Platt also attended the National Re- Harrison. In 1896 Mr. Platt, with publican Convention as a delegate and contributed largely toward the bringing about of the nomination of James G. Blaine for President. In 1888, once more a delegate, Lut inis time a delegate-at-large to the Republican National Convention, he was influential in swinging the New York delegation over to the support of Benjamin Harrison for President. In 1892, Mr. Platt, once more a delegate-at-large to the Republican National Convention, opposed the renomination of President the majority of the members of the New York delegation in attendance at the Republican National Convention, supported Levi P. Morton for President, and then joined in the motion that the nomination of William McKinley be made unanimous. Mr. Platt was selected as their candidate for United States Senator by the Republican members of the Legislature in 1897 by a vote of 142 to 7; the other Republican candidate being Joseph H. Choate. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. STATE OFFICERS. Lieutenant-Governor. Timothy L. Woodruff, of Brooklyn, the Lieutenant-Governor of the State of New York, is a young man and a native of Connecticut. He comes of good Yankee stock and inherits a rugged constitution and a determination to win in the battle of life, come whatever obstacle may confront him. He was born in New Haven on August 4, 1858. Both of his parents died when young Woodruff was but ten years of age. His father represented the New Haven district in the House of Representatives from 1855 to the close of the civil war. Mr. Woodruff's ancestors fought in the revolution, and the Lieutenant-Governor is a member of the patriotic society known as Sons of the Revolution. Mr. Woodruff received his preparatory education at Phillips Exeter Academy and afterward entered Yale University in 1875, being graduated bachelor of arts in 1879, and receiving the degree of master of arts in 1889. Immediately after his graduation from Yale he took a course at Eastman Business College, in Poughkeepsie. In January, 1881, after a year's clerkship, he was admitted to the firm of Nash, Whiton & Co., now the Worcester Salt Company, of which he is treasurer. He became a resident of Brooklyn in the spring of the same year. In 1887 he was proprietor of the Franklin, Commercial, Nye and Waverly stores, and two grain elevators. When the Brooklyn Grain Warehouse Company was organized, in 1888, he was made a director and secretary of the company. In 1889 he became one of the proprietors of the Maltine Manufacturing Company, of New York, of which he is now president, and which is one of the best-equip ped pharmaceutical laboratories in this country. He was one of the incorporators of the Kings County Trust Company, the Hamilton Trust Company and the Manufacturers' Trust Company, all of Brooklyn. He is a director of the Merchants' Exchange National Bank of New York, president of the Co-operative Building Bank of New York, and a member of the New York Chamber of Commerce. In 1891 he was elected treasurer of the City Savings Bank of Brooklyn, of which he has long been a trustee. Lieutenant-Governor Woodruff early manifested a keen interest in affairs political, having been a close student of political economy while at college. His first political experience was gained in the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, and he was a member of its advisory and executive committees during the campaigns of 1881 and 1883, when Seth Low was elected to the mayoralty of Brooklyn. He represented his Assembly district in the Republican State Convention of 1885, and has been a delegate from his district to nearly all State and local conventions since then. In 1888 he was unanimously chosen a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Chicago. In 1889 and 1890 he represented his Congressional district on the Republican State Committee, and was a member of the executive committee of that body. When Mayor Wurster, of Brooklyn, assumed office, he appointed Mr. Woodruff Commissioner of Parks for Brooklyn, and in that capacity he made one of the most popular of officials, winning the respect of all classes. He arranged for nearly twenty miles of driveways, connecting with the principal roadways of Queens county and the nearby summer resorts, and added a double bicycle course along the peerless boulevard from Prospect Park to Coney Island. During the hot period of 1896, his orders to open the gates of the public parks at all hours was largely taken advantage of by the poorer people, and was as welcome as it was radical. Among Brooklynites he is considered the best Park Commissioner that city has ever had. He was elected a delegate to the National Convention at St. Louis, in 1896, and voted there for the nomination of Morton for President. In the political troubles in Kings county he has never been a factionist, but always has been a rigid Republican. He was one of the founders of the Montauk Club, of Brooklyn, chairman of its finance and entertainment committee, and a director; is a director and secretary of the Riding and Driving Club; a member of the Union League, the Hamilton, the Crescent Athletic, the Manufacturers', the Republican and the Logan clubs, of Brooklyn, and president of the newly-organized Dyker Meadow Golf Club. He is a member of the L. A. W., the Cycle Club and the Good Roads Association, and an enthusiastic bicyclist, despite his being a driver of four-in-hand and tandem. He is also a member of the Union League and University clubs, of New York. He was chairman of the Citizens' Atlanta Committee on the occasion of the celebration of Brooklyn Day at the Atlanta Exposition in November, 1895. Recently he was elected to the presidency of the board of trustees of the Adelphi Academy, of Brooklyn. The Lieutenant-Governor well may be said to be one of the most popular of the residents of the City of Churches, though he is as well and as favorably known in New York, where he has considerable business interests. He is charitably inclined, and never fails to assist in all worthy and philanthropic work. Many instances are known where he has relieved suffering humanity, though his charitable acts are done with no attempt at parade. tutions have survived experiment, foreign war, civil war, riot, and, recently, attempted political assassination. Ours is not only a solvent, but it is