Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-02-19
QUAY DRIVEN TO ADEFENCE
Says He Is Not Guilty OF Any
Wrong.
A WHOLESALE DENIAL ENTERED
Denounces the Charges as
False and Lies.
Never Robbed Widow Nor Used the
States AIoney--Never offered Rribe
Nor Meddled with the Prohibition
Laws--His Pardon Vote for Philadel-
phia's Piunderers.

Laws--His Pardon Vote for Philadel-
phia's PIunderers.
WASHINGTON Feb. 16.-Senator Quay
answered the charges Of ID years in 10
minutes late this afternoon. The scene
was the Senate chamber; the subject
under consideration, the Diplomatic APP
preparation bill; the audience, most of
the Republican, senators, half of the
Democratic senators, 20 people in the
general galleries and dozen news
paper men in the press gallery,
Quay was at the Capitol early in the
day with the typewritten copy of his
speech, from which he afterward read
He told his friends on the floor that lie
would speak this afternoon. "When 7"
asked a Democratic senator "0h, be-
tween 3 and a" said Quay Glow
long p asked the Democratic senator.
"Oh, for 10 or 10 minutes said Quay
"Do you think you can answer for all
your deyiltry in that short time 7" asked
the Democrat, iolSingly; that's more
than most of us could do"
Quay thought it was ample time for
his purpose, for his remarks, originally
much longer, had been boiled down by
repeated revisions, so that they had
become very much condensed.
Brief as they We're, they were all too
long for some of the Republican sena-
tors, who protested TO- the last that they
were entirely unnecessary, and Were
better unsaid; but Quay was not TO be
deferred.
1t may have been part Of q scheme to
prevent his getting them in to-day that
took the Senate into executive session
early in the day, and kept il in eXGcu-
tive session until nearly 5 O'clock, talk
ing about the proposition to incorporate
and subsidize a Pacific ocean cable at
100000 a year for 10 years. If so
Quay was not tired out, as the sChemers
had hoped, but sat through 1t all,
quietly awaiting his chance, while the
newspaper correspondents, who wanted
to see him in his most dramatic mo-
ment, waited YEARLY in the office of
the secretary Of the Senate, being shut
out of their own gallery upstairs by
the new executive session orders of the
Senate.
AT last the electric bells all over the
Senate wing announced that the execu-
tive session was over, and the news
paper men sped up stairs to their gal.
lery. The foremost man found Quay on
his feet, already reading through his
spectacles his manuscript which he held
with both hands. The general galleries
were empty, and only few people
came in to them while he was speaking,
but almost all the Republican senators
were listening intently in the gray cold
silence which Quay's voice hardly
seemed to break.
Quay's voice was clear and his tones
firm, but his voice is not strong enough
to fill the Senate chamber, especially
when it is comparatively empty, and
the Democrats had difficulty in hearing
all that he said. The stenographic re-
porters would have been Obliged TO sit
near if they had not waited for his
manuscript. The general effort to hear
made the feeling more terse and the
scene more impressive.
The early twilight made the unlighted
chamber dim and chill, and perhaps
made it hard for Quay to read, but, if
so, he did not show it. He read with
confidence and without nervousness,
and the Evolutionary effect was much
better than his eulogy upon Randall, his
only other set speech in the Senate. He
attempted no gestures, but kept his
hands on his manuscript, laying down
one sheet after another on his desk as
he read. He read rapidly, but gave due
emphasis to the words ''lie" or efalse-
hood" whenever they occurred.
There was no applause when he had
II nj nd sat ElrfrY, ~, b,r 10
no interruption while he was speaking.
SPECIFIC DENIAL OF THE CHARGES CIR
cuLATBD AGAINST HIM.
WASHINGTON, Feb. tG.-Immedately
upon the doors being reopened after the
executive session Mr. Quay rose and adj
dressed tine Senate in refutation Of
charges circulated against him. He said:
Never, probably, since Alexander
Hamilton was hunted TO his death has
one in public life been pursued so per
sistently and Indignantly. The field
of malign effort has been the entire
Union. The assaults We're of a characterize
monstrous as largely to carry with them
their own refutation Were it other
wise | could not remain, nor would nv
constituents permit me TO remain, a
member of this Senate. Partly through
indifferences to SANDER, weapon that
has never had place in my political
arsenal, and partly by the advice of
friends who urged me to treat the
assassins OF reputation as undeserying
of open controversy, | have per-
mitted, without comment the passage
of the flood of falsehood. Its
malodorous waters chance at this
time to be qulescent, and now, when
no political conflict is raging, when
neither hope nor fear can be deemed the
inspiration of my utterance, choose
briefly toconfront accusation with truth.
| would not allude to this subject in
this presence had not members Of the
other House made il matter of debate
there. Looking to the future and know
ing that the records of this Congress
will remain for other generations to
read when most of us composing il will
be forgotten, | choose for the truth of
history, and for that which is dearer to
all men than riches, to dispel the mist
of falsehood with the clear light Of fact.
1t is not my purpose to weary the Sem
ate by rehearsal of each detail of the
mass of Misrepresentation. Neverthe-
less, avoiding prolixity, will endeavor
to make this statement specific and so
complete as to be final, II amy thread in
the fabric of falsehood remains unsev-
cred it will be because this tissue of lies
is so complex, is so ravcled with contra
diction and clouded with insinuation,
that some insignificant portion has es-
capped my attention.
The first assertion concerning my
official acts is that at some time or con-
tinuously between the years Of 1879 land
1882 alone, or acting with another or
others, used the moneys of the State of
Pennsylvania for speculative OF private
purposes. denounce this statement as
absolutely false. In 1877 the Democratic
party of Pennsylvania elected state