Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-04-25
A BLISTERINC EXPOSE.
The Record of Senator Matt Quay Is
Laid Bare.
The Great Leader of the Republican
Party Shown Up.
The Cunning PartiSanS Are Greatly
Dumbfaundered.

The New York World has been to great
| pains to look into the record of Matt :.
! Quay. 1t has published Il complete cir
| cumstantial history, which it challenges
him to diSprove. 1t dehes him to sue it
for libel, and offers to maintain its charges
! III all courts and places
| The New \ 1ork Port has also investigat-
| ed the World scharges and finds them sup
| ported by abundant evidence. Ii is a
| story of crime such as has probably never
been told before against any pnhliC man in
| America. This article was speedily
| brought to QGay's attention. But silence
| has been hi, Only answer. On March 3.
the World printed another chapter of
| Quay alleged criminal career. and public
| ly invited him to meet the charges No
answer has been returned bv word or act
! on he part of the senator For two
months and half he has remained silent.
knowing well the construction which the
public would place upon his course. That
| the reader may Judge what provOcation
the senator has to act. the main facts of
the l5-column arrai-nment of the World
IN an abridged form are given as follows:
l. Quay secured an election to the state
legislature from Beaver and Washington
counties IN 1853. He was then poor
man. His term was not half over. when
he had source of revenue other than his
compensation aS a member of the house.
He bought paper and built Il $4,000
building at his home.
,. In 1867, the legislature was to elect
i United States senator. Simon Cameron
was pitted against Gov. Curtin QUAY.
already recognized boss in the house, was
for Curtin and was the Curtain candidate
for speaker. Quay was reported to have
received $4,000 for services and use in be-
half of Curtin, and mis- power was such in
the house, tEat 1t was GAINED he could
have won that body for Curtin. Suddenly
he deserted for Cameron. and it was charg-
ed he received $4,000 for his treachery.
Tie even nominated the Cameron can
ddate tor speaker, and was given the
chaIrmdnShip of the leading committee
J. Quay was about this time interested
III Il dlstlIery operated illicitly. Supervis-
or of Internal Revenue A. F. Tuition was
approached 10y Quay's friends and offered
81 900 to allow the laws to be evaded in
this case. BY avoiding internal revenue
taxes enormous sums of money could be
made.
1. Quay's course by this time began to
attract attention, and the Pittsburg Com
mercial preferred against him the above
charge, with others. One Robert Mackey,
friend of Quay, was boss of Pittsburg
politics, and through his advice Quay sued
the Commercial for libel. The writ was
returned to one of Mackey's hencHmen,
the prosecution was in his hands as well
at the first bearing. Every attempt of
the defense to have Witness Quay state
l,.,,r
build $4,000 buildings was promptly sat
upon. The editor was held for trial, but
there the matter dropped, as Quay did not
care to face his accusers in the county
court The Commercial was afterward
bought by Mackey The records of this
preliminary libel bearing were abstracted
from the repository of such records and
never returned. But the World gives
extracts which go to prove this charge.
). Quay IN 1878 had passed, by brib-
cry of persons named, with sums specified
in the World, a bill creating the office of
recorder for Philadelphia. worth about
100000 year, and was appointed to fill it.
6. Quay was secretary of the common
wealth lwho is a member of the state
board of pardons) in 1879. A $1,000 600
indemnity bill to cover damages done in
Pittsburg in the strike riots of 1877 was
before the Legislature. and the jObbers at
tempted to force it through 10y bribery.
Two of Quay tools in this work were in
dicted for bribery and after one had been
convicted the other one pleaded guilty. it
is said, to stave off further examination
into a conspiracy. Both We're sent to
prison and were Immediately pardoned by
the board which Quay dominated. This
scandal caused great public excitement and
indignation at the time.
7. Quay, it is charged, this same winter
QS70), together with a tool named
Walters. cashier of the state treasury, ab-
stracted 5260,000 of the states money.
speculated with it in Wall street and lost
all. The gang contemplated flight to Can
ada, as a new treasurer was to take office
shortly, and the steal would be uncovered.
Besides. the then treasurer had learned of |
the robbery and was threatening exposure. |
In this emergency Senator Don Cameron
and one other leading republican were
called upon and Quay made confession |
Rather than have the party suffer from the |
exposure of the job Cameron and the |
other man advanced the money to make |
good the deficit. Quay gave them notes of |
hand, some of which has never been paid |
The state treasurer never recovered from /
the shock this scandal caused him and died !
soon after. Walters later killed himself. |
3. After the OVeTturn In Pennsylvania |
politics, caused by the Quay gangs cor !
rupt practices. which elected Mitchell |
United States senator In 1880. and Pattpr- /
son governor in 1888, Quay reappeared, !
and In 1885 managed to become state treas |
urer. He had tool named Norris who |
was United States pension agent in Phila- |
delphia, and had been concerned with him |
in the steal Of 1879. installed as auditor |
general. Then Quay looted the treasury |
as the World charges. He was in with !
the Philadelphia street railway syndicate |
and used $4,000 of the states money to |
buy bonds in the West Chicago railway |
venture of the syndicate. He in this way /
secured an equal amount of the stock for |
nothing. sold it for about 300. 900. and /
deposited the bonds in the treasury in |
place of the cash abstracted- thus netting !
himself 800 900 by the opel alton. The !
next year Quay was elected United States |
senator. and the next was chosen to direct /
the republican presidential canvass.
Such In brief are some Of the charges /
under which Quay has remained silent for /
two months. No account Of the debauch- |
cry and shameless moral conduct which. |
as the World charges. has characterized /
his private life in all this time. Enough /
has been said.
The above is mere outline. The World !
covets a libel suit. and advertises that |
it will send copy of its paper gratis |
to any one who viii send name and ad- !
dress.
Prevented a Crime.
SALISBURY Nd. April % Henry Lar |