The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-07
A LEAF FROM THE PAST.
Memories Of Plat, Mckinley and
Roosevelt by the Dean Of Political
Correspondents--Concluding Article.

Ondents--C0nciuding Article.
Senator Platt would have been in his
eighty-seventh year IL he had lived to
March 6 last, the anniversary Of his
death. He was born July Is, 1888. He
was a political chieftain of the old
school. He scarcely knew the mean
Ing Of the phrase political expe-
diency." Roosevelt was born In the
year when Plat was elected to his
first political office, Clerk OF Tioga
county, New York. Root, Spooner,
Cleveland, Hill and others of like
prominence were either in knicker-
bockers or just out of school when
Plat was a political soldier. Here
are a few words about the real Platt
as 1 knew him In skirmishes and In
many battles for twenty years and
more: His memory was accurate be-
yond expression. He had personal
"reminiscences of Andrew Jackson,
Martin Van Buren,. William Henry
Harrison (Benjamin's grandfather),
John Tyler, James X. Polk, Zachary
Taylor, Willard Fillmore and Franklin
Pierce. He knew intimately, socially and
politically Lincolg, Johnson. Grant.
Hayes, Garfield. &Arthur. Benjamin
Harrison. McH0 and Roosevelt.
Nearly all KIND how he nominated
Roosevelt for Governor OF New York
In 1898 and for Vice-President in
1900. He saw Grover Cleveland but
once. That was at the close of the
campaign in 1884. Blaine was in
Platts apartments in the Fifth Ave-
nue. Hotel when the tail end of the
business mems Cleveland and Hen
bricks final parade passed the hotel.
Cleveland was out on the reviewing
stand just in front of the hotel. Blaine
and Platt had been watching the
parade all day. Blaine, turning to
Plat, said: "That parade beats mel
Piatt was a youngster when Will
lam II. Seward, Lincoln's Secretary
of State, was elected Governor of New
York in 1888. Thirty years later
Seward and Plat were political allies.
Platt was a contemporary of the first
Seminole, the Mexican, the civil and
the Spanish wars and Of the great
inventions of the nineteenth century.
He knew pleasant stories of the days
when Jefferson Davis, President OF the
Confederacy, was n gallant young
Union officer in the Mexican war, and
he easily recalled Mr.. Davis's personal
| and political conduct as a Congress
man. as a United States Senator and as
Secretary Of War in Buchanan's Cab
met. Plat recollected the coronation
of Queen Victoria and Ljncoln's first
DAYS in Congress. He knew person.
ally all the great Admirals and Cen
erals of the Mexican and civil wars
and all the renowned leaders OF his
party in all the States from the hour
| II succeeded the old Wing party. the
| direct successor of the Federalist
party founded by Alexander Hamilton
Washington's first Secretary OF the
| Treasury.
Platt, like Hamilton. could be In
| tolerant in his arrogance and dove
like in his gentleness. Platt, like
| Hamilton, spoke his mind freely and
took little or no pains to conceal his
! opinions of men and measures. He
| once said that Carl Schurz was "a
| lively German pedler of apples Of
| discord and a retail dealer In vinegar
] manufactured from the juice of soul
! apples" and wanted it printed too
All the Republican Governors OF
New York from Edwin ID. Morgan In
| 1858 were his friends, and Morton
Black, Roosevelt and Odell were nomi-
mated by him. Vice Presidents, United
States Senators, Governors
Congressman, State legislators, Col
Electors of the Port Of New York and
other high and humble Federal officers
Judges of the Court of Appeals and OF
the Supreme Court, sheriffs and al
sorts and conditions of place holders
owed their elevation to Plat. He
declined the nomination for Governor
in 1896.
Plat was q fine Latin scholar at Yale
Mr.. Plat was an apothecary, lumber
man and mill owner. a railroad presi
dent president of a mining company
president of an express company. Rep
r. sentative in Congress for two terms
a Quarantine Commissioner for New
York and United States Senator. Ht
was an industrious business man al
ways. He also was an editorial writer
on the Owego Times, the newspaper Of
which Mr.. Smyth and Mr.. Smyth':
father We're owners and editors; thu
New York Tribune and the Republic
a short lived Republican organ which
was started in New York city year:
age to compete with the New Yorl
Tribune and the New York Times
then a Republican newspaper. Plat
was a wit, stole, an optimist a par
ticularly keen writer and began hi:
real political career on sound principle.
of honor.
In 1870 he was delegate to the ole
Twenty sixth New York Congress.
Convention, pledged to support Mil,
Goodrich for Congress. For over /
thousand ballots the convention wa!
deadlocked. While temporarily ali
sent the convention nominated Plat
who promptly declined the nomination
: in these words, written to the chair
man of the conventions;
In view OF the we'll known fact that
I was chosen delegate to this con-
} Vention publicly and privately pledged
10 an unwAverinE support of Milo Good
! rich, and that In my absence from the
convention the present result was
reached. without the sanction OF Mr.
Goodrich, and his friends, Il must be
the unanimous verdict of the Repub-
lican party OF the district that have
no rlghtful claim to this nomnatiou
and would not be entitled to the respect
and support OF the party II should
accept. 7 am OF the opinion that po-
litical prefermeEt obtained at the ex-
pense OF old Friendships and personal
honor must prove hollow and unsa tisfy-
ing. also believe that all good Re-
puhttpans will with mo In ha