Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-17
SILENCE BROKEN.
SENATOR QUAY AT LAST NOTICES TIE
CHARGES AGAINST BIN,
snd AItsmPs 10 Defend Himself-H0 Makes a
General Denial in Set Speech Before the
Senate His Explanation Of the Treasury
Dsaency-Due to Unfortunate
Speculation.

Hamilton was hunted To his death ha
one in public life been purSned 50 per
sistently aud 50 Indignantly. Inc he''
of the maiign effort has been The ehtir'
uniou. The assaults were oil Il charao
ter so monStr0us as largely to carry VIII
them their own refutation. were u
otherwise could not remain, nor woulI
my constituents permit me TO remain
member OF the Senate. Partly through
indifference TO SlaDder, weapon
which has never had place IN my
political arSenal, and partly by the al
vice of friends who urged me To urea
the asSassins OF my reputation as nhde
serving o. open controversy, nave per
mitted without comment the passing oI
the flood Of falSehood.
1t is not my purpose TO weary th'
Senate by rehearsal OF each detalI ol
the mass Of Misrepresentation Never
theleSS will endeavor TO make TINS
statement specific and so complete aS tc
be final.
The first accusation concerning my
official acts is that. at some time, o. con.
tinuously between the years 1870 and
lsS2. !. alone, or acting with another
or others. used the moneys OF the State
OF PENNSYLVANIA for speculative or priv
ate purposes. | denounce this state
ment as absolutely false. In ls'' the
Democratic party of Pennsylvania
elected 3 State Treasurer and Audi
tor-General the iinancial Offices
Of the Commonwealth. a year
or two pending their terms oI ONCE
| become engaged in stock operations.
la some transactions | was associated
and Jointly interested with the gen
tleman who was at that time cashier oi
the State Treasury. These transactions
proved seriously disastrous. and was
compelled to pay a portion OF his losses
as well as my own. In doing this II be
came necessary to supply an alleged de-
liciency he had caused in the Treasury.
As a portion of this fund for this pur-
pose. | borrowed 500, 600 from the gen
tleman who is at present my colleague
in the Senate. gave him my judg-
nent note therefor, the amount OF
which note paid him dollar for dollar
wears ago. Not until the beginning OF
the settlement of our losses was aware
that deficiency existed, and had
every assurance that my associate was
able 10 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
10 is charged again that ! used money
belonging To the Commonwealth OF
PENNSYLVANIA to purchase bondS, or
stock. or both, of a Chicago street rail-
way. | vas invited by friends in Phil
adelphia to Join in the purchase OF
street railway property in Chicago ana
did 50. borrowing the money upon my
own collateral from the Peoples bank
in Philadelphia.
The charge that securities belonging
tn 'he Ste of Pennsylvania were used
i'm this transaction is false and impossible
Of truth. The only negotiable Securi-
ties held by the State of Pennsylvania
are the registered bonds Of the United
State. transferable only on the National
Treasury by the Auditor General, Sec
retary Of the Commonwealth and State
Treasurer acting conjointly after hav-
ING nltl a ttIAlNtdAf W NlNiA WV '''N'i iAN'
in their official character.
Collateral to this last accusation Is a
charge that defrauded or attempted 10
defraud the widow of Il deceased friend.
This, also. is absolutely false. There
breatheS not upon the earth mar or
woman who can truthfully say that /
ever deirauded, or attempted to deirand,
him or her of dollar.
| come now to what might be called
the fourth ground OF criticism OF my
public conduct. This was my action as
a member of the Board of PardonS OF
PENNSYLVANIA i'm voting for the pardon
of certain members OF the Pennsylvania
Legislature aud others upon whom SEN
tence had been passed for bribery. My
conduct in that matter has been bitterly
aSsaicd, and it is proper to say that the
facts were patent to the people ol the
State and were thoroughly discussed be
fore my election to the Office oI
State Treasurer, aud subsequently To Il
seat in this chamber. | had no per
sonal interest in the legislation in
volved. My vote as member Ol the
Board of PardOnS was IN accordance
with the law and the action Of my col
leagues, and was compelled by the lact
that the sentence imposed upon the
personS was Illegal. pom this point
The Attorney General of the State llled
his written opinion with our decision. !
am frank to say that have no regrets
for that vote. and would repeat IT under
tbr same circumstances. Even had not
the sentence been unlawful 1t was my
opinion that the ends OF Justice had
been fully served by the conviction oil
the defendants. incidentally the state
ment has been made that IN some
unspecifed manner | procured or at
tempted to procure the pardon OF aman
named Lynch under sentence for Tor
gerry bv threats delivered personally TO
MIR. ByerS, of PittSburg. ! cannot at
this dav remember the facts on the pen
dencv of the case, but the charge Is a
lie. for which there was never the
shadow of a foundation. Equally false
is the wondrouS story OF my escape
from the Pennsylvania rioters oi lo.'
under the tutelage of MIR. DalIell. IL Is
necessary to pass to history somewhat
ancient i'm order TO dispose OF the nehu-
Ions charges of bribery and corruption
~ = member of the Pennsylvania
LEGISLATURE nearly twenty-five years
400 in connection with an action
far libel against the editor of the Pitts-
hnrg commercial. With characteristic
malignity my ASSISTANTS have been care
ful to emphasize the fact that the case
was never pushed for trial. Ihey iail
IN state the libel was retracted and that
the defendants pleaded nOlie poniendtTe'
having the costs Of the case ana the ices
If the counsel. | may mention IN pass
inc that in the preliminary hearing al
oTort was made to show that | was .
rich man. the inuend0 being thal III!
wenlth was unlawfully acquired. had
heen prothonotary OF Beaver count!
frnm Isj6 to ls6l, when resigned to g
into the union army: had served as prl
vate secretary to Governor Curtin, a
military agent Of the State department
of transportation and telegr9 II, ana ioi
three terms had been a member oil th'
pennsylvania Legislature. Ny recol
lection is that the examination disclose'
the fact that after nearly twelve year
of industry and importantly my fortune
was about $1,000.
II is nroper also to dispose OF som'
stataments upon which less stress ha
heen laid. one accusation is that owe
thirty years ago | attempted to hrio
Alexander T.. Tuition, then supervisor o
internal revenue for the eastern distric
~ pennsylvania to prevent the Seisur
~ an illict distillery. This is wicke'
and malicious falsehood with no eNeus
for its utterance or evidence for its SUP
port. -, ,,.o.. .,a,