The times., 1899-03-19

qualities which win and hold men. At any
rate, it was not long before Quay. encour-
aged by the steady growth of his own per-
sonal following, began to oppose his de-
sires and purposes to those of Cameron.
In 1878 he forced Cameron, much against
his Will, TO consent TO the nomination of
Henry NJ. Hoyt for governor. Two years
later ne opposed Cameron's attempt to
have the Pennsylvania delegation to the
Republican National Convention instructed
for Grant He failed in this second trial
of strength. but could he have had his
way, Blaine, instead of Garfield, would
have been nominated at Chicago. in 1880,
and the history of the last twenty years
would have been vastly different.
While these events were transpiring, Col
onel Quay had held for a year the Re
cordership of Philadelphia fat Office
created for him by the legislature and
since abolished-and had then assumed his
former position as Secretary of the Com
mcnwealth. But differences with Govern
or Hoyt caused him TO resign the Secre-
taryship in 1882, and the Cameron influence
was now actively exerted to stay his prog
ress in other directions. In 1883 the State
convention was taken completely out of his
hands by Chris. Magee, backed by Came
ron, and in the following year he saw
Cameron, who was abroad, give his proxy
as a member of the National Committee TO
another. He took no active part in the
State or National Conventions OF 1884, and
in the same year was badly beaten when
he sought the Republican nomination for
Congress in his district. To add TO his
embarrassments in those days, some of his
acts while Secretary of the Commonwealth
made him an object of continuous and vi
rulent abuse by the press. Friend and foe
alike declared that he was politically
dead"
Daring Politics.
They who thought so, little knew the
man. OF sudden, in 1885, he resolved
upon one of the boldest acts in the whole
history of American politics. He appealed
directly TO the people of Pennsylvania 10
say whether he was as bad as his enemies
declared him, announcing himself to
everybody's intense surprise, d candidate
for State Treasurer. The method employed
by him in inaugurating his campaign was
as simple as it proved to be effective. He
sent letters to his friends in different parts
of the State-and no living man has a
wider personal quaintance-announcing
that he should be a candidate for the NOM
nation for State Treasurer, and saying he
would be glad to have their influence and
support. Among these was one to the late
Governor Curtin, written on the back of
letter received twenty-five years before Dy
the young prothonotary of Beaver. in which
Curtin asked support for his gubernatorial
nomination. This incident was not with
out effect on the old war governor, and is
worth mentioning here as proving Quay's
methodical ways, and how he brings his
resources into play at the right moment
down to the most trifing details. II was
not so much to have retained the Curtin
letter. but it was a great deal to have re-
called ii after the lapse of a quarter of a
century. and to have done SO at the most
effective moment.
Against the campaign thus inaugurated
by Colonel Quay the Philadelphia Press,
then the Blaine organ OF the party in the
State. and the most considerable Repub-
lican journal in Pennsylvania, waged a BIT
ter war of innuendo and suggestion. A bolt
was threatened. All the party scandals
were dug up and their corpses prepared for
a street parade which never took place.
The Independents and Mugwumps fought
Quay with savage bitterness. The famous
pardon board transaction was brought up
against him. w. H. Kemble and three
others, to state this affair in fewest words,
pleaded guilty in March, 1880. to having
bribed the Pennsylvania Legislature to
pass a bill voting some four million dollars
to pay the losses caused by the Pittsburg
riots of 1877. They were sentenced TO
heavy fine and year in the penitentiary.
The State Board Of Pardons, of which Quay
was a member, pardoned them before they
put on the stripes. But in spite of the war
of words waged against him, Quay's tri
umph, personal and political. was complete.
He was nominated practically without op-