The Portland daily press., 1891-02-17
Senator ouay,s vindIca,ioo.

WASHINGTON, February 16-The Senate
considered the diplomatic and consular bill
and all committee amendments were agreed
to. The Senate then held an executive ses-
sion.
When the doors reopened at 430 p. M, Mr.
Quay made an address in answer to the
charges that have been made against him.
He said: Never, probably, since Alexander
Hamilton was hunted to death, has one in
public life been pursued so persistently and
Indignantly. The field of maligne effort has
been the entire Union. The assaults have
been of character so monstrous as largely
to carry their own refutation. Were 1t
otherwise could not remain, nor would my
constituents permit me to remain a member
of this Senate. Partly through indifference
to SANDER, a weapon which has never had a
place in my political arsenal and partly by
the advice of friends, who urged me to treat
the assassination of my reputation as unde
serving of open controversy. have permit
ted, without comment, the passage of the flood
of falsehood. Its malodorous odors chance
a. this time to be quescent. Now, when no
heated political conflict is raging: when
neither hope nor fear can be deemed the in
spiration of my utterance. choose briefly to
confront the accusation with truth.
l would not allude to this subject in this
presence had not a member of the other
House made 1t a matter of debate there.
Looking to the future and knowing that the
records of this Congress will remain for
other generations to read, when most of us
composing it are forgotten, 1 choose, for the
truth of history, and for that which is dearer
to all men than riches, to dispel this false
hood with the clear light of fact
The first assertion concerning my official
acts Is that at some time or continuously be-
tween 1879 and 1882. ! alone. or acting with
another. or others, used moneys OF the state
of Pennsylvania for speculative or private
purposes. l denounce this statement as alb
solutely false. In 1877, the Democratic party
of Pennsy lvania elected state treasurer and
auditor general, who were the financial
officers of the Commonwealth. A year
or two later, pending their terms of
office, l became engaged in stock oper-
ations., In some transactions | was as
s0ciated and jointly interested with the gen.
tleman who was at the time cashier of the
state treasury. These transactions proved
seriously disastrous. l was compelled to
pay portion of his losses, as well as my
own. In doing this 1t became necessary to
supply an alleged deficiency he had caused in
the treasury. As portion OF the fund for
this purpose, 1 borrowed 100000 from the
gentleman at present my colleague in the
Senate. ! gave him my Judgment note
therefor, the amount of which note paid
him, dollar for dollar, several years ago. Not
until the beginning of a settlement of our
losses was | aware that the deficiency exist
ed. had every assurance that my associate
was able to carry his share of the losses.
My connection thereafter was simply with
| the aid of friends, to. raise the necessary
| funds to supply the deficit.
Its charged again that l used moneys be-
longing to the commonwealth OF Pennsylga-
| mia to purchase bonds, or stock, or both, of
the Chicago street railway. l was invited
| by friends iu Philadelphia to join in the pur-
chase of street railway property In Chicago
| and did so, borrowing money upon my own
| collateral from the Peoples Bank of Phila-
| delphia. l stood upon the same footing with
| the other gentlemen concerned. 1t was a
| perfectly Straightforward business transac-
| tion. 1t had no connection in any way with
| any public fund or public interest. The
| charge that securities belonging to the state
| of Pennsylvania were used In this transac-
| tion is false. 1t is impossible of truth. The
only negotiable securities held by the state
| of Pennsylvania are registered bonds of the
| United States, transferable only on the
| books of the national treasury by the auditor
| general, secretary of the commonwealth and
| state treasurer, acting cODj0intly, after hav-
ing filed certificate with the governor In
| last accusation is the charge that defraud-
| ed or attempted to defraud the widow of a
deceased friend. This is also absolutely
| false. There breathes not upon this earth a
| man or woman who can truthfully say ever
| defrauded or attempted to defraud him OF
| her of dollar. Upon this point charity to
the dead and living fOrbids my making any
| personal explanation. Samuel Gustine
| Thompson, member of the Philadelphia bar
and president Of the Young Mems Demo
1 AosoatatiaO nf that oitxy iS Of he
several thoroughly cOnversant with the
facts. who can give them to the public, II
| they see proper.
come now to what might be called the
fourth ground OF criticism of my public con-
duct. This was my action as a member OF
the Board OF Parsons of Pennsylvania in
voting for the pardon of certain members OF
the Pennsylvania legislature and others upon
whom sentence had been passed for bribery
| My conduct in that matter having been hitter
ly assailed, it is proper to say that the facts
were patent to the people of the state. and
thoroughly discussed before my election Ia
the office OF state treasurer, and subsequently,
to seat IN this chamber: had no personal
interest in the legislation involved. nv
vote, as member Of the Board of Pardons
in accordance with the law and the
action of my colleagues, was Compelled
by the fact that the sentence imposed
by the court upon the persons pardoned, was
illegal. Upon this point the Attorney Gen.
eral of the state filed written opinion with
our decision. l have no regrets for tha,
vote; would repeat it under the same cir
cumstances.
incidentally the statement was made tba,
in some unspeciied manner l procured. oI
attempted to procure the pardon of man
named Lynch, under sentence for forgery
by threats delivered personally to Mr.. ByeT,
of Pittsburg. Icannot, at this day, remem.
ber the facts or pendency of the case. bn,
the charge is lie, for which there neye,
was shadow of foundation. Equally falls.
is the wOndrous lyric of my escape from ths
Pittsburg rioters in 1877, under the tutelagt
of Dalzell.
1t is necessary to pass to history some
what ancient In order to dispose of the neb
ulous charge of bribery and corruption, as
member of the Pennsylvania legislature
nearly 25 years ago, in connection with Ar
action for libel against the then editor of tn,
Pittsburg Commercial With characteristic,
malignity my assailants are careful to am
phasize the fact that the case was neyel
pushed for trial. They fail to state that tn,
libel was retracted and the defendants plead
ed nolo contendere, paying the costs of tn,
case and the fees of counsel In the preimi
nary hearing
Effort has been made to show that was
rich man, the innuendo being that my wealti
was unlawfully acquired. was prothono
tary of Beaver county from 1856 to 1856. w he,
| yosr,ad +o no into the TTnion .I.