The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-12-14
OUAYS ENEMIES
ARE HALTED.
Supreme Court Blocks the Game Of
the Depsrate Political
GOnspirators.
CONFUSION IN THE RANKS.
Sensational Turn to One OF the Most
Remarkable Cases In the Political
History of the Nation.
lspeciaI correspondereeO


Infamous and desperate tactics resorted
to in the history of this country has
been exposed. The supreme court OF
the commonwealth of Pennsylvania has
upon petition stepped in between Sen
ator Quay and those who have been
endeavoring TO use the power of the
local judiciary in this city TO strike at
him, besmirch his reputation and to
gain political advantage in the pending
contest for the senatorship. There IS
every reason to believe that a fair nd
impartial hearing. without personal
spleen or political persecution. wiz now
be given to case which has furnished
a startling revelation to the people as
to what extent men vested with au
thority would use their positions TO
accomplish personal ambitions or sat
isfy a desire for revenge.
Probably no more lucid and manly
comment has been made on the action
Of the supreme court. upon the appeal
Of counsel for Senator Quay that the
case against him be Withdrawn from
the common pleas courts of this city,
than was given by the editor Of the
Philadelphia Inquirer Immediately fol-
lowing The announcement OF the de-
cisicn of the higher court.
Two justices OF the supreme court.
said TIE editor of The Inquirer. have
halted the conspiracy 10 ruin Senator
Quay. ard their action viii be COM
mended by all fair minded men. They
have taken into consideration the ami
mus behind the persecution-we de-
liberate!y say persecution. not proseou-
tion-and they have agreed that the
case is Of sufficient Importance to be
reviewed by the supreme court itself
"This means that the warrants issued
by the district attorney. the finding OF
the grand jury and the arguments upon
the denurrers viii be passed uron by
the highest court in the state; that the
trial will be taken out Of the hand OF
the local courts. If the petition filed is
sustained. and that a senator OF the
United States is not to be made the
mere football of a far reaching political
conspiracy which has in view. not his
convietion-for conviction is out Of the
question-but. 10 quote the reasons Of
ficially SET forth. the Intimidation Of
the members OF the LEGISLATURE
"The object Of the persecution Is TO
defeat Senator Quay for reelection. not
to send him TO Jail, Tor he has commit
ted no crime. and none know this better
than the saeaking prosecutors who
have instigated the suit and who have
such a poor opinion Of themselves and
of their hypocritical cause that they
dare not face the public the courts or
Senator Quay himself and dare not
even permit their names to become
known
"A more contemplate attempt to ruin
a man for purely political reasons and
10 satisfy the demands OF personal
spite and hatred is not on record. The
men who have sought to make use OF
District Attorney Graham as their tool
and their shield from public scorn and
derision have been frustrated. MIR
Graham himself. with all his venom
against Quay. disappears from the case.
On the eth OF January the supreme
court will assume jurisdiction, and this
means that there viii be a fair trial.
and with fair trial Senator Quay has
nothing to fear-absolutely nothing.
What has Quay done?' he continues.
let US draw a comparison between
him and that great and pure and hon
orabls man. John Wanamaker.
The keystone National bank receiv-
ed deposits of public funds from the
state and the city Mr.. Wanamaker
was a depositor. as he had a perfect
right to be. Mr.. wanamaker was also
a heavy borrower. so heavy a borrow
er. as a matter Of fact. that the comp
trolier of the currency at Washington
wrote several letters demanding that
the loans be reduced. The capital of the
bank was 100000, and under the law
Mr.. Wanamaker was entitled to borrow
one-tenth of the capital stock. and no
more-S50, ,0O0 He very largely exceeded
this amount. and he was a public off,
cial, a member of the cabinet OF the
president OF the United States. at the
time. and most certainly should have
been among the first to uphold the law.
But this was not all. Mr.. Wana-
maker entered into a joint transaction
with the president OF the bank. Mr..
Lucas. for stock gambling specula-
tion. Later the bank failed. and II was
a disastrous failure. Now. no one has
charged Mir. Wanamaker with crime.
political enemies. He has been permit
ted to conduct his bargain counter un-
molested. He has posed as the great
exemplar of all that is pure and good,
and he has posed before the public as
an honorable man. We have no charges
to bring against Mr.. Wanamaker. He
did not rob the bank. Let us take him
at his own estimate OF himself. Let us
agree with him that he is an honorable
man.
Now for the comparison.
THE Peoples bank received deposits
OF public funds. Senator Quay was
depos:tor. as he had perfect right TO
be. lie may have borrowed at times.
but he was not a heavy borrower. and
the banking department was never
forced to write letters of complaint. As
a private citizen and public official he
respected the law. He bought stocks,
but not in joint arrangement with the
president He simply made use Of the
cashier. an old personal friend. as a
medium of communication with the
brokers. The bank failed. but Senator
Quay does not owe IL n single red cent.
What Is more. the bank paid in full
every dollar deposited by the state, and
not a single. solitary depositor has lost
a dollar Yet he has been charged with
crime. Political enemies have hauled
him into court, and he is denounced by
his prosecutors as the personification ot
all that is evil. We say that it is out
rageous. and we look to the trial to re-
veal TO the public the whole story of
dastardly political ,nspiracy.
~
time after time by the supreme court.
and who was a politician rather than a
judge. is mentioned in the petition to
the supreme court as an instieator OF
the prosecution. The trial should show
the truth or falsity OF this statement.
Judge Gordon was a candidate for the
nomination for governor. with the in
dorsement and backing OF John Wan
amaker. The Wanamaker bargain
counter craftsmanship was agreeable
20 the attempt TO deliver Pennsylva-
MIA over to the Democrats in this crit
ical year OF the nation. Judge Gordon
knew all about the affairs OF the Peo-
pies bank. II is believed that he had
access TO the papers and letters upon
which the prosecution Is based. and
that this fact win be proved The bank
failed in March II Judge Gordon
really believed that crime had been
committed 1t was his bounden duty to
call the attention OF the district at
torney to the matter. He did no such
thing Mr.. Graham was kept in fgnor
ance OF bank matters. and IL was not
until October. just before the election.
that some persons who have not had
the courage TO reveal their identity
communicated with the district attoF-
ney. The latter apparently grasped at
the opportunity 10 further the scheme
to destroy Quay. and the warrants