The Platt machine was a United States

political organization A political organization is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including political parties, non-governmental organizations, and special interest advocacy groups. Political organizations are those engaged in poli ...

and coalition of Republican Party members in New York which exerted heavy influence over the state's politics during the

Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Wes ...

. The organization's leadership was maintained by U.S. senator T. C. "Tom" Platt, its "easy boss."Thomas Collier Platt
''Encyclopedia.com''. Retrieved March 16, 2022. Senator Platt, the machine's leader, was conservative though practical, in contrast to his shrewdly partisan mentor

Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling (October 30, 1829April 18, 1888) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who represented New York in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He is remembered today as the leader of the ...

. The machine's priority of party unity over a hardline

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

push resulted in its eventual demise at the hands of intraparty progressive forces led by

Benjamin B. Odell, Jr. Benjamin Barker Odell Jr. (January 14, 1854May 9, 1926) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 34th Governor of New York from 1901 to 1904. Early life Born in Newburgh, New York, in 1854, Odell's father, Benjamin B. Odell ...

, and

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. By 1903, the machine was "smashed" at the hands of Odell.March 14, 1903
Odell Has Smashed The Platt Machine
''The New York Times''. Retrieved March 16, 2022. In spite of the general corruption associated with political machines, Sen. Platt was considered to have a largely clean record, never financially profiting from political dealings.Thomas Collier Platt papers
''Archives at Yale''. Retrieved March 16, 2022. However, the machine failed to fully root out bribery practices, and its influence by financial interests, among several factors, would result in assails against machine politics following Platt's death in 1910.

Background

Platt's familiarity with machine politics were shaped in his earlier career, during which he carefully studied the tactics employed by

Thurlow Weed Edward Thurlow Weed (November 15, 1797 – November 22, 1882) was a printer, New York newspaper publisher, and Whig and Republican politician. He was the principal political advisor to prominent New York politician William H. Seward and was i ...

Reuben Fenton Reuben Eaton Fenton (July 4, 1819August 25, 1885) was an American merchant and politician from New York. In the mid- 19th Century, he served as a U.S. Representative, a U.S. Senator, and as Governor of New York. Early life Fenton was bor ...

, and

. Among the details he absorbed pertained to: *party management *rewarding loyalists and punishing "traitors" *the collection of campaign funds *increasing voter turnout Hon

The rise of Platt's political career was largely fueled by Conkling. During the 1870s, Conkling sparred with Fenton over control of the state's Republican Party politics, and Platt consistently aided the former's causes. During each convention, Platt marshaled "Southern Tier" aid that contributed to Conkling's eventual triumph over Fenton. During his second term in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Platt led the movement in the

1876 United States presidential election The 1876 United States presidential election was the 23rd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 1876, in which Republican nominee Rutherford B. Hayes faced Democrat Samuel J. Tilden. It was one of the most contentio ...

to nominate Conkling for the party ticket. A grateful Conkling subsequently appointed Platt to lead the Republican State Committee. In the

1880 United States presidential election The 1880 United States presidential election was the 24th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 1880, in which Republican nominee James A. Garfield defeated Winfield Scott Hancock of the Democratic Party. The voter ...

, Platt aided efforts led by Conkling,

John A. Logan John Alexander Logan (February 9, 1826 – December 26, 1886) was an American soldier and politician. He served in the Mexican–American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a st ...

, and

J. Donald Cameron James Donald Cameron (May 14, 1833 – August 30, 1918) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant and in the United States Senate for nearly twenty years. In May, 1876 Cameron was ...

(leaders of the " Stalwarts," who Platt was among) to nominate former president

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

for an unprecedented third term. When a maneuver by " Half-Breeds" and the

Blaine faction The Blaine faction, also known as the Blaine section, was a political organizationdark horse candidate

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881 until his death six months latertwo months after he was shot by an assassin. A lawyer and Civil War gene ...

, Platt demonstrated support for party unity by campaigning for Garfield. This earned him support from

Chauncey M. Depew Chauncey Mitchell Depew (April 23, 1834April 5, 1928) was an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician. He is best remembered for his two terms as United States Senator from New York and for his work for Cornelius Vanderbilt, as ...

, who would later exercise an important role associated with the politics of the Platt machine. Platt was elected to the United States Senate in 1881 to serve alongside Conkling, although this tenure would prove to be brief. Garfield, at the advice of James G. Blaine, alienated "Stalwarts" by nominating Blaine faction leader-turned-"Half-Breed" William H. Robertson to the position of

Collector of the Port of New York The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at t ...

. Platt proposed to Conkling that both submit their immediate resignations from the U.S. Senate, presuming that their subsequent immediate elections to their Senate seats by the state legislature in the following special elections would demonstrate a rebuke towards Garfield. However, the "Half-Breed" Republicans in the New York legislature thwarted the pair, electing

Warner Miller Warner Miller (August 12, 1838March 21, 1918) was an American businessman and politician from Herkimer, New York. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative (1879-1881) and United States Senator (1881-1887). A nat ...

and Elbridge G. Lapham to the seats instead. Following the failed effort suggested by Platt that resulted in the self-removal of him and Conkling, their friendship shattered. The lack of Conkling's leadership resulted in a disorientation of the New York GOP for a brief period of time, marked by frequent defeats at elections. Platt, in an effort to improve party performance, would in the subsequent several years wrench for leadership. During the process, he threw support in the 1884 United States presidential election to party nominee James G. Blaine, a longtime personal nemesis of Conkling.

Timeline

Rise to power, 1890s

In 1893, the New York GOP oversaw electoral victories that would continue for the subsequent sixteen years. This fueled Platt's rise to the role of machine boss, exercising tremendous power over the state's government.

Compromises with progressives

In 1898, Platt appeased the progressive wing of the New York GOP by successfully pushing to elect Roosevelt governor of the state. The two held a harmonious—though uneasy—relationship. During their alliance in order for the maintenance of the Republican coalition, appointment selections, reform measures, and conversation efforts were enacted.

Instituted policies

Under Platt's leadership, the overseen policy changes included increased regulations of liquor, the consolidation of Greater New York City, and

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

improvements.

The machine's decline: assassination of McKinley, usurpation by Odell

The increasing power of Roosevelt resulted in a diminishing of Platt's power. In the

1900 United States presidential election The 1900 United States presidential election was the 29th quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 1900. In a re-match of the 1896 United States presidential election, 1896 race, incumbe ...

, Platt, along with

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

U.S. senator M. S. "Matt" Quay, proposed a vice presidential nomination of Roosevelt alongside

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

to "shelve" him from direct influence of New York politics. Following the assassination of McKinley, Roosevelt assumed the presidency, proving Platt's devised plan a disastrous unintended consequence. Odell's ascendancy to the governorship resulted in an increase of his power and a further decline in Platt's influence. Odell subsequently proved to act with independent leanings against Platt's conservatism. By 1904, when Platt was re-elected to another U.S. Senate term, his powerful influence over the machine evaporated.

References

Books

* {{refend Politics of New York (state) Republican Party (United States)