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Show WHY ODELL WORSTED PLATT. We have been permitted to copy a portion of a private letter received by a gentleman of this city from a friend of his in Dahlonega, Ga., which gives some inside facts which seem to have a bearing upon some recent events in New York, and apparently throws a strong side light on why, In the recent convention in New York, Governor Odell "got away" with the veteran Piatt. We copy the letter, as follows: "Speaking of politics, I have a little inside history his-tory which may interest you. Some time since Lemuel G. Quigg, the ex-New York City Congressman, Con-gressman, had an interview with President Roosevelt. Roose-velt. Soon after the Associated Press sent a purported pur-ported account of the interview to the country. This statement made it appear that the ex-Congressman was unmercifully snubbed by the President. Presi-dent. "When Quigg next met the agent of the Associated As-sociated Press he asked him why he had sent out such stuff, declared that the President had treated him most courteously, that the dispatch was a d d lie, and protested against the sending out of such infamous falsehoods, declaring that the call was most pleasant; that there was not the slightest friction between him and the Chief Magistrate. Mag-istrate. "Then, growing hotter and hotter, Quigg denounced de-nounced the unscrupulous newspapers that, because be-cause of their unscrupulous methods, were utterly careless of the reputations of men, or of the heartburnings heart-burnings they might create, or of the suspicions the) might engender, and all without authority or the slightest foundation of fact to stand upon. "By this time the news agent was growing rather warm and, turning to Quigg, said: 'Mr. Quigg, would you like to know our authority for the publication of that article?' Quigg said he would. " 'Well,' responded the agent of the Associated Press, it was no less a personage than Theodore Roosevelt, the President of the United States.' "Quigg retired. A little later a joint dinner as given by the wife of Congressman Hitt and the wife Wash McLean, at Mrs. Hitt's house. R was understood that the President would informally in-formally be present. You know that the President Presi-dent is not supposed to accept invitations to private pri-vate dinners, but Mr. Hitt is a most distinguished toaL and Mrs. Hitt is a lady who would have made a hit even had she never married the Congressman Congress-man and diplomat By the way, the Quiggs and McLean's and Hitt's are great friends. "The function came off, and the President came face to face upon Quigg, in the very center of the assemblage, where all eyes were upon them. The President graciously, with a courteous greeting, extended his hand to the ex-Congressman. But the Representative did not respond in kind. Ho thrust his hands in his trousers pockets, gave the Chief Magistrate a long, cold look and turned aside. "Upper tendom was awfully shocked. Mrs. Hitt was overwhelmed. Seeking Mr. Quigg, she said: 'You have violated the hospitality of my house by insulting the President of the United States under my roof. It is due to me that, with the first course at dinner, you find some excuse for withdrawing.' "Quigg said 'All right,' and hardly had the dinner din-ner begun when he arose and, addressing the hostess, hos-tess, said: 'I am most sorry, madam, but I have just thought of a forgotten engagement which makes it imperative that I leave at once. If you will kindly put in writing the matter we were discussing and send it to me early tomorrow, it shall have my attention and best judgment.' Thereupon he left the table and the house. "Now, Quigg is a close friend of Piatt. "Piatt thought Odell his friend, but the result of the convention not only undeceived him, but showed him, with more or less clearness, that the President's large and ungloved hand was conspicuously conspic-uously in New York politics. It all creates a strong suspicion that the Chief Magistrate used the Executive Ex-ecutive of New York to punish, through Piatt, Piatt's friend, Quigg. The conclusions seems almost irresistible that Piatt will fight any effort to secure from New York a Roosevelt delegation to the next National convention con-vention that will have the nomination of a Presidential Presi-dential candidate in hand. President Roosevelt, when Governor of New York, quarreled with J. Pierpont Morgan, so it will be but natural if all the safety-vaults of Wall street are closed against a campaign fund for the present President. "As I look into the future, I predict that the President will not be renominated. Who will? I do not know, but advise you, as an old friend, to keep your eyes upon one Mark Hanna of Ohio in 1904." |