The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24
SOME SAYINGS
Of 7. c. PLATT
Characteristic Stories of Late
New York Senator
GLIMPSE o. BUSY LIFE
Opinions Which He Had the Habit of
Expressing FrecIy-Incidents of
National Conventions and
state Politics
GLIMPSE OF BUSY LIFE

|
/ writer. In his day he was an apothecary,
president, president of a mining COM
pany. president of an express company,
representative in congress two terms, a
quarantine commissioner for New York
and a United States senator. He also
was an editorial writer on the Owego
Times, the New York Tribune, the Re-
public, a short-lived republican paper,
which was started in New York some
years ago to compete with the New York
Tribune and the New York Times, then
republican newspaper.
These vocations made up an intensely
busy life of over half a century. His
"reminiscences would fill volumes. Yet
he never was a reminiscent man. He
often said he was too young, even after
he had passed the 50-year mark, to be-
come reminiscent. He believed reminls-
ce1fces belonged to old men, and only
few days before he died he had pet
saying: 'If 1 ever become reminiscent,
please go to the nearest drug shop, get
an ounce of cyanide of potassium and
I'll swallow it at a gulp.'
Senator Plat had habit of speak
his mind freely. and at times he took
little or no pains to conceal his opinions
of men and measures. He once said that
Carl Schurz was "a lively German
peddler of apples of discord and re-
tail dealer in vinegar manufactured from
the Juice of sour apples" and wanted it
printed, too.
Senator Conkling and Senator Platt In
1885, made their prodigious fight to nomi-
nate General Ulysses S. Grant for
third term for the presidency. The Bit
terness of that contest and the defeat of
Conkling and Plat are remembered by
old time republican politicians. AS
specimen of Platt's writing ability, here
is a paragraph from an editorial he wrote
for the Owego Times shortly before the
convention:
Great men must expect to suffer I'M
Just criticism, unmerted abuse and I'M
mitigated calumny. General Grants sup
porters should bear in mind that Thomas
Jefferson, the beloved idol and oracle of
democracy, was most numerically pelted
with mud balls and stale eggs by the
Summers and Schurzes of that period. The
fact is the public man who fails to incur
the contumely and jealous hatred of his
contemporaries may be counted polltl-
cal pygny. Let no such man dream of
being PRESIDENT
Sometimes, in later life, Senator Platt
was sensitive to newspaper criticism, but
he quickly recovered and recalled with
zest the days when he was an EDITOR ana
| carved up Horace Greeley and other
leaders of the liberal republican move
ment in 1872
When Conkling and Platt, in 1884
turned on President Arthur and defeated
him for the nomination, giving 1t to
James G. Blaine. their ancient enemy
| Arthur. wept There was a distressing
scene in the White House AFTER Blaine
captured the nomination.
$50 Chef Arthur wept, did hep said
Platt. when the incident was called to
his attention. II fancy he wept because
he made his old republican friends In
New York state weep for nearly four
wears. He shouldn't have wept for any
thing else
In Warrington at the Arlington no.
tel on the afternoon before Mckinley
was sworn in as President, the very
day on which Platt made his re-en-
trance to the United States Senate tl5
wears before he and Conkling had re-
signed in anger at Garfeld) Cornellus
N. Bliss of New York city called ON MI
Platt saying: Major Mckinley would
| like to see you at the Ebbitt House.
| Mckinley and Plat had not met in
wears and while Platt worked like
beaver for McKinley's election, he had
neverth eless, as already noted, bitterly
opposed his nomination. Platt LETT the
| hotel and on his return the tears were
running down his face as he said
I'm the majors friend from this in
slant He is a real human man.
What did he say to your"
"He was Just as lovely as he could
be replied Plat with his handkerchief
| to his eyes, Just as kind and gentle,
and he grasped my hand warmly and
and Let us forget everything, Mr.. Plat.
need your friendship and you need
my friendship, and were both good re-
publicans.' I never really knew what a
| fine soul Mckinley was Mr.. Platt
spoke with the deepest emotion.
| At Philadelphia in 1900 Plat and
| Quay decreed the nomination of Theo-
dore Roosevelt for vice president. Plat
wanted to get rid of Roosevelt as gov
ernor of the state of New York. Mckfn-
| ley didn't want Roosevelt. He de-
| sired the nomination of Elihu Root,
| then Secretary of War, but finally de-
cided that in as much as the Philippine
Island problems were yet unraveled he
could not spare Root from his cabinet.
| Mckinley thereupon favored Cornelius
N Bliss of New York city. Plat on
| his journey from New York to Phila-
delphia had broken two ribs by being
|
Philadelphia physician bound him up
and although Plat suffered excruciat-
ing pain he and Quay were here there
| and everywhere marshaling delegates
for Roosevelt. The late Marcus A
Hanna was dreadfully opposed to
Roosevelt.
In the first session of the conven-
Plat and Quay fixed up a resolution
which Quay presented, calling for the
reduction In the number of delegates
from southern states In future repub-
lican national conventions. This idea
had been on the carpet number OF
years and the convention, in fact the
republican party, favored 1t, and Hanna
knew this to be true. AS soon as tht
resolution was read in the convention
the Hanna folks called for an adjourn
ment until the following day.
What does that resolution mean
What is it's Significance" Plat was
asked
ut means, my son." replied Plat
that the Hon. Marcus Aurelius Hanna
will fling up the sponge tonight anu
come out for Roosevelt for vice presl-
dent"
"Why?"
MY cheerful friend" suavely replied
Plat, you don't suppose Hanna wants
that resolution passed and his repub
lican organization In the south cut tt
lx.s- 4 Ill To-.