Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-14
WHEN QUAY 0UAKED
II Was When Durham and EIkln
Were on His TralI--But He Out
generated Them and shelved
Elkln In the Supreme
Court Bench
BY GEORGE NOx MCCAIN
DROTHONOTARY HENRY

I
J L WALTON is authority for the state
ment that the shortest and, incident
ally, one Of the most important Repub:
lican state conventions ever held In
Pennsylvania lasted just seventy two
minutes.
1t wassthe convention Of April, 1904,
which marked the withdrawal of Gov
ernor Samuel W., Pennypacker' as a
candidate for the Supreme bench and
the selection Of John p. Elkin for the
place by the unanimous votes OF all the
delegates present.
II marked the last great turning point
in the spectacular and politically tri-
umphant career Of Matthew Stanley
Quay.
! BY a movement that was character
lied by all of the far sighted shrewdness
and acumen for which he was noted,
Quay wiped out the last vestige OF op-
position to his bossship and established
himself firmly In the control Of his party
until the day Of his death.
There are scores of men living in
Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania
who recall tividly the episodes Of that
memorable gathering. Quay directed its
destinies from Atlantic City, just as
Penrose from his armchair on Spruce
street helped to manipulate the pawns
In the presidential game at the recent
Chicago convention.
The difference was that the climax
Of the convention Of 1904 was reached
with smoothness and precision that
were totally lacking in Chicago.
The one performed like company of
trained seals the other carried on like
the inmates of a bear-pit after a five
days. fast.
TOHN P. ELKIN and Israel W. Dur
~ ham came nearer wrecking Matthew
Stanley Quay's political future than
any other men or set of men ever did.
Not even when his entrance to the
United States Senate was barred by
deadlock, and John Wanamaker and his
followers were hurling javelins Of def
ance and derision at the man from
Beaver. did he stand In such peril as
when Elkin and Durham, with the aid
Of Larry Eyre, Frank McClain, Harry
Walton and a battalion Of the younger
crowd of aspiring leaders, menaced his
strangehold on the party and sought
to Administrative dose that would have
bade good night to all his future.
DURHAM never forgave Quay for
~ refusing to indorse Elkin for the
governorship, thus compelling him, on
the score of regularity and In consid-
Grafton of past favors, to turn against
his bosom friend and salute the rising
banner Of Judge Pennypacker for Gov
ernor.
met Durham in Washington in the
midst of the crisis-and it was crisis
in his life--as he was hurrying from
Florida to hear the worst from Quay's
own lips.
He was haggard. with the look of a
man who had lost three nights sleep
in succession. Never voluble. he was
more reticent than ever. His only COM
ment as we stood in the lobby Of the
Willard was:
II was afraid something might hap
pen. but I didn't think he'd dare do it."
But Quay dared anything.
TOHN P. ELKIN, by virtue of party
y loyalty and as a faithful servitor Of
QUAY, was entitled to the nomination
for Governor In 1902. But he was
popular with the younger element in
the party, particularly in the country,
and Quay feared him.
Self preservation demanded that
Elkin be sacrificed.
The convention in 1902 that nomi-
mated Governor Pennypacker left scars
that would require years to heal. Quay
was aware of this, and there is little
doubt that he, from the moment of
Pennypacker inauguration, began lay
ing the foundations Of the coup which
he developed at the convention of 1904.
EARLY in that year the rumor was
IL industriously circulated that, hav-
ing gratifed his ambition to nominate
and elect a Governor of his own selec-
ton, Quay proposed to put up Governor
Pennypacker for the vacancy on the
Supreme bench which was due.
The origin of the rumor could never
be traced to Quay's door. AS for Gov
ernor Pennypackcr. he refused to dis
cuss the question In any shape or form.
But the gossip persisted and finally
crystallized into an accepted belief that
Pennypacker was Quay's slated can
didate.
But it was not until the day before
the state convention convened that
Quay's plans were disclosed.
The Philadelphia delegation had
adopted resolution offering its support
to the Governor. With this indorse-
ment in hand a committee headed by
David II. Lane waited upon him. He
was ready for them. His reply was
brief and in writing. 1t was that he
had decided not to permit his name to
be presented to the convention. !
Then the committee marched down
Capitol Hill again and over to Pen
roses headquarters. From there they
visited Mr.. Elkin and rendered him
their support for the supreme judge
ship.
The intimate details of that transac-
ton, which seemingly was conceived and
eliminated in the brief space of two |
hours. is known to fewer than half a |
dozen men now living.
Elkin was not a party to 1t. The |
offer Of the place to him was a sur
prise. He asked for time to consult his
friends, but in the end decided to ac-
cept the nomination.
THAT night the caucus was a camou-
l. flage. Instructed delegates voted for
their candidate and then rushed pell
nell in the grand finale to the Elkin |
standard.
Next mornings convention was
mere ratification meeting. The ways |
had been creased. There was no oppo-
sition and the perfunctory work of the
body was. as I have stated, completed |
In the shortest time ever consumed by |
a Republican state convention. Henry |
F. Walton nominated Elkin and Frank |
B. McClain seconded It,
.Nu e .ta..