The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-03-10
CLARKSON DEFENDS QUAY
Thinks His Services in the Campaign
of 1883 We're Not Appreciated.
And that He Was Martyr TO Democratic
Venom, Aided By the Republican Press
Ayers Candidacy Municipal Elections.
cLARKsoN SPEAKS FOR QUAY.
The Senator Defended from the Attacks q
the Press of Both Parties.

The Senator Defended from the Attacks of
the Press of Both Parties.
PHILADELPHIA, March 9.-Frank Woll-
ingleacb, of this city. assistant secretary
of the Republican national committee, has
received from j. S. Clarkson, chairman of
that body. q letter under date of March s.
from Asheville. n. c., which states that In
compliance with request from some of
Senator Qua,'s Pennsylvania friends that
the chairman put on paper his estimate of
Senator Quay's service in the campaign OF
1883, he reproduces his remarks delivered
at the meeting of the national committee
in Washington. Nov. %. 1891. These re-
marks were made in executive session, and
have never before been published. They
are as follows:
eff ] followed my own wishes. as the
most of you already know, i would not ac-
cept of the chairmanshlp. 1t means not
only to succeed the greatest political gen.
eral that the first century of partisan
American politics has developed, but it
means TO take action In time of storm and
calumny, with plain warning. as shown
in the case of Mr.. Quay, that the Republic
an party does not stand for the defense Of
its leaders who lead IN its hardest fights.
Tho Republican party OF this day has
never fully appreciated Mr.. Quay's power.
The Democratic party recognized it imIne-
diately and trembled before it throughout
the campaign, and fell before II at the cleo
ton. Ana, from the day OF the election,
Matthew :. Quay, the man whose genius
HAD found the plan and whose courage had
furnished the way to defeat the Democrat
Ic party, was a marked man. No sooner
was the election over than the plan OF
beating Quay TO the earth was begun by
the Democratic party. 1t started In the
- I'LL th1.st pat ali
icai organizations known in America. ana
was seconded by the Democratic party.
The Republican press. instead OF seeing
the motive and striking down the malice,
then to apologize and finally TO turn
about in the Unworthy work of helping the
Democratic party to destroy the great Re.
publican tighter. The Democrats knew at
once by the light of the election they had
moro to fear from Quay than any other
American. They fear him more to-day.
They have followed him with Implying
malice, with unceasing calumny and with
O cruelty which only politics could either
originate or perpetuate.
The Republican campaign of 1855 was
conducted with entire honesty. The whole
genius of it was to discover and prevent
Democratic fraud. That is tho genius of
Quay as q political organizer and general.
He has the wonderful faculty of detectin z
lines. of detecting 1T in wrong.
doing. and of hurting masses of
power upon it to defeat 1t in such
unworthy attempts In New York State.
| where Tammany writhed and still writhes
| under the defeat, the Democratic plan was
| to throw q quarter of million of money
| in the rural counties of the State and carry
| the election by bribery. Senator Quay's
| quick eye discovered this. and al the
| power of the Republican national commit
| tee W az inv oked to defeat the daring at
| tempt and il succeeded. The whole Re-
| publican fight then and now is made sue
| cessful when you can poll the full Repub-
| lcan vote and stop Democratic fraud. This
was the genius of Quay. This gave the Re-
| publican party victory.
1T is much easier to .shirk than to de-
| fend friend In this latter time. j have
| none of such timldity. L call on the other
| men with whom served with Mr.. Quay,
and all will bear witness that Mr. Quay
methods were honorable. straightfor-
| ward, bold and manly. There were
| no men on the national committee
| willing TO commit a pen, tiary otfense for
| the Republican party, and God grant there
| never shall be. | am sure there ia no mem
Der of this committee who would be sofal sc
| either to honor or friendship as not To hold
up his hand in open defense of Mr.. Quay in
the national campaign. of his methods and
OF his victory. 1 talk of him only
| rs We know him when he came
| to us at national headquar-
| tiers. do not pretend TO speak as to his az.
fairs in Pennsylvania. for l know nothing
| OF them. The people of that Christian
| Commonwealth Judged him for all his weak.
nesses and rewarded him for all his
| strength. The Republican party and Its
press might we'll initiate the Democratic
| party In this respect: that wherever a Re.
| publican leader goes into the fire and de.
| feats the enemy he will not afterward be
| abandoned to the malice of the enemy
which ho has defeated