The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-17
POPULAR IN TEXAS.
Reasons Why Senator Quay Has So
Many Southern Friends.


Austin, Tex, Letter in Chicago Record.
A petition signed by twenty three state
senators and a number of representatives
of the Texas Legislature was forwarded
few days ago to United States Senators
Chiffon and Culberson, at Washington,
urging them to vote and work for the
seating of United States Senator Matthew
s. Quay, Of Pennsylvania. All the sign
ers of this petition are Democrats, but
they have a great admiration and kindly
feeling for the erstwhile Republican boss.
Quay is popular throughout the south.
This popularity is due to the fact that
he has on a number of occasions shown
that he Is in sympathy with the southern
people, He won the gratitude of the
southern Democrats when he opposed the
force bill.
But few people, even in Texas know
the reasons for Quay's pronounced SYM
pathy for the southern people. 1t Is due
to the fact that he lived for several years
in the south. Matthew s. Quay came to
Texas when a young man--before he was
out of his teens-and located I'm Mont
gomery county. He taught school there
two years and afterward conducted a
photograph gallery in the village of
Montgomery. He removed from Mont
gomery to Columbus. Colorado county,
Tex, where he taught another term of
school, and then left the state. He was
not heard of until many years afterward,
when he had risen to the height of his
political power in Pennsylvania. An old
citizen of Montgomery remembered the
youth and wrote to Quay In Pennsylva-
MIA and asked If he was the man who
formerly taught school in that place A
reply was received from Quay stating
that he was one and the same person and
making inquiries about many of his
Texas friends of the early days.
When Quay taught school in Texas the
war had just closed and there was bit
ter feeling on the part of some of the
former Confederates and their sympathis-
ers toward all Yankees, as every man
halinig from north Of the Mason and
Dixon line was called. Quay, however
. soon ingratiated himself into the hearts
of the white people Of Montgomery and
Colorado counties. Those counties are
in the heart of the "black belt" of the
state. The negroes outnumber the whites
ten to one and young Quay had prac-
tical experience with the race question
which, no doubt. formed the basis for his
opposition to the force bill when ii came
before congress quarter of a century
later. He took no part in politics during
his residence in Texas, but was content
to quietly observe everything of IL politi-
cal nature and otherwise that went on
around him. 1t is said that he fell in
love with beautiful Texas girl, the
daughter of a wealthy planter of Coloru-
do county, and that he left the state be-
cause she rejected him when an offer of
marriage was made. This young lady
is now the wife of an attorney residing at
Houston, Tex.
Quay has always taken a deep interest
in Texas and its people Last year. when
an overflow of the BrazOs river devastat-
ed hundreds of thousands of acres of cul-
tivated lands and made destitute several
thousand people and appeals went out
for contributions to relieve their wants
and suffering, one of the first responses
came from United States Senator Mat
thew s. Quay. In personal letter to
Governor Joseph D. Sayers he inclosed a
draft for 5000. which sum he asked to
be applied as might be deemed best for
the relief of the victims of the overnowed
district. He made the further request
that no public mention be made of the
fact that he had made the contribution.
This is the first time that publicity has
been given to this act of charity.