The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-07
Noted Republican Leader Dies
Within Hour of Last
Attack.
GIFTED WITH RARE SKILL
AS POLITICAL ORGANIZER
Prominent i'm New York State
Affairs and i'm National
Campaigns.


a national figure in Republican politics.
died at 3I5 o'clock this afternoon in
the apartment of Mr.. and Mrs Gustavc
Abele. on West Eleventh street, from
whom he had rented three rooms for
the last four years Mrs. Abeic had
been his nurse,
DR., Paul AutcrbridSe, His physician,
SAID tonight that The cause OF death WAS
chronic and acute Brights disease. The
OF Frank ii. Plat, d son. and VIII be
taken on Tuesday TO Owego, -. 4. the
senator's birthplace. where IL Will be
buried. Funeral services Will be hello
Wednesday in the Presbyterian church
In OWcgo.
The end was startlingly sudden. An,
hour before the senator died, MS two
sons. Frank and Edward, with their fam
lilies. and his widowed son, Harry. with
the lattcr's daughter. Charlotte, aud son.
SHERMAN. had left the house after their
at that time that he felt. very we'd and
thought he would read the Sunday pa
pers. " ) o'clock he was taHch with
a fainting r spell, and Dr: Aulenrbridse
notified and returned in haste. Mr.. Platt
recovered from his first lapse. but sank
into unconsciousness again al $50 o'clock
and died fifteen minutes later The rel
ativcs were all at the bedside.
Feeble for Year.
L
at his Office downtown, For several
years he had been in feble health. and
latterly the use of his legs had almost
day was not looked upon as more serious
than usual, Thursday at breakfast the
senator had . momentary fainting spell.
but rallied quickly.
y year ago his fceblcncss was markedly
accentuated and his life was dcsp5ireJ
c( for period, but with remarkable
vitality he recovered and went about
his business as usual.
DR.. Auterbridgc said tonight that the
vitality Of his patient was truly unusual.
In spite of his feebleness he took an
active interest in affairs and refused TO
Of nature imposed Z rest. lie WAS out
of bed at ! O'Clock every morning and
always carly at his office.
Outlived His Time.
Thomas Collier Piatt. the easy boss
Of earlier and brighter DAYS, was for
leader Of his state. but a figure in ma
tional politics, shoulder to shoulder with
men of such rank and reputation IS the
late Matthew Stanley Quay of Fenns>l-
yauia
Both we're men of exceptional intel
them. With signal success. 70 party or
ganizatio Quay died still power,
Plat, outlived his time and felt himself
in late years out of touch with the NOV
ing spirit Of events.
j
G. Blaine described Platt as a business
man of great personal popularity. Ele
has an aptitude for public affairs and is
man OF strong influence in his state.
He is no debatcr, but has strong common
sense and quick judgment of men.
Yet with all his native judgment wide
experience and skill as an organizer. II
became the fate Of Plalt to win re-
membrancc more for his associations
with others than for anything ho did of
his own initiative.
When He Was Center.
Twice in his life Plat was the center
OF the national stage; once when he re-
signed with Roscoe ConlslinG from the
uiclmamed MIC. Too Platt and once
when he induced Theodore Roosevelt 10
run for vice president with Mckinley.
very much against Rooscvclt's better
declarations that nothing would induce
him 10 accept the nomination.
There could not be better instance
OF PIatts skill in persuasion and manipu-
!ation or OF the irony that mockcd his
ripest wisdom. Mckinley was shot
Roosevelt became president. and the days
into seuillty. His bodily strength de-
clined rapidly. lie made j second mar
riage which ended in the courts, and he
Was sued by Mae Wood, formerly 2
clerk in government employ, for d.
vorcc on the strength of q third mar
riaGc never proved 10 have taken place.
not exceeded in public excitement. say
the newspaper files of that day. by any
event in the civil war, was as follows;
The "Me, Too Episode.
Platt was elected TO the senate in 1881
He and his colleague. Conkliug. became
lroversy about the appointment OF vii
liam H. Robertson TO be collector ot the
port OF New York. The selection was
tilstastef,l 10 the New York organization,
-, nd u
confirm II in the senate. Thcreupon
President Garfield Withdrew other nomi-
nations made at their instiGation; among
them ono. Stewart l.. Woodford. 10 he
United States district attorney. and Lou
L. Payne, recently remembered rs an
'acceleator OF public opinion To De
United StntcS marshal
Finding themselves i'm z hopeless dead
lock. Platt and Conklins both resigned
Conklmg was caught in the great biz
zard of 1883 and died OF exposure Pln'
was supposed to be frozen out of poll
ties. but he turned his attention to
building Influence In the southern tler
leader again in 1894, and In 1897 was
elected second time 10 the United
States. scnntc- succeeding David Fen
Plat fell out with Governor Frank
Black. and 10 defeat his denomination
put forward Theodore Roosevelt, a type
rapid progress toward popularity and
power that later led Plat To suggest him
FOR the vice presidency. hoping that in
the quiet Of that dlgniiicd Office he
might be forgotten.
Successful in Business.
Platt was born in Oweeo, Tioea coun-
ty. n. y. on July Is, 1858. OF Puritan
ancestry He entered Yale college with
the class OF 1S49. but left In the middle
of his Junior year because OF III health.
| His father wished him TO study for the
| ministry but he never advanced further
| In that direction than TO sing In the
| church choir.
| succeeded by more coEgcnial employment
| IN business. He prospcrcd In Michigan
| i'm the lumber trade. returned TO Owcgo
| and became president Of the Tioga Ma.
tioanI bank; was chosen a dircctor and
later president Of the Southern Central
J Railroad company, and In 1919 was
! elected general manager and secretary
| Of the United States Express company.