Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-26
QUAY'S TACTICS.
Wants the Law That He Used to Prosecute
Editors repealed Lest 1t Bring Him to

Wants the Law That He Used to Prosecute
Editors Repealed Lest 1t Bring Him to
Justice.
Pittsburg Post.
The bill amending the jury law as it has
always existed in this State, for the bene-
fit of Senator Quay, is to be railroaded
through the Senate, and Will be the first
bill to reach the House. 1t takes away the
old-time power of the district attorney
and prevents him from setting aside jul
rOr3, except in cases of felony. 1t is gen.
orally admitted a power necessary to the
administrator of Justice in large cities.
The judges unite in this opinion.
1t is possible of course to abuse this
power, but the only instance we know of
its abuse was at the instance of Senator
Quay himself when he entered suit form
criminal libel against The Pittsburg Post
ana other Democratic papers in this State
that had exposed his connection with John
Bardsley, the notorio< ~ Philadelphia de-
faulter and embezzler of city and State
funds Then Senator Quay, through his
counsel, r~esolutely stood up for the set
ting aside power, got such juries as he
wanted under it and succeeded in convinc-
ing a number of Democratic newspaper
men, sending some of the editors to Jail,
and imposing heavy fines and legal ex-
penses on others.
Democratic members of the Legislature
are asked to vote for the new jury law by
Senator Quay. We do not see how they
can do it with any consistency or show of
friendship for the Democratic newspapers
of the State. So long as Senator Quay
could use the old law, to intimidate criti-
cism on his public acts, he was quick to
perVert it to the oppression, the filming and
the Imprisonment of Democratic editors.
Some of them lay in jail for months, to
the bankruptcy of their business. under
the power exercised by Senator Quay of
setting aside jurors and thus securing a
jury reliable for conviction.
But Senator Quay now fnds the law he
invoked to the oppression of others a pos
sible personal inconvenience and peril. He
is under Indictment for criminal olfenses,
and is naturally solicito7Is to pick out a
jury very much as he selects delegates
at one of his packed conventions, There
fore, to meet his speciai case he demands
that the jury law of the State as it has
existed for hundreds of years shall be
changed. 1t was good enough so long as
he could use it to Cypress. fine and impris-
on Democratic editors, now that it is
brought home to himself in judgment on
his own misdeeds he is much concerned
that the kings jury shan be abolished.
We7repeat what The Post said the other
day. 1t is probable this law should be
modified and the power of the district at
torney should be restricted, but it should
not be done TO meet a special case or to
relieve Senator Quay from the possible fate
to which he consigned Democratic editors.
Let the modified law get into operation on
the LIST day of January, 1900, if it 5 right
that it should pass.
is thy servant a dog. that he should do
this great thing?" may well be asked of
Senator Quay by Democratic legislators.
The Senator's heelers declare they are in
the market for brides, and now his law
yers demand of them the repeal of a law
the Senator championed to prosecute Dem
ocrats and now want it out of the way
to save himself.