a sovereign State! The New York Legislature, of which this Senate constitutes the upper house, is amenable to a greater people, not only intellectually, but numerically, than is ruled over by a large majority of the monarchs of the world. The population of the State of New York is not only one-eighth of the aggregate population of the other fortyfour States which comprise the Union, but exceeds the white population of every other country upon the Western hemisphere. The population of our State is one-fifth that of the British Islands, and maintains nearly that average ratio to the population of each of the great monarchies of Continental Europe, which had reached the top of civilization and national power centuries before Hendrik Hudupon one bank of which rests the State Capital of 8,000,000 of people, and upon the other stands a metropolis destined within the present year to become the second city of the Mr. Woodruff has for a home companion a most estimable wife. Her maiden name was Miss Cora C. Eastman, daughter of the late Hon. H. G. Eastman, at one time Mayor of Poughkeepsie. Mrs. Woodruff is a charming woman, a splendid entertainer, and withal a woman of many charms. The Woodruff home, on the corner of Eighth avenue and President street, Brooklyn, is famous for the dinners and musical and literary entertain-son, in the "Half Moon," navigated the river ments given, and the hospitality dispensed by Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff, who have been identified with the social, charitable and religious life of Brooklyn since their married life began. They are both members of the Memorial Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff have one child, a son, who is in attendance at Phillips Exeter Academy, where his father received his preparatory education. Lieutenant-Governor Woodruff, on assuming the Chair as President of the Senate, delivered the following address: world. The past is secure! It is to-day the duty of the men now on the field of action to exhibit that courage and wisdom which is necessary to maintain the institutions inherited from the fathers. This Senate, over which it will be my privilege and great honor to preside for the next two years, has already attained so high a reputation as to insure a continuance of all that has been best in the past history of our State. It will ever be my aim to so discharge the duties with which I have been vested that upon the expiration of your term and mine, which will end together, although greatly to my disadvantage they did not begin together, my record may be knit into the fabric of your high reputation. SENATORS.-In ascending, for the first time, this tribune of the Senate of the Empire State, on this day, designated to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the Capitol at Albany, I am pro- At the beginning of our State government, foundly impressed with the unparalleled prog- the Lieutenant-Governor acted as chief judge ress and present power of this imperial com- of the State. I welcome this reminiscence as monwealth. Let us expose the lenses of the an admonition to do exact justice as your mind, for a moment, to receive upon the film presiding officer. As you are aware, I am inof memory an impression of what the album experienced in legislative usages, and should of history contains in order that from a pic-I err, I know you will bear with me because ture of the past we may derive inspiration in of my inexperience, and also accord me the dealing with the manifold needs of the present benefit of the fact that " Parliamentary law hour. Should we not, indeed, draw from the is indefinite and largely made up of rules subpast the best principles of public policy to ap-ject to constant change and of precedents ply them in the present to the administration liable to be reversed." of our government? Your actions and mine, always open to the We are the happy heirs to the grand results public view, will be presented to our constituof a splendid series of constructive State ad-ents through the columns of the public press. ministrations. Agriculture and manufacture From the information I have gathered on the in all their variety have been actively encour- subject, I feel assured that the glasses through aged; canals constructed and developed and which we shall be seen, represented in Albany natural waterways extensively improved; the by a talented reportorial corps of high charpublic school system has been founded and acter, will not furnish a distorted vision. raised to the highest standard; the National Guard created and brought to a high state of efficiency; institutions for the care of all in need of the State's protection have been established and zealously guarded; large tracts of land acquired for the public good; the most economical and improved financial methods have been adopted; the statutes revised and wisely adjusted; and as the result of recent earnest and able effort, we can boldly declare that we live to-day under the broadest and most comprehensive constitutional and statutory systems yet devised for the government of a State. We are a solvent State! No debt entails heavy burdens of taxation to meet the demands of interest, for although $250,000,000 have been expended upon the canals alone, and over $50,000,000 on public grounds and buildings, yet, notwithstanding these and other permanent investments, the government of the State has been administered within the limits of its power to pay without incurring any financial obligation. Our insti I take it that our government is based on the principle that the majority shall rule, but only through legal forms. In the words of Jefferson, Let us all bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable, and that the minority possesses equal rights which equal laws must protect, and to violate which would be oppression. During this year the Federal Government and National Legislature, and the Chief Executive and legislative bodies of this State will be of one political faith. This, Senators, places upon the Republican majority a responsibility of the gravest character. Let us meet this responsibility by such hearty co-operation that when, after the next two years of service, this body shall adjourn without day," the people of the State of, New York may feel that their confidence has not been misplaced. What is the further pleasure of the Senate? |