The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-13
4 Duel to the Death.

The action of Senator Quay through
his counsel in appealing to the Supreme
court for writ of certiorari trans
forring the case against him from the
Philadelphia quarter sessions to the
higher court is the beginning of "A legal
battle which must end in either his own
political extinction or that of his con-
federated assalants. The names of the
latter with the exception of eX-Judge
Gordon, have not yet appeared in the
records. but they are not secret to the
intelligence of the people. If it shall
appear or final hearing that the ma
chinory of the law has been used TO
continue the campaign against quay
ursucCcssfully fought by John Wana-
maker. the Philadelphia Press and the
business Mems league i'm the open
arena of politics. then before the case
is disposed of either Quay or Wana-
maker must be converted into pOlit.-
cal corpse, dead beyond hope of resur-
rectiOn.
let us not forget the significance of
the issue IN its present aspect The
case against Quay does not charge that
the commonwealth of Pennsylvania or
any man in it ever lost to the amount
of a single penny through the practices
in treasury management for which
QUAY iS Hrraigncd. No victim stands
forth as a suitor for redress; the name
Of no individual OF standing appears TO
father the litGious attack. The case
may. as he alleges. be political wholly
AN attempt to effect a political pur-
pose 10y resort to trickery in litigation
BE that as il may. the counter charges
strike to the root of the foundation
rights Of civilization. The substance Of
Senator Quay's affidavit is that the
machinery Of the district attorneys
office has been used to set up case
against him, to railroad him through
the annoyauCcs and humiliation of a
criminal trial on manufactured evil
dencc before a prejudiced and inter-
rstcd judge. on "A charge without war
rant i'm law. under circumstances which
are calculated to defer the eventual
triumph of justice until the immediate
political purposes of the conSplratorS
against MN SlluNli IdNN ''NI' ''ii7N'''
mated.
This is an arragnment of the courts
of Philadelphia which, if sustained,
must convict those responsible for the
conditions alleged Of being the mean
est and most dangerous knaVes un-
hung. This charge if established, makes
resueCtable by comparison the worst
thing ever insinuated against Quay. If
it is true that wealth and influence can
reach into the sanctuary of justice and
by craft and cunning turn the mechan-
ism of the judiciary into a machinery
of persecution and oppression, then no
man is safe. The charge that such "A
prostitution of the courts has taken
place is made bya senator of the United
States under oath against tribunal
heretofore among the most respected in
the land. 1t is challenge the most
nold. the most defiant, we can recall
II ia a trumpet call to "A battle of politi-
cal life or death and there can be no
compromise until it is decided clearly
and finally. by this daring move Sem
ator Quay puts the case against him in
a fierce new light and dares his en-
nmies to come on. They must now
crush him absolutely or he crush"d n"
less absolutely themselves.