Evening journal., 1914-04-28
New News Of Yesterday
The Senator Who Did Not
Profit by Being Frugal
By Holland.

Shortly after the late Thomas Col
lier Plat retired permanently from
the United states Senate he spoke
reminiscenuy, and not boastingly, of
some of the features Of his strange
and truly sensational political ca
reer. He had served In the Lower
House Of Congress and re had been
three times elected to the United
States Senate for New York and had
served two full terms. His dramatic
resignation Of his seat in the Upper
House six weeks after he first en-
tered the Senate chamber as Senator
has become one of the traditions Of
American political life.
For two years after his resignation
from the Senate he was regarded as a
political Outcast Five years after
/ ward he regained. his ascendendcy in
the party organization of his state
and he returned to the United States
Senate fifteen years after his resig-
nation. He closed a brief speech of
] his political career by asking: After
all. what was it all worth?"
There seemed to be a hint of sad
ness in his tones as there certainly
was an expression Of regret in his
eyes as he made this singular COM
ment.
Senator Platt was presumed to
have accumulated comfortable for
tune, chiefly by frugality He re-
ceived for some thirty years a sal
airy of $4,000 a year for his services
as president of the United States Ex-
press Company, corporation which
recently decided TO liquidate. He had
for twelve years a salary as Sena-
tor. He received dividends upon
stock which he had gradually accu-
mulated, but his entire annual income
was estimated to be not in excess of
$4,000.
Senator Platt never speculated.
lie was never engaged with those who
practiced the art of high finance. He
was very frugal In his personal
tastes he was simplicity itself. lie
eschewed alcoholic drinks of all
kinds, and rarely tasted a glass of
wine, only going through the motions
of doing so when he was a guest at
some dinner. He was a member of
no club. He did not care for sports.
He was fond of music, and at one time
/ possessed an agreeable voice He
cultivated with great skill the sci
ence of saving his pennies He per-
mitted himself no other extravaganza
than the indulgence of a curious
fondness for neckwear.
Yet shortly after Senator Platt's
death in 1910. it was discovered that
he left practically no estate. At one
time he was able to estimate his ac-
cumulations at about 100000. Pre-
sumably the greater part of his es-
tate was absorbed in unhappy litiga-
] tion which marred the latter part OF
his life. Possibly it was the con-
sciousness that in spite of his fru-
gality all that he had accumulated
was gone, which led him to ask
After all, what is it all worth?'
And when a few of the friends oi
Senator Platt had confidential knowl.
edge that he died poor man they
were impelled to consider the differ.
ence between his estate in that re.
spect and that of his college, Sena.
tor Conkling. For after the death o
Senator Conkling which was occa-
stoned by exposure in the blizzard o
March, 1888, it was learned that his
estate was appraised at abou. $4,000
and he, too, was a frugal man.
! Copyright, 1914, by =. e. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell d
Thomas c. Platt's Recipe for Po
litlcal Success"