The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-06-01
|StQrI6S O. CLudII S 6dT 81 !
see this He spread the paper or.
on his desk and the newspaper man

on his desk, and the newspaper man
read:
Dear Beaver-Don't talk NJ $,
Quay s5
Thereupon he also laughed, but
there was no interview that day.
Now, Quay had figured on two:
things. First, that the newspaper
man, being a gentleman, would not
open the sheet, though it was not
sealed; and second, that he woull
probably deliver it before the inter
view began being anxious to get It
off his mind. In both assumptions the
politician was right. He was an al:
most unfailins judge of human na.z
ture.
Remark Ascribed to German.
Foe and friend of Quay in politics
We're equally appreciatlve Of the sub;
stantial truth of remark ascribed to
Senator German in relation to Ger.
tain subordinate commanders in the
Republican organization of Pennsyi-
yania who sought to promote their;
interests by allying themselves with
representative business men in an
tagonism to the Pennsylvania ma.
chine.
Chose fellows the quotation from
German runs, would do well to bear
in mind that although Quay has
taught them all the politics they
know, he has taken good care not to
teach them all he knows
The most unsparing critics of
Quay's methods of getting out Of
he was peerless among the directors
general of political machinery in the
United States, at least in the matter
of seemingly executing the policy that
the means are justied by the end. His
achievements, through apparently. act
ing, or permitting his subordinate
to act. in accordance with that STAN
dard of political ethics. were some
times marvellous, in view of conden-
nation or opposition SO widespread
and formidable that an ordinary man
would have been disheartened by il.
His Remarkable Scholarship.
Mr.. Quay was said to know more,
poetry by heart than any other man
in Pennsylvania. He had been an
Unsuitable reader and had a mar
velous memory. Few tragedians were
as familiar with Shakespeare as this
practical politician. Nearly all OF
Byron he had at his tongues end.
The story is told of a rencontre
with Mr.. Roosevelt, when the latter
was Vice-President, which threw q
new light on Mr.. Quay for those who
knew of it. At a dinner table in q
house of which the owner was
book enthusiast, Mr.. Roosevelt made
some quotation from QUO Vadis."
81 don't thinll>that is quite correct
said Mr.. Quay quietly.
isn't it?" asked MIR. Roosevelt.
I'VE can find out by sending for the
book
On the consent of the host man
was starting for the library when
Mr.. Quay said:
do you suppose you have a copy
of QUO vadis' in the original? If you
have I wish you would have it brought
along with the translation
81 think I have it," said the host,
and both We're brought in.
Thereupon Mr.. Quay took the cory
in Polish, as Sienkiewicz had writ
ten it. When the New York states
man had found the passage in the
translated copy the Pennsylvania
read from the original, translating as
he Went. while Mr.. Roosevelt COM
pared the translation and found that
he had fallen into slight error
which the Senator had wished TO
point out
AS a matter of fact ME-. Quay had
devoted much of his leisure to the &C
quirement of languages Outside of
his own, it is said, he spoke five flu
emily, and read seven or eight, of
which one happened to be Polish.
Brave at fredericksburg.
In the Civil War he took the field
as colonel of the One Hundred and
Thirty-fourth Pennsylvania Voun-
teers. Just before the battle of Fred
ericksburg he was at the front, lying
sick upon a bed of typhoid fever In
that condition he resigned. When
the coming battle was imminent ne
asked to be restored to his command,
in spite of the fact that he was yet
weak from his long and severe ill
ness. 1t was too late, and his re-
quest, almost on the eve of the fight,
could not be granted.
Then he applied to General Tyler,