The National tribune., 1910-10-20
SOUND Political RULES.

There, was no man more abused, and
more uRjustly so, during his life than
the latet Senator Thomas Collier Ple;.., :,
of New York. His Memoirs have been
recently published in a large volume
and make very interesting reading. Sem
ator Platt wrote of himself and tho dis
tinguished men with whom he worked
OF whom he encountered with natural
feeling, but a strong sense of Justice.
which Iiiakes his judgments produce an
impression Few men ever knew indi-
vidually as many great men as he did.
He was devotedly attached to Gen.
Grant and Senator ConkIing and had
strong attachments for many others,
and almost as strong aversions for Pres
idents Hayes and Garfield. He did not
like President Harrison. cordially hated
John Sherman, and was not attracted,
to say the least, to Gov. Hughes.
Plat was intended for the Presby-
terian ministry. but his health failed.
his college course was interrupted~and
he went into business as a druggist. He
was a most earnest Republican, and
gave much of his time and money when
as young man he had neither to spare
to building up the Republican Party.
HIS Memoirs pay n fine tribute to his
first wife. whose judgment he found
unerring. whose counsel was always sa-
gacious and who was the truest of wives
to him. He lays down some absolutely
infallible rules for a man to he success
full as a political leader. These rules
were the guide of his own life, and he
followed them implicitly. He says:
THE popular idea that in order to be
successful political leader or a boss
one must possess ability to pull strings
while puppets dance is most absurd. 1t
is not necessary to equip oneself with
strings Nor is it essential to make any
persons dance Conduct a political or
ganiZation as General commands an
army or the head of a great business
concern conducts its affairs and you
have solved the problem. Political
leaders are born. Few who aspire to
leadership attain it. Without the full
confidence of his followers the leaders
power dies
Let me impress upon those who
seek political honors that they must
first be honest Then they must be
friends, diplomatic about making new
ones, grateful and quick to reward SER
vice, regard promise as sacred, fulfil
1t at the earliest possible opportunity.
Above all, they should march abreast
OF the people and strive to procure for
them what they demand.'
Mr.. Platt resents the epithets applied
to him of Me, Too" Echo" and "pro-
ifi' of rzy
in the famous instance OF the resigna-
tion of the two New York Senators he
was the first to. o.iresent what he felt was
a gratuitous insult to the New York
Republican organization in Garfields
reputation of his prediction agree
for Collector of the Port of New York.
He said that as soon as Robertson's
was sent in he went over to
Conkline, and said that he would send
his resignation te Gov. Cornell that
evening, Conkling, with a look of i'm
patience, advised him not to be too
hasty, but he finally induced COnkling
to join him in, Offering their resigna-
tions- Mr. Platt, frankly admits that
one Of the most poignant disappoint-
ments of his life was the failure of
President Harrison to offer him the
portfolio of Secretary of the Treasury
He was offered the Spanish mission in
stead. which he declined, and then be-
gan the fight of the New York organ
Ization against President Harrison. One
Of the achievements of his life of which
Mr.. Platt is particularly proud was his
successful fight for an honest dollar
and protective tariff