The daily critic., 1890-06-28
THE QUAY SCANDAL.
The RESULT OF The HARRISBURG
CONVENTION ALTERS 1T.
Confidence in the Senator Notwith-
standing Hts Silence Under Charges
Susceptible or Proof.


true but has not been denied bv him
or anybody on his behalf. There are
witnesses to the fact Of the highest re-
spectability, whose silence during the
past three months Is almost as good tes
timony as their oral evidence in court
would be- For some weeks after the
facts were printed in the World and the
ErCning Post the Republican press in
other States
EETT SILENT
about them, waiting to hear from the
Pennsylvania press, and. above all.
from Quay As the weeks went bv.
and he refused or failed to speak. a
few Republican journals, mainly in the
West began to complain and call on
him for some sort of defense, but with
out producing any effect
Then something very curious oc-
CURED. Such Republican newspapers
as referred to the matter at all started
in the absence of instructions from
headquarters, a defense of their own.
which we hope has met with the atten-
tion it deserves from the moral and re.
ligious public, which so largely belongs
to Quay's party. The defense was that,
although Quay on the two occasions
referred TO did
TAME MONEY FROM THE TREASURY
and use il in stock speculations, yet, as
the amounts taken were subsequently
restored, once through the aid Of a
friend and once through the success of
the speculation, no harm was done, and
Quay s character suffered no damage
This theory was actually securing
certain success as an answer TO what
are called "Mugwump criticisms,
when II received a deadly blow from
the conviction Of Pell in the New York
courts. Pell had made away with part
of the assets Of the Sixth National Bank.
but had subsequently made good the
loss. He was all the same found guilty
and
SENT TO THE PENfTENTtARY,
the court and jury holding that the
restitution had neither legal nor moral
effect on the crime. From that time
we have heard nothing of the atoning
efficacy of the escape Of the Treasury
from loss. But that the theory should
have been produced at all by party
Journalists TO cover the robbery of a
State Treasury by man in high office.
az time when defalcations both by
public officers and bank officers arc OF
almost daily occurrence, is surely an
event Of no ordinary importance.
Something more important still has,
however, since occurred After these
extraordinary del!verances as TO the cy
piatory force Of
RESTITUTION By THIEVES,
people said Newspapers will be news.
papers. Wait until the Convention
meets. You will see that the Republi.
can party In Pennsylvania will not fol
low Quay TO all lengths. There Is such
thing as the public conscience. IL Is
working In Quay's case Politicians
may be dishonest, but charges against
them are lightly made, and are often
false. The peculiarly of this case Is
that the names of the -Messrs.
Cameron, MacNeagh, and Magee-all
well known men, are given, and the
charge Is not denied. You will see that
the people Of Pennsylvania, and especi.
ally the God fearing old Lutherans and
Quakers, have been impressed by all
this, and the Convention will not ven
ture to endorse Quay or obey him unless
he clears himself, or at all events puts
in general denial
Well, the convention has met Ii
nominated Quay's man for the Cover
norship-and he, too, has a little
STOCK or BIPERFECTIONs
on his head-and the Committee on
Resolutions then proceeded to deal with
Quay's personal troubles. In the first
draught Of the platform which was
given 10 the Associated Press as certain
10 be adopted, they said
mittee, Mr. Quay, we feel a lasting sense
Of gratitude for his matchless services IN
the last Presidential campaign, and eonl-
mend bis bearing under the SANDERS which
his successful leadership OF our party
has purchased for him. As a citizen,
a member Of the General Assembly,
as Secretary Of he Commonwealth HadeI
flf0 succCssjre administration, rs STATE
Treasurer by NE DfT1ghelHiiag WHTages 0f
MS tctl0uE citizens and as Senator n ne
Hted states, he has iron aud retains or ~
spect and afdotce.
His bearing under the SANDERS for
which the party felt so much graft
tude. was simply standing silent under
A CHARGE or PERSONAL DISHONESTY,
supported By reputable and we'll known
witnesses. Fancy a great political party
being grateful toa leader for this dc.
parture from the customs Of honorable
men in every civilized community. But
this was subsequently considered a little
too strong, so the Quay plank was
shifted from the beginning to the end
Of the platform, and was made 10 read
as follows:
For the chairman OF our National Com
mitteei II. 5. Quay we feel q lasting sense
OF gratitude for his matchless services In /
the last Presidential campaign. AS "a citi-
zen, q member " the General Assembly, as
Secretary Of the Commonwealth under two /
successive administrations, as State Treas
uTer by the overwhelming suffrage 81 his
telloW-eiuzeus, and as senator Of The United
states, he hes won and retains our respect /
and confidence
Here the gratitude is replaced by
confidence IN men who once while .
in charge Of the Treasury, and once
while having access 10 Il m another
office distracted from il
OVER A QUARTER OF MILLION
of dollars on each occasion and used # |
in gambhng This confidence is ex-
pressed, too, With full knowledge that /
Quay guilt can DC proved by distin /
guisbed residents on The state and that /
it has long been known among the /
leading business men 81 Philadelphia, |
and was produced in 1855 by the lead /
ing Republican journal Of tue State |
the FJess-as a reason Why Quay could /
not be nominated for The state Treasur- |
ersLip. What sort 0f light does this
throw on the morality Of the c0nven- 1
lion on Ol the community which elected 4
II We do not know but sc propose 4
% uy to collect some expert testimony /
on the subject
Thscksravrs Soss