Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-16

who with other and good motives followed his
were not aware Of Mr.. Quays purpose or of the
fact that he was trading upon their votes for
| the benefit OF his railroad BILL
ouAYs Devotion TO THE RAILROAD.
1t may seem absurd that any Senator would
| sacrifice or even jeopardize what was then be-
heved to be an important party measure for so
small selfish aim. But Mr. Quay's devotion
to the interests of the railroad is not Of any
ordinary character. The country is familiar
with the series OF accusations Of the most
serious character brought against Senator
Quay by the New York World some time ago.
The statement filled between fifteen and sixteen
columns of the World and was in eight chapters,
the first seven chapters being printed on Feb
| ruary 10 and the last chapter on March 3, 1880.
The New York Ere''i,sg Post subsequently re-
iterated these charges in a statement occupying
some ten columns Of the paper. The papers
throughout the country dealt with
the matter at greater or less extent.
MIR. Quays failure to answer these damaging
charges has been a matter Of general comment.
Two long chapters Of this indictment were de-
voted to the detailed statement charging Quay
with being interested in a gigantic job
for the benefit Of the Pennsylvania railroad. in
which he showed his devotion to that corpora
ton aud which ended In one of his associates
being sent to the penitentiary.
THE RAILROAD INDEMNITY BILL SCANDAL.
The charges in these two chapters were to
the following effect:
Following the great railroad strike in July.
1877 (and as a, result of it and the calling ont
of the state troops) came the indemnity bill
scandal. bill was introduced into the legis-
lature to indemnify the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company and others for the loss caused by the
strikers. The sum OF S4,0O0,OO0 was appro-
priated for that purpose by the measure. One
half OF that sum was to go the lobby, official
and otherwise, il the bin passed.
The legislature of 1879 assembled on january
and adjourned june 6 Of the same year. 1t is
considered to have been one of the most
notable sessions in the history of Pennsylvania.
Gov. Hoyt was entirely in the power Of Quay
and QUAY was the absolute boss of the situa-
ton at Harrisburg. If the bin appropriating
81 600, 900 preferred to above) to pay for the
came "A law Quay would have had - .000,0 600 to
divide. There was opposition, however. to the
bill. Unfavorable comment has already been
caused by the passage of the measure creating
the Office of recorder of Philadelphia for Quay Is
individual benefit, and the newly-elected mem
bers of the legislature were not all In accord
with him. although some of them were not in
the house for sentiment. The advocates of the
bill were very active in their attempt to Sc
cure votes and Quay tried some sharp Prac-
M tiee. One OF the principal manipuiators was
Kemble and Emil Petrof a member of the
house of representatives, and others were de-
tected as among the corrupters and were in
dicted therefor by the grand jury of Dauphin
county. Under the new constitution II was
found that such frauds could no longer be per-
petrated as openly as heretofore with impunity.
Petrof was tried for bribery and convicted,
and then the lawyers for the prosecution were
prepared to prosecute Kemble, as well as some
other big men in the conspiracy whom they
were after. These lawyers were more than
niqadal
guilty, and they were deprived of the oppor-
tunity for an examination in open court with
the expectation OF obtaining damaging evil
dence against the chief conspirators. Quay
among them. But Kemble knew what he was
doing. He was the author, it is said. of the
epigram, addition, dfristOn and silt7.ce,' and
he smiled when sentenced by the court to a
term in the penitentiary, and is reported to
have said to his friends who condoled with him:
Don't fear. will prove another Samson and
pull the temple down over their heads unless
they fix things for me-
When the excitement over the conviction of
Petroff and the self-confessed criminality of
kemble diminished little, Quay displayed his
hand. The state board of pardons was a board
which was practically in his power and he pro-
ceeded to use it in behalf of his followers who
were at the gates of the state prison. The
board OF pardons by law consist of the secre-
tary of the commonwealth. then Quay the lieu
tenant-governor, then G. W. stone; the attor-
ney-general, then Henry w. Palmer, and the
secretary of internal affairs then 4. X. Doble.
Quay caused the board to to be assembled in
extra session and without more ado proceeded
to pardon the bribers. 1t is alleged that Lieut.
Gov. Stone objected seriously to the scheme.
but the superior will Of Quay dominated and
Petroh and Kemble were whitewashed for their
misdeeds by vote of the board which recon-
mended to the governor their pardon. Gov.
Hoyt, as Quay obedient servant. of course
carried out his part and the culprits were set
at liberty. The ostensible reason for the par
don of KemOle was that a part of his sentence
that. therefore, the entire sentence must fail.
VI this performance the New York Tribune said
at the time in its editorial columns "A more
lnsolent defiance of public sentiment has not
been seen since Tweed asked the taxpayers of
New York what they were going to do about it,
The act of the pardoning board setting Kem-
BILE and PetrOff at liberty caused a storm of in
dignation throughout Pennsylvania. Quay
| conduct was strongly condemned and Presby-
terrain synods passed resolutions agains. the
pardoning board. In the meantime, however
the indemnity bill. SO often referred to, had not
advanced in the legislature. The senate could
not be got into line to vote for it, although
some of the senators would have profited
/ largely if the bill had become law. QUAY en-.
deavored to use as lever in favor of the meas.
ure In the senate the so-called border raids bill
! bill which provided idemnity to residents in
Franklin, Adams, York and Lancaster counties
! who suffered from the invasion of the confeder-
ate troops during the war. He tried to trade
votes from those counties for the railroad in
demnity bill in return for his promised support
, of the border raids bill. The indemnity bill,
however: was finally defeated in the senate. and
at once Quay dispatch ID to n certain. high Of
fetal of III, PENNSYLVANIA railway telegram,
Philadelphia. It said. Indemnity bill de-
feated. Instruct - DESIGNATING a we'll