING S y ] |