Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-07

tire,v from politics. Plat took the New
York delegation TO the convention OF 1883
with Depew as a stalkinS-horSe candi-
date for President. He really went there
TO make such combinations as the event
might suggest Depew withdrew at the
proper moment, so that Plat could nomi-
nate Harrison.
Wanted Cabinet Place.
Platt desired the secretaryshp OF the
Treasury as his reward. and he pressed
his claim upon Harrison after the cleo
ton, but the President refused to near
Of IT, Then Plat tried to get cablnet
Mace for J. Sloat Fassett Failing In that
he had 10 accept the appointment OF Gen.
BENJAMIN F. Tracy to the navy potl-
folio TO save his face" Plat got every
thing he wanted in the state
Pratt was talked of for Governor Oh
New York in 1896 and, of course. couio
have had the nomination by merely nod
ding his head. for his control or the con-
yention was absolute. But Pla1t refused
stead. For himself he chose the senator,
shin The news of his ambition aroused
the .silk-stocking wing Of the party. but
Platt was nominated without serious OPP
position, only half dozen senator's Eot.iIs
for Joseph H. Choate. Platt, when the
news was carried to him. made great
show Of looking grim. and. taking pencil
asked for the names OF the six These ne
wrote down. and then he put tne paper
in his notebook with signlncant ar
This was the veriest farce piece OF
melodrama intended to impress the re
porters and look well in the newspapers
for Patt was not the sort OF ooSs VINO
never forgives and who tracks his enemy
for life. There was nothing Of the India n
about him His political career was one
long record of alliances with former enc
mics and wars with former friends
After sixteen years Platt thus entered
the senate from which he had so sensa-
tionally resigned III 1881. Yet that snort
experience of two months was fuller OF
incident than the years which ne served
in the senate after 1897. His record
thenceforth was an absolute blank. Much
of the time he was absent. When he was
there he had nothing to do with what was
going on He voted as he was told, and
that was all.
a leader in New York and his unim-
portance as a senator in washington
was one of the most curious things In
politics.
Turns Down Black.
COY. Black proved an Improbable gov
ernor for Platt, who turned him down
for denomination. The boss did not ue-
sire to nominate In his stead Col. Roose-
welt, who was back fresh from the wars,
but was obliged to take him because
of the popular demand. and also because
of the certainty that nobody else could
be elected.
Altogether Roosevelts term gov
ernor was an unhappy period for Plat,
and when the opportunity came. as ne
thought, to shelve the intractable gov
ernor. he seized it with avidity.
Both were delegates to the Philadelphia
convention that renominated Mckinley in
1900. Plat and Hanna proposed to get
Roosevelt out of the way by nominating
him for Vice President The governor
objected strenuously, but Platt told him
he could not have a denomination for
governor anyway. and that once his
nomination for Vice President was pro-
posed the convention would never let him
decline it, which Roosevelt had threat
| ened to do. The governor telegrapned
TO friends in New York to use their in
nuence with Platt, but their efforts avail
ed nothing, and the nomination was
made.
\ few months later. in consequence
kinley, Roosevelt had become President.
Platt made Benjamin B. Odell RooSe-
yeltS successor as Governor of New
YORK.
Plat was now at his zenith. Nobody
talked about unhorsing him any longer.
to be boss for the rest of his life. Then
came 1892, with the United States SEN
atorship to dispose Of Benjamin B. Odell
was candidate for the office. So was
Chauncey NJ. Depew. Plat was the man
who could give or withhold. Men like
Choate went to Plat and asked him to
send a real statesman to Washington
| There was an idea in those days that
| Depew was statesman. Plat sent
him. =