The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-10-12
Especial correspondence)

Require Clear and strong Evidences
TO Overcome.
Special Correspondence)
Philadelphia. Oct. 4.-The effect Of
the sensational suits entered against
Senator Quay. his son. ex-State Treas
urer Haywood and Charles ii. Mckee.
one of the most distinguished attorneys
of the state, has been TO nobody more
amazing than TO the unknown and
nameless promoters OF it. The infor-
nation so far is as fatherless as an
anonymous letter dropped in letter
box by a common scandal monger.
Every party and factional organization
which has been asked has denied con-
nection with it. Every respectable per-
son questioned has denied completely
in it. Even DR.. Swallow ventures only
to say in his usual vague way that he
had reason to believe certain gentle
men" contemplated something OF the
sort This. and the time selected, the
eve of an election. after all the evil
dence there is, il there is any. had been
in the hands of the assistant district
attorney for many months; the manner
Of doing it. with every attempt at hu-
initiation. passing by the ordinary Of
ficers and putting warrants in the
hands of the obnoxious Pinkerton's,
when any one Of the accused would
have responded to the simplest tele-
phone message. and in fact did respond
the minute they saw the announce
ment of it in the public prints; the
theatrical proclamation Of it in adj
vance. through the columns of the
newspapers which have been most Bit
terly assailing the Republican ticket
these peculiar features combine to
make it seem a case Of private ven
geance rather than of public Jus,iee-a
persecution, not a prosecution
The case seems more remarkable
when il is remembered that il is not
charged that either the state or any
stOckholder. depositor or creditor OF
the bank was defrauded of a dollar.
and that the ex-president Of the de-
funct bank. the venerable James Me-
Names, declares that the dealings OF
the defendants with the bank. so far as
they had any were purely commercial.
conducted in accordance with the GUS
tOmary methods of banking business.
yelop, the time and manner of its be-
ginning has cast discredit upon il, ard
created contempt for its promoters and
sympathy for those whom il assails.
Most people desire to see justice i'm
partially enforced. but they also love
fair play. and il the present suits are
founded upon substantial evidence. and
inspired by honest motives. they have
been extremely unfortunate in the time
ard manner OF their institution.
Their final political effect is still TO be
determined. The Morey letter made
Garfield's election sure.
The immediate influence OF this
method of attack is powerfully shown
in the following editorial. from the pen
of Hon. Thomas V. Cooper, in the
Delaware County American" Cooper
has been leading. the bolting fight of
Jack Robinson for congress in that
district, and strongly assailing the leg
islative candidates who are declared
friends of Senator Quay. In the current
issue of his paper, under the heading
Political Arrests" he says:
Times like these require cool heads
and warm hearts. Pennsylvania never
saw sharper factional strife. and the
party in the state has never before had
TO face such a revolution Immediately
following phenomenal majOrities In
another editorial In this issue we dis
cuss at some length this phase Of cur
rent excitement and discomfort. Both
were rising to Unprecedented heights
from well known causes which we de-
plore and would correct, II we could.
Stone" written before the recent SEN
sational arrests. we point what We
think the way for the Republican party.
We think. since the arrest of Senator
Quay. some sensible admOnition is
needed for the other side.
I'VE beg all men to believe that il is
easy to drag a great name down, so
very easy compared with the difficulty
OF building il up. We beg just men to
look around them and see how many
try TO drag down rather than build.
Faction points its finger, and all within
the faction are supposed to hiss. Rev
olutions come. and come through a
cause. Fools throw the cause away.
and nine times out of ten IL is thrown
away through the madness of revolu-
tion- Read of Robespierre, Danton.
Marat, and the scenes which lifted
them to power. They won their brief
sway by their glib ability in making
suggestions more radical than any
that had gone before. They formed the
fitting climax TO unreasonable times.
the reaction came and the guillotine
which they had constructed reveIed
best in their own blood.
s.The American paonTa hox-a e.
greater self possession. and PennsyI-
yaRians have a reputation for jumping
at conclusions very slowly. These are
virtues which even the impetuous can
not deny. They are gems of virtue now.
"A case in point long passed may H.
lustrate the near future The writer
was a member OF the house at Harris
burg in 1872. when the state had its
scandal known as the Evans steal
Evans having appropriated $190. 600 Of
state funds as a commission for the
collection of the war debts due by the
general government. Such commits
sion had been authorized only by a law
which had been ''clerked" through both
houses, an abuse since unknown Gen
eral Hartranft was the auditor gem
,ral who reviewed previous payments.
and, though ne had borrowed 5000
from Evans in a business way, still had
the courage TO imprison the criminal.
He was then a candidate for the guber-
Material nomination, and easily as
sailed Evans and his securities in the
conspiracy then offered the writer the
chairmanskip of the Independent Re
publican state committee, which was to
he tod 80, 10. 80
lew for governor and Greeley for presi-
dent, and 20 be backed by a fund OF
$4,000 II he would pass resolutions
through the house based upon the idea
that Hartranft was partieipant in the
steal Hasty investigation convinced
him that it was but pinch. a political
charge for political purposes. and in
stead Of introducing the Impeachment
resolution. he went 10 his seat In the
house and exposed all the facts in
yolviDg all of the ring. and the news
papers employed TO back IL. The ring
fed. the newspaper syndicate stood its
ground and when HaEtranft was nomi-
mated, renewed the charges. And then
wave swept over the state demanding
the withdrawal OF Hartranft. A great
caucus was called at the Continental
hotel in Philadelphia. a caucus of great
men, who demanded withdrawal ].
Don Cameron. not then a senator. but
private citizen, walked into that eau
Gus, defended Hartranft's reputation.
said he should not withdraw. but that
his accusers must. Some OF them We're
there Chester county's county meeting
was held the same week. and resoiu-
tion had been prepared demanding the
withdrawal Of Hartranft. This was In
August. months after the legislative
exposure. and when Il had been forgot
ten. The writer attended that meeting.
recalled the exposure. produced the
records. and instead of condemnation.