Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-08
Posthumous Narrative > by
PIatt of the 1888 Campaign.
SENATOR FELT CHEATED
Offered Treasury Portfolio for Sup
port of Harrison.
ELK1Ns THE INTERMEDIARY
Alleged Pledge Repudiated After
Election and Tracy Represented
New York in Cabinet.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Shortly after the publication of his
by the late Senator Sherman l
happened to be at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
in New York. and while seated at the
breakfast table one morning, the head
waiter came to my side and whispered
that Mr Platt sent his compliments and
would be glad if would come over and
have my breakfast with him. Mr. Platt
lived at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in the
winter and at the Oriental Hotel, Man
haitian Beach, in the summer for many
years, and always occupied the same
rooms. and the same table in the dining
room. After passing the time o day
he remarked with satirical tone:
Three distinguished men slept under
this roof last night
And who were they besides yomself?"
I asked.
man." was the reply.
DO YOU speak to those gentlemen as
you pass by" / inquired.
Not unless | am compelled to. and
they don't like me or each other any
better than / like them
mans book, in which he asserted that
President Harrison was nominated
through corrupt bargain with Mr.. Platt,
l asked him what ground there was Tor
the corrupt bargain to which Mr.. Sher-
man had alluded
Mr. Platt replied that he could not tell
me at the breakfast table, but if j would
come down to his office, No. 40 Broadway,
and lunch with him at l O'Clock he would
give me a good story.
Gan hn tptx -I f<4r
turning to his office from the lunchroom
he handed me sealed envelope, saying:
There is the story promised you. but
1t must not be printed until after Har-
rison and | are both dead; l don't care
about Sherman He has had his say-so
and doesn't count. but l give this to you,
on that condition..
That envelope has been sealed and kept
in a tin box all these years, until yester-
day morning, when Ii was opened and
found to contain the following narrative,
which had been dictated by Mr. Patt
to his stenographer and written out upon
thin brown manila wrapping paper, often
used in business Offices for carbon copies.
1t is written in the third person, and 1
give it exactly as he handed 1t to me,
IS follows:
Senator Platt's Narrative.
when ex-President Harrison was here
he spent day and night under the
same roof with the one member of the
New York delegation with whom, Sena-
tor Sherman says, he made a corrupt
bargain to secure his nomination in 1855
They did not meet. however. One of the
newspapers says they exchanged saluta-
tions'-that is, when Gen Harrison en-
tered the dining room of the Fifth Ave
nue. Hotel and passed the table at which
Mr.. Thomas c. Platt was sitting the two
gentlemen bowed politely to each other
They always do that when they meet, and
Mr. Platt visited the White House
eral times while Gen. Harrison was Pres
ident. He went by invitation and the
interviews would make very interesting
reading if they could have been reported.
But neither gentleman is in the habit of
talking of such incidents. Nor will Mr..
Platt discuss the illusions that are made
to him in Mr.. Sherman's book He smiles
grimly when approached on this subject
and says that he may want to- write
book himself some day, and prefers to
save his material.
But the circumstances of the corrupt
bargain as Mr.. Sherman calls it, are
known to several people, and are as fol-
lows:
Gen. Harrison's Alleged Offer.
The New York delegation went to the
convention of 'SS supporting one of their
own number. Mr.. Depew, for the presiden-
tial nomination. They voted for him con-
tinllally during the first week. but when
Sunday came they decided that he could
not succeed, and held a meeting to dis
cuss their future action. There were
Blaine men and Harrison men and Sller-
man men in the delegation. and friends OF
other candidates, those who favored lfar-
rison and Sherman being In the majority
and about evenly divided. Stephen B. Ell
kins, who had paid hurried visit to In
dianapolis a few days before. returned
with an unseaIed letter in his pocket. 1t
was signed Benjamin Harrison and was
addressed to Thomas c.. Platt' 1t was
brief but sufficient, and the writer in
formed Mr.. Platt that Mr.. Elkins was
authorized to speak for him, and that any
arrangements that the two gentlemen
might make would be ratified.
"A memorable conference took place in
Mr.. Platts rooms at the Grand Pacific
Hotel, at which Mr.. Elkns stated that he
was authorized to say that if the New
York delegation would give Gen. Har-
rison their support the latter would ap-
point Mr.. Platt Secretary of the Treas
to control the federal patronage in the
state of New York. The pledge was not
made in those exact words. of course,
but that was what 1t meant, and every
one present so understood it.
The New York delegation were in
formed Of this proposition at their meet
ing Sunday afternoon, and accepting it
in good faith, decided to cast a solid vote
for Gen. Harrison for a certain number
of ballots, and then, il II appeared that
he could not be nominated. to throw their
support to Mr.. Sherman. As all the world
knows, this movement on the part OF New
York brought reinforcements from other
states and Gen. Harrison was nominated
Plat Pledges Big Fund
"Mr Platt went into the campaign with
his usual energy, devoting his attention
chiefly to the state of New York. but
frequeat calls for advice and
assistance from the national committee.
A few days before the election Mr.. quay, d
who was chairman of the committee,
came to Mr. Platts Office with long
face He said he was utterly discouraged: /
that the demands made upon him for
money were treme endous; that the treas
uy was empty: that he had exhausted !
every source from which he could hope
to secure funds, and that unless some |
one came to their relief the committee |
might as well give UP and close their |
Mr.. Platt replied that he |
felt equally discouraged; that he had |
tried everywhere to get money to pay /
the eypenSeS of the state camDatvp apd /