AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PENNSYLVANIAN
This process of reasoning made no impression on him and it marks the difference between him and Quay, who would have foreseen the situation which arose.
There was a vacancy in the United States Senate to be filled. If Quay ever had the thought that his son Richard might succeed him there, as J. Donald Cameron had followed his father, he never even gave me a hint of his wish. Richard R. Quay, a bright, dapper little fellow, who had shown an aptitude for making money, had done nothing in public life which would justify such a selection. His appointment could only have been made by subordinating duty to friendship. The newspapers, as is their wont, proceeded at once to determine the person who should be selected and the manner in which it should be done. In their view, if the governor did not call the legislature together in special session for the purpose he would be a violator of the constitution, and they cited an argument of my attorney general in support of the proposition. Among their selections were William Flinn, Joseph C. Sibley, John Dalzell, Francis Robbins, Henry C. Frick and John P. Elkin. In an interview in the executive mansion at Harrisburg, at which were present Penrose, Robert McAfee and other party leaders, the Senator offered to me tentatively a list of about six names. We talked over the matter at some length. George T. Oliver of Pittsburgh was the only one who was satisfactory in my view, and most of the men suggested I would not have appointed under any circumstances. Finally I said to Penrose:
“The proper man to send to the Senate is Philander C. Knox.”
His name was not on the list. The interview then ended. A day or two later, I was invited to dine with The Farmers' Club at the farm of A. J. Cassatt in the Chester Valley. There were present, among others, George F. Baer, Wayne MacVeagh and Senator Penrose. When the dinner was over Penrose asked me to walk out on the lawn and there
