Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15

means that there will be fair trial,
and with a 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
orable 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 perfect
right to be. Mr.. Wanamaker was also
a heavy borrower, so heavy a borrow
er, as a matter of fact, that the comp
troller of the currency at Washington
wrote several letters demanding that
the loans be reduced. The capital of the
bank was 900, and under the law
Mr.. Wanamaker was entitled to borrow
one-tenth of the capital stock, and no
more-$50, 600. He cry largely exceeded
this amount and ne was a public Off
cial, a member If 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 a stock gambling specula-
tiOn. Later the n-nli failed, and it was
a disastrous failure. Mo-. no one has
charged Mr. Wanamaker with crime.
He has not been hauled into court by
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
depositor, as he had perfect right to
be. He 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 Il
medium of communication with the
brokers. The bank failed but Senator
Quay does not owe it a 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
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 OF
all that is evil. We say that it is out
rageous, and we look to the trial to re-
1a1 I,. ,,,,l,I \, .I,,11
dastardly political conspiracy.
Judge Gordon, who was reversed
time after time by the supreme court,
and who was a politician rather than
judge, is mentioned in the petition to
the supreme court as an nstigator 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
to 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. 1t 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. If Judge Gordon
really believed that crime had been
committed it 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 ignOr.
ance of bank matters, and it 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 attor-
ney. The latter apparently grasped at
the opportunity to further the scheme
to destroy Quay, and the warrants
were issued. The district attorney
went before the grand jury. So flimsy
were the charges that in spite of Mr.
Graham's presence. but - out of 20
jurors could be obtained to support
them. The change of a single juror
would have discarded the bills. 1t was
apparently the intention of Judge Cor
don to sit upon the bench and rule upon
the demurrers. Had he done so he
would, in all probability, have been
humiliated by the supreme court. He
resigned, and just in time. Had he re-
mained on the bench. as sure as the
sun rises he would have been impeach-
ed.
1T is charged in the petition that
Gordon holds Quay responsible for his
defeat by the Democratic gubernatorial
convention, and that his animus is
thus accounted for. We have nothing
to say on that point but we do say
that it is queer indeed that a judge
should permit six months to pass before
calling attention to a crime. Ether
the judge was untrue to himself and
to the public, or else no crime was
committed. Strange it is, indeed that
not until October was any move made
and this fact alone is sufficient to show
the political plot behind the prosecu-
ton.
We make no charges against any
body. We are content to say that the
prosecution is persecution; that it is q
political plot; that it was instigated by
men who dare not reveal their identity;
that the sole object is to affect the SEN
atorial election, and that personal spite
and malice and q desire for personal