The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-06-01
of Indiana. The fight resulted in a

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Quay had considerable humor. Dur.
ing the consideration of the Dingley
Tariff billip the Senate he demanded
that many changes be made in the
steel schedules. This was refused By
Republican leaders. Without word
of protest Quay went to work on
speech. He prepared one beginning
with the earliest tariffs known, and
coming down eshaustive1y to the pres
.ent date. The manuscript, closely
typewriter made a package more
than foot thick.
When his demand was again re-
fused he began reading the speech i'll
monotonous sing.song tone. he
had not read more than 5000 words
when the first change he demanded
was granted. Another thousand Or
so words brought about the other
changes and he con tinued this policy
until everything he demanded had
been agred to.
That speech became famous in the
Senate, and whenever Senator Quay
wanted anything and there was on-
position he had only to reach into
his desk, put the mass of manuscript
on his desk and dryly say:
II have few remarks to submit"
His Plum Tree Story.
AS for the .tplum-tree incident an
explanation of it was given by Sen
ator Quay himself. The cashier Of
the Peoples Bank of Philadelphia
had concluded that he ought to share
in the profits of Quay's stock deals,
and at time when the Senator was
in Florida wrote him that he thought
he ought to have some of the plums.
Impulsively Quay telegraphed to buy
1000 Net which, being Interpreted.
means Metropolitan Traction, and he
would shake the plum tree" Which
was to say that Quay would carry
the stock. But there we're no plums,
according to this version The stoci.
tell, and Quay had to pay the losses
for a speculation which was intend
ed to benefit the cashier. The plum
tire, according to the Senator's critics.
was the State Treasury, from which
deposits were to be turned over to
the bank.
Some years ago Senator Quay IL
augurated a system of employing de-
tectives to shadow the leaders Of the
opposition. Another favorite method
of his was to send brief personal let
tiers to thousands of voters all over
the State, especially in the interior
counties. Many politicians, regard
this letter-writing system as the most
effective votemakeTy ever Employed by
Quay. The mechanical process or
duplicating letters with all the de-
tail OF originals had just come into
use. In every county hundreds of
voters had letters from Quay, the
effect of which in a large majority Of
instances was to establish at once
personal relationship between the
gratifed recipient and the Senator.
which NO amount of campaign argyll
ment could SKATER. Quay was the
first political leader to equip himself
with complete list of the war vet
Grams OF the State. His letters 70
these Invariably began, Dear Com
rade'.
..Dear SeaVer-pon'e Talk"
What has passed into Journalistic
history as the Dear Beaver, don't
talk story is worth retelIing here.
In the year when General Beaver, Il
personal friend of Mr.. Quay, and
fellow member Of the Beta Theta Pi
college fraternity, was nominated for
Governor, the day after the nomina-
ton political writer on one OF the
Philadelphia papers look a train West
from the Quaker City to Harrisburg.
He met Quay on the train.
..What are YOU hunting for this
time?" asked the Senator.
ooh, I'm going to interview Cen
eral Beaver was the reply.
SIS that sou asked Quay thought
fully. well, wish you would take
a note to him from me. 1t will save
my getting off the train and I'm in a
hurry"
The newspaper man offered to do
this little favor. Quay took pad
from his pocket, wrote two or three
words on it, folded it loosely, handed
it to the reporter and said carelessly:
"Just give that to him if you will
That is all I was going TO say to
him.
Ushered into the veterans Office in
Harrisburg, the newspaper man ask
the General if he would consent to be
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