Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-07
PLATT WAS GENIUS
Welded Great Political InfIu-
ence in His Day.
KNOWN AS "EASY BOSS"
Helped to Make Presidents and Sc
lected Governors.
MOTTO WAS DELIVER GOODS"
For Many Years Dictator of Repub-
lican Party in New York-He
Always Kept Promises.

Il! { la%t Gi the Oid-tlmc pOilLl'di boSseS
passed away with the death yesterday
Of Thomas G. Plat. He was one OF
the most notable of the geniuses of poll
tics the country has produced. and in
the hcydey of his power he welded IN
huence almost imperial As an organizer
of genius and a great student of de-
tail. with winning personality. the
possessor of political sagacity which
sometimes seemed almost inspiration, he
established himself as one of the great
political leaders of his century.
He helped to make Presidents. selected
candidates for governor and dispensed
federal and state patronage as SOW
ereign. He was known as practical
politician. lie grew up from the ground
i'm politics and his experience covered
every phase of political activity from
the organization of primaries in IN in
terror town TO the dictation of the vice
presidential candidate in national con-
vention.
life was dominated by high ideals or
ethics Deliver the goods might ne
said 10 have been his watchword. and
he lived up to 1t himself. He kept every
mates to keep theirs, and, far as pos
sible. made his opponents perform theirs.
Loved by Followers.
Plat had personal following whose
affection for their chief amounted almost
to idolatry. No longer than a week
ago, when the old man shorn of
the last vestige OF power OF influence.
and was fat his back, this personal
affection was shown in tribute paid
to him at the Amen Corner dinner in
New York. when the 800 diners arose
TO their feet and sang:
Rode 4 cock horse 10 Ranbury Cross,
To sec an old friend We once called The
Boss.
He has deeds 70 his credit and crink
in his toe.
And we are still with him wherever he
goes
Three cheers for Senator Plat.
Mr.. Plat was born in Owegn, y. y. on
July L.. 1s::; lie came from revolution
AIRY ancestry on both sides of the house
His father. who vas we'll known as a
lawyer Of Tiosa county, was Prescvte-
raE Of the straightest sect, and the boy
was brought up in the church. He sang
III the choir, and later became deacon.
Tie held that office iii his fathers church
until in 1879, he came to live in New
York. They called him Deacon Platt'
in Tioc:. long after tho rest OF the coun-
trS was calling him the easy boss.
Went to Yale.
After receiving his preliminary educa-
ton at the Oweco Academy he went to
Yale as a member OF the class Of 1893.
lie was rot graduated, having to give up
the course because Of i'll health, but he
carried away with him nemento III the
shane of copy OF SCOTS poems with
Tire following inscription by President
| NoolscN.
Third prize Tor translation from Latin
into English awarded Thomas &. Plat
OF the freshman class in Yale College in
March 1870
THEODORE ID. WOOLSEI
president OF Yale College.
April > 1851.
When h twenty years old Mr..
tlatt married his cousin, Ellen l.. Bar
\; first Mr. Platt did not venture into
the line along which his career was TO be
pursued IL was an apothecary, an
editor, then = lumber and mill owner a
bank president mead of a mining com
pany and finally president Of the United
! States Express Company. His instinct.
however. was 20 mix in politics early in
life At twenty five he was elected clerk
OF Tiosa county and was elected To Con-
SresS in 1872.
As an editorial writer he served on the
Owego Times. Tho New York Tribune
| and a short-livcd republican ncWSpa per
| called the Republic.
SANG Way Into Politics.
/ Plat made his first appearance III poll
/ ties during the Fremont campaign in 1856
! 4 singer IN the choir of his church. he
sang his way into politics. AS leader of
Fremont Glcc Club. which he and some
/ friends orS3nized. nc enlivened hundreds
| Of political rallies in the counties of
/ Tioga aud Tornpkins. In 1854 ne was
! elected county clerk Of Ti0ga on the re-
publican ticket
\ II was in 1877 that Platt began TO loom
on the broader horizon of state politics
| At the Rochester convention held i'm that
| veal lie allied with the Conklins
| forces against the forces controlled by
! President Hayes. George William Cur
tbs. editor OF Harpers Weekly, was the