AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PENNSYLVANIAN
Gratz, who was close to Mitchell, and he became much enlisted in the effort to advance Mitchell. This was the leverage with which Quay brought him around to my support. I have been told that once when McManes asked Quay to suggest that I do something which he thought would be helpful to his political plans, Quay replied:
“McManes, Pennypacker is one of those literary fellows and you know they cannot be depended upon for anything of that sort.”
In other words. Quay was using his influence to protect me from any attempt at a pressure which he knew would be harmful. Late in the year before, a struggle arose in the board of education over the election of president in which I had taken a decided part in favor of Samuel B. Huey. The candidate of Gratz was Isaac A. Sheppard, who was finally successful. Quay wrote to me that I had better resign from the board and thus get out of the controversy. I presume that this suggestion came from McManes. I replied that I was so far committed that I could not retreat without a display of weakness, and that, besides, it would present the appearance of announcing my appointment to the bench and I was disposed to assume all of the risks which might be involved. I heard no more of it, remained on the board and voted for Huey.
It was reported over the town that Disston and some of the other leaders would make a contest in the Republican Convention, but this purpose, if it ever existed, was soon dissipated and I was nominated by unanimous consent. At this time William F. Harrity, who had read law with Cassidy and afterward managed a presidential campaign, became a financier and acquired a fortune, always a friend of mine, was the strongest among the Democratic leaders. I received the Democratic endorsement and almost all of the votes that were cast in the city.
The course of my life for the next ten years was now determined. The vicissitudes of existence, however, are
