The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-13
The WAR ON QUAY
It Furnishes Amusement to the Wise
and Doesn't Hurt Mr..
Quay.
The Senator's District Attorney Not
Perspiring in His Chase
After His Benefactor.
From The Journal Bureau, Room IS. Pen

From. Tho Journal Bureau. Room Is, Pen
Building, Yoshsngton~ N .g$I-.
Washington, Nov 1s.--The Quay spoliti-
cal assessment case is dragging rather
SLOWLY, as 1T seems to q good many civil
service reformers, but the explanation, of
course, is that it is in unfortunate hands.
The United States district attorney, one
James 3: Holland, was appointed naval
officer Of the port of Philadelphia by
President Mckinley, but by grace of Sen
ator Quay, in the spring of 1896. Mean
while, James Nj. Beck, an appointee Of
President Cleveland and a sound money
democrat who had become a McKinleyite
in 1885, was serving as district attorney.
Mr.. Mckinley did not wish to disturb him j.;
but shortly after the meeting of the Phil
adelphia convention in 1900, Senator Pen
rose. representing himself and his COL
league, called at the White House and de-
clared that Walter Merrick, who in the
pennsylvania legislature had supported
Quay with conspicuous devotion through
the senatorial deadlock, must have the
post of naval officer, and that Holland
must be taken care Of somewhere else.
1t SO happened that an opening had Of
fered itself in the department of justice at
washington through the transfer of AS
slstant Attorney General Boyd to judge
snip, SO Beck was moved over to this city,
Holland put into his late place, and Mer-
rick made district attorney. The triangu-
lar shiftabout is SAID to have furnished
the text for President McKinley's much
quoted ejaculation of Thanksgiving that
he had taken up HIS last political note
bearing Senator Quay's Endorsement"
In view OF his antecedents, it is scarcely
wonderful that the reform element wish
that someone else than Mr.. Holland had
had charge of the case against Senate,
Quay. They have been particularly dis
hXr ta!>n
from Philadelphia and apparently in
splred. announcing that there did not seem
to be enough proof against tho senator
to justify his prosecution. The fact is
the so-called investigation was conducted
In manner about as we'll calculated tC
reach it's ostensible object as a rabbit
hunt to the music of y brass band. A
lot of letter carriers in the postoffice man
aged by Col McMichael, an am;able and
respected citizen of Philadelphia, but also
a beneficiary of Quay's, though they had
received the republican campaign circular
asking for cc;'1clbutions, the name OF
Senator Quay on it-so help 'em!-had not
influenced them in the least. Other
witnesses, hedged about by like condi-
lions, gave like testimony. according tc
the newspaper accounts: AS the law
draws no distinction between a partisan
dunning letter which is influential and one
which is not, rs long as it is sent to a
government employee and a senator is even
Indirectly concerned in sending it, all SUCH
evidence looks to outsiders like a waste
OF time. C'n the strength of it, however,
the assumption IS general that Mr.. IIol-
and will give his benefactor a rich coat
Of whiteWash, and it would not surprise
anyCIc IT, in his report to the attorney
general, he even burst into a strain OF
personal eulogy Of tho much prosecuted
senator.
And Quay himself? Oh, he takes mat
tiers as coolly as usual. He has been
through so many such passages at arms
with reformers and honest men, that one
more or less makes little difference to
him. Just what he thinks of the president
for thus pursuing him after he had pub
licly declared his satisfaction with the ad-
ministration, he has not conlided to any
one; but he probably sets the whole thing
down to some sort of hereditary insanity
in the Roosevelt blood. Why should he
be worried? Even this rough riding presi-
dent Is bound by a few Conventions; one OF
these recognizes a certain discretion in a
prosecuting officer as to the treatment OF
a criminal charge sent to him to investi-
gate; and, after the fashion Of the royal
sportsman who found it convenient, when
he went hunting, to know his bear
Quay knows his district attorney
w. w. Jermane.