The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-02

washington, May Ia reporter Tor
the Post, who met Senator Vest in the
corridor of the senate yesterday, asked
him IL he had seen ex-senator Quay
since the vote on Tuesday. He replied
quietly that he had not, and had only
heard from him through his interview
in the Post.
II am glad to see,' he said "that
Quay is full of fight and anxious to
meet his enemies in the open field,
where no constitutional question in
tervenes. The people who think that
Quay is out of public life are egregi-
ously mistaken. He is a born fighter.
and in my opinion the Doldest and
ablest political leader in the United
States. His power in Pennsylvania is
not surprising to one who knows him
as l do. He is resourceful vigilant,
sagacious. and has, above all, that rare
quality of great leadership which en-
ables him to inspire his followers with
absolute confidence.
He is painted by his enemies as a
monster Of wickedness. but in fact he
is a model husband. father, and brother,
while his kindness to the poor and un-
fortunate is unceasing. l could, from
my own personal knowledge fill a vol
ume with instances Of his unselfish
charity to people who had not the
slightest claim upon him.
1T is said by his opponents that the
vote in the senate on Tuesday was a
triumph of good morals and a personal
rebuke to Quay. l do not know what
secret motives influenced other sena-
tors, but | can say most emphatically
that my vote was based on constitu-
tional grounds alone. Not a. word even
of criticism was uttered against Quay
in the debate, and if he had been at
tackled | should have spoken as a per-
sonal friend in his defense.
Influenced by Constitutional Views.
I'm 1881, when the Bell case was be-
fore the senate, ! spoke and voted
against the constitutional power of a
governor to make an appointment of
United States senator after the legis-
Aaturc,' with full opportunity, had fail
ed or refused to elect. l have so spok-
en- and voted every time the question
has been before the senate since, and
while / was Mr.. Quay's devoted friend,
] was unable, after full examination,
to change my views If there had been
any doubt with me on the subject. |
would have refrained from voting, but
no such doubt existed. and l could see
no other way than to support the con-
stitution. as | had sworn to do. | do
not belong to this modern school which
is teaching the young men Of the Uni
ted States that our country has out
grown the constitution, and that the
young giant can no longer be amused
by the nursery songs of his childhood.
] believe that the men who are teach
ing this doctrine are worse enemies
: of the republic than it's armed foes, and
if they succeed in corrupting the pub
lie mind by their sneers at the consti-
tuition and those who revere it, il will
not be long until our free institutions
are destroyed. | have the consolation
of knowing that in my service of twen-
ty-tWo years in the senate ! have new
or knowingly given a vote or uttered
a sentence in opposition to the consti-
tuition as I understood it. On one Oc-
casion ] was compelled to disregard
the instructions of my own legislature
W IN it directed me to support what
l thought to be an unconstitutional
measure
Will Be a Lifetime Sorrow.
lnlS is the reason OF my voting
against Mr.. Quay. and, right or wrong.
- il will be lifetime sorrow that | was
constrained to infict pain and disap-
pointmcnt upon my best friend.
These same people who are abus-
ing Quay are loading me with en-
cOmiums on account of my vote against
him. ] do not want their praise, for /
appreciate the fact that they care
nothing for me. but are aCtuated alone
by hostility to Quay. ] do not sympa-
thize with them or their motives, and
have no hesitation i'll saying that if
we are to have another Republican
senator from Pennsylvania, l prefer
Quay to any one else. He is an open,
generous foe, and his opponents always
know where to find him. | sincerely
hope that he may be elected by the
Legislature of Pennsylvania next win
ter, and when he comes back to the
senate none will welcome him more
cordially than myself.
IF the Republicans of PENNSYLVANIA
will take advice from a Democrat, they
will elect him, for | know personally
that no one can serve the state more
efficiently than Matthew Stanley
Quay"