The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-18
Ouav and the Business Men.

The effort is being made In certain
quarters to spread the report that Sem
ator Quay has insulted the business
men of the country. Let us examine
the facts.
We pass for the present the service
he rendered Pennsylvania business
interests during the making OF
the Wilson bill, when IL 1t
had not been for his voice
and work that vicious measure would
have smitten most of our industries to
the death, and we come to the immedi-
ate pretext of the charge, his reply to
Thomas Dolan. In It 1t will be remem-
bered he condemned the attempt OF
"organized wealth." as represented In
the Wanamaker league, to dictate
high Office" set "class against mass
and .erect a governing class" "Sena-
tors" said he, "are needed who will act
for the interest Of the country In gross,
without special afilnities." Lastly, af-
ter denying that more than 10 per cent.
of the business men of the country
sympathize with the Dolan project OF
a plutocratic dynasty. he concluded:
"There must be less business and more
principle in our politics. else the Re-
publican party and the country will go
to wreck. The business issues are
making our politics sordid and corrupt.
The tremendous sums Of money fur
nished by business men, reluctantly in
most instances, are polluting the we'll
springs of our national being"
Such, in substance. is the Quay plat
form. Is 1t not true? Does any sensible
man believe that it Is to the interest
of good government to add to the sem
ate's already large number of repre-
sentatives Of special monopolies? Have
not the Standard Oil company, the
Sugar trust, the transcontinental rail-
way systems. and the Pierpont Morgan
financial interests already secured as
ample voice in the upper chamber Of
congress as is necessary for their own
protection and wholesome for the peo-
pie? Is 1t not high time that the sem
ate received into its select fold one
or two more members owing their elec-
tion directly to the people and therefore
free, when in, to act untrammeled for
the general good? Does it involve any
insult to honest business men to say
that they should rest in legislation up
on a footing Of equality rather than
monopoly?
We shall not discuss the question
whether Senator Quay is sincere; it is
enough to know that the conditions Of
his present emergency force him to
take q position in accord with the
predominant popular sentiment Of the
period. He knows. and all other dis
cerning observers know. that II the
Republican party wants to survive an
other election 1t must show itself a
true friend Of the plain people and not
a personal property Of the big COM
mercial combinations. The Business
Mems league Of Pennsylvania, as now
constituted and directed. is nothing
more nor less than q political mechan-
ism for the grinding at public expense
OF well-gilded private axes. 1t is the
Quayism Of old at it's worst, with the
additional demerit that 1t sails under
false colors. 1t Is already debauching
the public morals by a gross misuse Of
money on the one hand and by scandal
mongering on the other. and It repre-
sents an affiliation which the self-re-
specting business man should shun.
Calling Quay names will not answer
his arraignment: and the more he is
abused the clearer 1t will appear that
his shaft struck home.