The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1910-07-14
PINCH that MADE
A PRESIDENT
Senator PIdti's Own Story Of
Himself and Roosevelt.
SECRETS OF 1900 REVEALED.

Declared In Autobiography That Odd
Incident Led to the Presidency-"In-
stead of Shelving the Governor" He
Wrote, "a Plead Guilty to Kicking
Him Upstairs"
If Frank Fl. Plat. son of the late
United States Senator Thomas G.
Plat, had not pinched Theodore Roose-
welt on the leg just at the critical mo
ment in a conference of the New York
delegation at the Republican national
convention in Philadelphia in 1900 Mr.
| Roosevelt, then governor of New York,
would not have been president of the
United States, succeeding Mr. McKin-
| ley.
Instead of shelving Roosevelt
must plead guilty to the charge of
| kicking him upstairs believe Roose-
welt himself would convict me of this"
So wrote Senator Plat in his auto
biography, of which part is published
azine. The senator, the Republican
boss of New York state. dealt with
two nominations of Theodore Roose-
velt-that for governor of New York
state and that for vice president in the
Republican national convention of 1900
In Philadelphia. Senator Plat sought
to answer the critics who had asserted
that in nominating Mr.. Roosevelt for
vice president Plat sought to send him
to the political mortuary chamber in
which vice presidents have reposed-
What Pinch Did.
Senator Plat wrote:
"a pinch may be said to have made
Roosevelt president. for had he ex-
ecuted the threat of declining 1.-THE
nomination for vice PRESIDENT and
had it been accepted he would never
have reached the White House"
Again:
II may be pardoned if / remind my
readers that but for my insistence upon
his nomination for the vice presidency
Roosevelt certainly would not have
succeeded Mckinley in 1901. and per-
haps he never would have been presi-
dent of the United States"
As to that pinch" Senator Plat
thus described what happened in Phil
adelphia before the convention:
Excited at Plan.
Governor Roosevelt was in his 1
room. protesting to everybody that he |
would. if nominated for vice president. |
arise in the convention and unequivO- |
caIly decline. / heard about this and /
asked my son Frank to go to him and
say that he would be nominated, that
he could not stop that, and ! wanted
his promise that If he were made Nc
Kinley's associate he would run.
Roosevelt and my son soon came to
my rooms. The governor was in a
state of rare excitement even for him.
81 shall go to the New York caucus
and tell the delegates that l shall. if
nominated for vice president, arise in
The convention and decline. can
serve you. Senator Plat, far better as
governor than as vice president said
Roosevelt pugnaciously.
But you cannot be renominated for
and you are going to be NOM
mated for vice president was my re-
ort.
~ cannot be renominated: queried
Roosevelt. /
mo; your successor is in this ROOM
aid |, pointing to Chairman Odell.
Now. l want your promise that If
-ou are Endorsed by the New York
aucus you will not refuse and that if
ou are nominated by the convention
ou will run added.
Roosevelt showed his teeth. paced ,
p and down the room and chafed as
horse does under a tight rein and
urbed bit. I
Gavo Word Not to Decline.
"'Well. Senator Platt. finally re- I,
lrned Roosevelt reluctantly. 1 will
ledge myself not TO decline formally
he New York caucus Endorsement.
Tut l shall certainly urge the caucus
} name another =.
land remember that l shall pinch
on if l see any signs of your getting
p and declining put in my son.
"'All right; you may pinch me as
ard as you like, answered Roosevelt
5 he and Frank hurried to the caucus
{ the New York delegation then in I
-ogreSS on the main floor Of the Ho- :