The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-23
THE ADMINISTRATION LEADER.

THE ADMINISTRATION LEADER.
The scandal involving Matthew S.
Quay, United States senator from Penn
sylvana, chairman Of the republican
national committee, manager of the re-
publican presidential campaign of 1888
and confidential friend of President Har-
rison, has assumed such proportions
that it is no longer possible for Mr..
Quay, if he is innocent, to keep silent or
for Mr.. Harrison to ignore it. These
charges are made in documentary form
by the New York World, reiterated and
supplemented by further facts in the
New York Evening Post, and repeated
in most positive form in the New York
Times. These charges briefly summar-
lied are these:
Eleven years ago Quay took 100000
from the Pennsylvania state treasury
and lost it in stock gambling. He had
an associate in the transaction, one j..
Blake Walters, at that time cashier of
the state treasury. Walters subsequent
ly drank himself to death. Amos C.
Noyes. the state treasurer, died not long
afterward, and his death is said to have
been due largely to his fear that the
robbery might be discovered. Quay
himself was for months the victim of
guilty terror. A new state treasurer
had been elected, and exposure was i'm
minent. A friend who visited him at
the Lochiel house in Harrisburg found
him drunk and debating whether
he should cut his throat or jump
into the Susquehanna river" This
friend visited Don Cameron,
laid the case before him, and
that statesman, to avert scandal which
would have done great damage to the
republican party in Pennsylvania, con-
tributed over 100000 to make up the
deficit. The rest of the sum necessary
was supplied by Quay and Waters.
In 1885 Quay secureda ''vindication'
by being nominated and elected to the
office of state treasurer. But it was not
merely vindication Quay was after He
wanted another chance at the state
funds He got it and availed himself of
it, and much more successfully than be-
fore. To pay for some bonds and shares
of the North Chicago Railroad COM
pany he took 100000 from the state
treasury and deposited it in the Peoples
bank in Philadelphia. William II
Kemble, who had been pardoned few
years before by Quay's pardoning board
after having been convicted of bribery
was president OF the bank. The $500,
600 remained in the Peoples bank; tn,
Chicago securities were delivered t.
Quay, who sold them at high figure
pocketed the profits and restored the
embezzled funds to the state treasurer
The truth of these statements is as
serted in positive terms by the three jour
mails named. They are all newspapers Of
standing and financial responsibility
and if their averments are false Mr.
Quay can recover heavy damages from
them in a libel suit. In fact, they al
invite him to bring such action at once
in order that they may produce thei
evidence in court. The Times raise
the question whether this terrible ex
posture will make any difference il
Quay's relations to the party, and give
it's own views in these words: "Possibl
as leader, but by no means as man
ager of enterprises of bribery an
blocks-of-iive corruption. As chairma
of the national committee this embezzle
would perhaps be too conspicuous. Tn
voters are more conscientious than the
committees, and they might visit upo
the party's candidate their wrath at tn
affront of such leadership. But Qua
will still have the undiminished conf
dence and the attentive ear of the Pic,
and faithless President Harrison;
will still be listened to, cringed to an
obeyed by the sickening hypocrite Wal
amaker. He will still be more a,
thoritative and potent than any 9th,
man IN the councils of the republics
party"