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Show H, The Piatt Memoirs T"' HE memoirs of the late Se ' ;r Piatt of New York in the current Cosmopolitan are M most interesting reading. It revives the ft political history of New York and in a measure, H of the nation, and makes clear many things which H ( have always been more obscure. Piatt's own ideas H of tho duty of polticians and office-holders are m illuminating, his opinions of individual politicians H and office-holders are clear cut and graphic. Listen IH to this picture of President Harrison: B "Outside the White House, at a dinner, he H could be a courtly gentleman. Inside the executive B mansion, In his .-eception of those who solicited B official appointments, for themselves or their H friends, he was as glacial as a Siberian stripped H of his furs. During and after an Interview, if H one could secure it, one felt, even in torrid H weather, like pulling on his winter flannels, go- H lashes, overcoat, mitts and ear-laps." H All through he speaks of friends and enemies H without restraint, and it takes but a few of his Hi words to photograph them perfectly. It is clear B that he despised George William Curtis and car- H ried to his grave a feeling toward Whitelaw Reld, Hj which was given voice to by the prophet: "Dost H thou well to be angry?" said the Lord. And the K prophet answered: "I do well to be angry, even H unto death.' ' Of course Piatt's admiration for Roscoe Conk-ling Conk-ling was boundless, but many people will be surprised sur-prised at this estimate of Blaine by him: "Serious as were my political differences with Blaine, in the tempestuous days of 1881, I never hesitated to express my admiration for his charming charm-ing personality and the dashing chivalrous spirit that caused the people to bestow upon him the title of "Henry of Navarro," and the "Plumed Knight" of American politics. I sat under him when he was Speaker of the House of Representatives, Representa-tives, during the early seventies. What I liked about him then, and always, was his frank and persistent contention that the citizen who best loved his party and was loyalTto It, was loyal to and best loved his country. He was a foe to all Phariseeism and cant, recognized no place for guerrillas or mugwumps. His reply to Italy: "The United S'ates has never yet permitted Its policy to be dictated by any foreign power and It will not begin now," was an exhibition of his exalted Americanism." The whole paper is most interesting, and the terse methods he adopted to dispose of a subject sub-ject or a man is most captivating. It is easy to see why he was naturally a boss and how easy it was for him to hold the position until age and physical Infirmities made him gad to relinquish It. |
