Matthew Quay

The Honorable
Matthew Quay
United States Senator
from Pennsylvania
In office
January 16, 1901 – May 28, 1904
Preceded by Vacant
Succeeded by Philander Knox
In office
March 4, 1887 – March 4, 1899
Preceded by John Mitchell
Succeeded by Vacant
11th Chairman of the Republican National Committee
In office
July 12, 1888 – September 8, 1891
Preceded by Benjamin Jones
Succeeded by James Clarkson
Personal details
Born Matthew Stanley Quay
(1833-09-30)September 30, 1833
Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died May 28, 1904(1904-05-28) (aged 70)
Beaver, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Profession Politician, Lawyer

Matthew Stanley Quay (September 30, 1833 – May 28, 1904) was an immensely powerful Pennsylvania political boss once dubbed a "kingmaker" by President Benjamin Harrison. "Boss" Quay's political principles and actions stood in contrast to an unusually attractive personality. He was a resident of Beaver, northwest of Pittsburgh, where his house has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. The Roberts-Quay House at Philadelphia was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[1]

Biography

Early life

Quay was born in Dillsburg, York County, Pennsylvania, the son of a Presbyterian preacher, Anderson Quay, and his wife. After attending Beaver and Indiana academies, he graduated at Jefferson College (now Washington and Jefferson College) in 1850.[2] Quay was admitted to the bar in 1854. Prior to the start of the Civil War, Quay won election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing Beaver County.[3] At the start of the American Civil War, Quay was a colonel with 134th Pennsylvania volunteers.[4] He served in various capacities in the Civil War, including as Assistant Commissary General of Pennsylvania.[3] Congress awarded him the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the battle of Fredericksburg. Quay's conduct during the war earned him the attention of Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin, who made Quay his personal aide tasked with answering the letters of soldiers.[3][4] In 1864, Quay was elected to the Pennsylvania legislature, serving from 1865–1867.[4] He was a companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

Politics

After the war, Quay became an ally of party boss Simon Cameron, who founded a state machine that also included his son, future Senator Donald Cameron.[3] Quay became the editor of a newspaper called the 'Radical,' where Quay defended the spoils system and called for greater protection of African-American civil rights in the South.[5] He was appointed by the governor as Secretary of the Commonwealth from 1873–1878, and again from 1879–1882. He was appointed as the County Recorder of Philadelphia from 1878–1879, and state treasurer from 1886–1887.[4]

He was elected by the legislature in 1887 to the United States Senate, serving from March 4, 1887 until March 3, 1899, with repeated re-elections. Shortly after his election to the Senate, Quay outmaneuvered fellow Senator Donald Cameron to become the boss of the state Republican Party.[3] Quay was elected as chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1888. Quay served as Benjamin Harrison's campaign manager in the 1888 presidential election.[4] In the 1896 presidential election, Quay finished third on the Republican National Convention's presidential ballot. Quay aided New York party boss Thomas C. Platt in making Theodore Roosevelt the party's vice presidential nominee in 1900.[6]

Quay was perhaps the preeminent state party boss of the late 19th century, and other party bosses in states like New York and Illinois followed Quay's example. With his control of state patronage, Quay built an organization with a budget comparable to mid-sized railroads of the era.[5] Quay rarely spoke in public, but instead conducted most of his business in one-on-one meetings, locking down support before making a public move.[3] Despite his power, Quay frequently clashed with reformers in Pennsylvania, particularly with Philadelphia's Committee of One Hundred.[3] Quay was succeeded as party boss by fellow Senator Boies Penrose.[3] The fictional "Senator Mark Simpson" in Theodore Dreiser's The Financier was based on Quay.[7]

Senate seating controversy

In 1898, Quay was brought to trial on a charge of misappropriating state funds. Although he was acquitted the following year, the feeling among the reform element in his own party was so opposed to him that the legislature became deadlocked over filling the Senate vacancy. As the legislature was unable to build consensus for anyone to be elected to the seat, Governor William Stone appointed Quay to fill the ensuing vacancy. Quay presented his credentials to the Senate in December 1899, but the Senate refused to seat him, declaring that he was not entitled to the seat. Pennsylvania held a special election to fill the persistent vacancy, and Quay was re-elected to the seat. Quay would serve in the Senate until his death in 1904.[4]

Timeline

Quay County, New Mexico and the small community of Quay, New Mexico and the community of Quay, Oklahoma are all named in his honor.

Matthew Quay appears on a 45p (£0.45) commemorative stamp from the Isle of Man Post Office, as part of a series honoring Manx-Americans.

Quotes

After his narrow victory over Grover Cleveland in 1888, Benjamin Harrison told Quay that "Providence has given us the victory."

A few weeks later, Quay said to reporters about Harrison:

"Think of the man! He ought to know that Providence hadn't a damn thing to do with it." Harrison, Quay added, would "never know how close a number of men were compelled to approach the gates of the penitentiary to make him president."[8]

Quay was not enthusiastic to work for Harrison's re-election campaign in 1892, and referred to the president as the "White House iceberg" for his cool, unfriendly demeanor. When Harrison told Quay that God had made him president, Quay snapped back, "Then let God re-elect you," and stomped out.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization:

Colonel, 134th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg, Va., December 13, 1862. Entered service at: Beaver County, Pa. Born: September 30, 1833, Dillsburg, Pa. Date of issue: July 9, 1888.

Citation:

Although out of service, he voluntarily resumed duty on the eve of battle and took a conspicuous part in the charge on the heights.[9]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ Matthew Stanley (M.S.) Quay Papers Finding Aid, 1836-1927, AIS.1969.01, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Blair, William Alan (April 1989). "A Practical Politician: The Boss Tactics of William Stanley Quay". Pennsylvania History 56 (2): 78–89.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Matthew S. Quay Historical Marker". Explore PA History. Explore PA History.com. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  5. 1 2 Reichley, A. James (2000). The Life of the Parties. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 127–131.
  6. ↑ Reichley, pg. 160.
  7. ↑ Beers, Paul B. (1 November 2010). Pennsylvania Politics Today and Yesterday: The Tolerable Accommodation. Penn State Press. p. 44. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  8. ↑ A. K. McClure, "Old Time Notes of Pennsylvania", John C. Winston Company, 1905, cited in "The Politicos 1865-1896" by Matthew Josephson, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1938.
  9. ↑ "QUAY, MATTHEW S. , Civil War Medal of Honor recipient". American Civil War website. 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2007-11-08.

References

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about:
Matthew Stanley Quay
Political offices
Preceded by
William Livsey		 Treasurer of Pennsylvania
1886–1887 		Succeeded by
William Livsey
United States Senate
Preceded by
John Mitchell		 U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Pennsylvania
1887–1899
Served alongside: J. Donald Cameron, Boies Penrose		 Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by
Vacant		 U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Pennsylvania
1901–1904
Served alongside: Boies Penrose		 Succeeded by
Philander Knox
Party political offices
Preceded by
Benjamin Jones		 Chairman of the Republican National Committee
1888–1891 		Succeeded by
James Clarkson
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