The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-17
He Denies Seriatim and in Toto
the Charges
OF CORRUPTION AGAINST HIM
While an Officer of the Commonwealth OF
Pennsylvania-It Is More Plaus-
ibIe than Convincing.


demnation against the Union aud Central
Ppcific roads be begun. Referred.
Quay addressed the Senate in ref1tation |
Of the charges against him. He said, In |
part: "Never. probably, since Alexander
was hunted to death has one In |
public life been pursued so persistently and
The field of malign effort mas
been the entire union. The assaults were
of character so monstrous as largely to
carry with them their own refutation.
Were it otherwise, l could not remain, nor
would my constituents permit me to
remain member of this Senate. Now,
when no heated political conflict is
raging, when neither hope nor fear
can be deemed the inspiration of my
utterance, l choose briefly to confront
the accusation with the truth 1t is not
my purpose to weary the Senate by re-
hearsal of each detail of a mass of misrep-
resentation. Nevertheless, avoiding pro-
lixity, l will endeavor to make this state
ment specific, and SO complete as to be
final
''Ths first assertion concerning my official
acts is, thatiat the time or continuously be-
tween the years 1879 and 1882 alone, or
acting with another or others, used the
moneys of the state of Pennsylvania for
speculative or private purposes. l de-
nounce the statement as absolutely false.
of Pennsylvania elected the state treasurer
and auditor and general financial officers
of the commonwealth. A year or two later,
pending their terms of Office, l became en-
gagged in stock operations. In some trans
actions I was associated and jointly
interested with the gentleman who
was at that time cashier of
the late treasurer. These transactions
proved seriously disastrous, and l was
oNr lad o 0f 10GCnS
well as Of my own. In doing this it became
necessary to supply an alleged deficiency
he had caused in the treasury. AS por
ton of the fund for this purpose I Dor
rowed 500, 900 from the gentleman who is
at present my colleague in the Senate. l
gave my Judgment note therefor, the
amount of which note paid him dollar for
dollar years ago. Not until beginning the
settlement of our losses was | aware that
the deficiency existed and 1 had every as
surance that my associate was able to carry
his share of the losses.
''Regarding the charge that again | used
moneys belonging to the commonwealth OF
Pennsylvania to purchase bonds or stock
of the Chicago street, railway, would say
I borrowed the money upon my own col
lateral from the Peoples bank in Phil
adelphia. The only negotiable securi-
ties held by the state of Pennsylvania are
registered bonds of the United States,
transferable only on the books of the ma
tional treasury by the auditor general, the
secretary of the commonwealth and the
state treasurer acting conformity after hav-
ing filed certificates with the governor in
their official character.
1.-THE charge that / defrauded or at
tempted to defraud is also absolutely false.
There breathes not upon earth man or
woman who can truthfully say L ever de-
frauded, or attempted to defraud, him or
her, of dollar. Upon this point charity to
the dead and to the living forbids my max
ing any personal explanation. Samuel
Gustave Thompson, the member from Phil
adelphia and president of the Young Men 8
| Democratic association of that city. is one
of the several thoroughly conversant with
| the facts, who can give them to the public
if they are proper"
| Referring to his action as member of
the board of pardons of Pennsylvania, in
voting for the pardon Of certain memoe
of the legislature and others upon whom
sentence had been passed for bribery,
Quay said the facts were thoroughly dis
cussed before his election as state treas
urer and subsequently to the Senate. He
had no personal interest in the legislation
| involved; his vote was in accordance with
the law and the action of his colleagues,
and was compelled by the fact that the SEN
tence imposed by the court was Illegal. The
attorney general filed an opinion with their
decision.
The charge that he attempted to procure
| the pardon of a man named Lynch, under
sentence for forgery, by threats delivered
personally to Mr.. Byers, OF Pittsourg, Is 8
lie. Equally false is the story of his escape
| from the Pittsburg rioters of 1877, under
the tutelage of Dalzell.
Quay said he would have to delve into
ancient history to dispose OF the charge oil
bribery and corruption as member of the
Pennsylvania legislature nearly twenty
five years ago. in connection with the &C
/ ton for libel against the then editor of the
| Pittsburg Commercial.
with characteristic malignity my as
sailants have been careful to emphasize the
fact that the case was never pushed fol
trial. They fail to state the libel was re
tracted and the defendants paid the costs o.
the case and the fees of counsel. In the
preliminary hearing an effort was made tt
show l was rich man, the innuendo beinl
that my wealth was unlawfully acquired
I had been prothonatary for Beaver county
from 1856 to 1861, when | resigned to g
into the union army. | served as privat,
secretary to Governor Curtin and militar.
agent of the state in this city as chief O
the state department of transportation ant
telegraph, and for three terms had been
member of the Pennsylvania legislature
My recollection Is that the examination
disclosed the fact that after nearly twelv
! years. industry and opportunity my for
tune was IS, 600.
''The accusation that over twenty year
ago | attempted to bribe Alexander P
, Fulton, then supervisor ofinternal revenu
for the eastern district of Pennsylvania,
!, prevent the seizure of an illicit distillery
is wicked and malicious falsehood, Flu
, ton is now living at Dewington, Pa, and hi
reports are on file, l presume, in the il
ternal revenue bureau.
, 1.-THE statement has been made ths
when the present high license statute {
i, Pennsylvania was pending in the legisla
: ture that the state liquor dealers of Phi,
delphia and Pittsburg raised q sum spec
fled as $50, 900 and gave it to me and to
federal officer in Philadelphia, who is NJ
named, for the purpose of securing a
! amendment to that legislation in t'-.ir il
r terests. This also denounce as an abst
, Lutte falsehood.
v FINALLY, reach the charge that in SON
q mysterious way brought about the defe;
/ Of the proposed amendment to the constit
ton of Pennsylvania prohibiting the sale
Intoxicating liquors in that state, whit
was submitted to the vote of the people
. 1889. Others, understand, have all
already exploded the silly falsehood Of Il
!; publication from which this charge aro
q and specifically denied it at the time
appeared"
In conclusion, Quay said: 81 have Ell
deavored to answer every specific char!
/ of misfeasance or malfeasance that cou
o be made from careful perusal of the ma
q of direct falsehood, confused statement
innuendo, insinuation and cunning implic