The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-10-13
SENATOR PLArTs MEMOIRS

sued the late Senator Thomas Collier
Plat Of New York takes the world
into his confluence and tells OF his
personal dealings with, and his per
sonal opinions OF, the men who helped
him for quarter OF century 10
frame the political history OF New
York state and the nation Some OF
the pages afford what Horace Greely
was wont to term mighty interesting
reading For instance, he calls Ben
5amin Harrison a pouter pigeon" and
Garfield "a monumental migrate. He
says Hughes Is dictator, tyrannical
and intolerant He speaks OF Roose-
welt as spectacular.
In the earlier chapters Senator
Plat speaks al length OF the last
named gentleman He begins with
! the time when he forced the nomina-
T ton OF Roosevelt for governor over
the carefully prepared opinions OF
Joseph Choate and Elihu Root that
I Roosevelt vas ineligible because he
had swore he was a resident of Wash
I ington.
/ Sir. Platt gives a minute and K
/ ceedingly graphic description OF the
scene when Roosevelt, frightened By
/ charges Of tax lodging. came TO him
and wanted to withdraw from the
race. and Plat shamed him into
Z sticking BIZ the question: Is the hero
! of San Juan hill coward?'
/ 1t was before this-in 1897-that
Roosevelt after fighting Plat bitter
& II for fifteen years, came 10 him, ha,
in hand, as the author puts il, seek
ing federal JOB. Here Is the story
Of the incident:
-One morning. about March II
1897. returning TO my suite in the
Arlington hotel, washington, from
political conference, / found two gen
tlemen awaiting me in my parlor
Their names we're John Jacob Astol
and Theodore Roosevelt.
Jack was the spokesman. He sait
Theodore's friends wanted him t
have il. Theodore was a man o
small means. He never had engage
in business. He usually had held OF
fee throughout his mature lie. VI
: fee holding was rather essential u
; the way Of experimenting his privau
I resources
They had just seen the Presiden
and found mis- frame Of mind TO b
favorable. But-and here was the sig
niacant element of Jacks recital-th
: President said he would be please
: 10 appoint Theodore TO some office
r he could obtain the Endorsement
o Senator Platt
What Office have you in mind p
= asked.
available place seems to be the a
gistaut secretaryship of the navy
J. NY thoughts and expressions "a
i. about ike this: j do not partc'
n larly Ike Theodore He has bee
10 disturbing element in every stu
= fion to which he has been a part
have no reason 10 believe the leo
ard changes his spots. But he
p not essentially harmful and probab
T can do less harm TO the organizatic
r as assistant secretary of the nav
than in any other Office than CO
be named. Moreover, l will 81
whether the President means what
says
so / turned TO my secretary al
y said Albert, write a formal no
10 the President indorsing Theodo
p Roosevelt for appointment as assii
ny ant secretary of the navy
y At least 10000 words are given oy
~ to Platts quarrels with BENJAMIN
ii. Odell. Jr., who succeeded him as d
tator Of the state Republican machir
10 Oden, according to Mr. Platt's expo
diagnosis, started out to be a lead
too quick, and therein, the "ea
10. boss" says, lay the secret of odel
40 speedy downfall and dethronemel
as 1t was Roosevelt. Senator Plat sa!
ng who ordained that odell should st
ed out of the state Craftsmanship a
tee give way to Timothy T. Woodrr
las Now the latter has Just been dethrc
tic ed by Colonel Roosevelt.
on The Memoirs" start really with t
led inner history-much of 1t never tt
al before of Mr. Platt's feud with G
ow field, whom he accused of violating
his pledges and contracts. The "ea