The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-09
SUNDAY. OCTOBER 9. 1895
OuAY,s CRIME.

QUAY'S CRIME.
Senator QUAY and his satellites may
make as much clamor as they please, but
the case against him is now made out
too clearly for public judgment TO be
ever misied Those tel-tale letters and
telegrams from him 10 Cashier Hopkins.
found I'm mis- private drawer after he had
committed suicide. stamped indellibly the
character Of the transaction. and make
It's nature just as plain as If Senator
Gray should favor as with "a fun dis
closure Of an OF it's details. The case is
this. The Peoples Bank OF Philadelphia
was a political bank. owned and con-
troned boy politicians in order that they
might eet hold Of the States money and
use Il for their own benefit These same
politicians then arranged matters so that
the States money would be kept in II
without interest. and making interest out
Of H. that interest was divided between
them upon regular scale agreed upon
beforehand Through this arrangement
Senator Quay was enabled 10 borrow as
much money as ne wished for for his
speculations at all times, and he received
regularly his share Of the interest upon
the fund. which was neither more nor
less than the larceny Of that much of
the States money. lie may gloss il over
and his friends may explain IL as they
viii. and he may even escape the peni-
Tertiary at his trial through legal quib-
bles and technicalities. but the founda-
tion fact VIII remain that United States
Senator Quay has used his position as
the Republican boss Of Pennsylvania TO
form conspiracy through which the
States money was to be used by the
consplrators for their own benefit. and
so that the interest earned upon the
money should 90 INTO their own pockets
instead Of into the Treasury of Penn
sylvania, where II belonged. People have
long known that the political bossism of
American politics led inevitably to such
results as these, but never before has
the lid been removed and such rotten /
ness as this been exposed in such high |
places. Tweed was shown to have stolen |
great sums Of money belonging to the |
city OF New York. and It Is well known |
that each succeeding ring of plunderers |
that gets possession Of that city robs and |
despoils ii IN the most outrageous way !
But never before has the corrupt track |
by which a United States senator graveis |
body been laid bare TO the eyes OF the
people as is now done in the case of this
man Quay
We have often warned our readers that
the danger to our institutions and to our
liberties lay right at this point and that
we are in as great danger here in Viz
ginia as the people of Pennsylvania are
We in Virginia have allowed our entire
political system 20 drift into state that
rests upon stuffed ballot-boxes. and thar.
OF course, must produce the political
boss. and the political boss must. of
course. reward his satellites out of the
public crib Unless we avert fraud IN
our elections and compel an parties 20
respect the purity Of the ballot-box. we
must inevitably drif, along until we are
ithe'if nN"NifihtA ITO lir WiFlpO1l OF I
corrupt politics and have the Quay
methods applied TO every department OF
our public service.
Men always shrink from grappling with
dangers that are not Immediately press
ing upon their attention and so it is diff
cult To set our people 20 fully compre-
bend the peril that consronts them
through their liberation OF frauds in
elections. But. unless they are arrested
they must just as certainly fasten upon
Us al the infamios OF New York ana
politics as that popular
government continues. There IS but one
possible safeguard against the danger.
md thai S. 10 compel an men 90 respect
ne ballot-box. and yet public opinion has
,ecome 80 tolerant OF this great evil Of
which We are perfectly conscious that we
nave but little hope of seeing any active
move in the right direction. Virginia
leeins destined TO as rotten boss rule as
las ever existed In any State or country.
-------Z