Credit: Library of Congress
In 1887 Pennsylvania State Treasurer Mathew Quay won election to the United States Senate and soon replaced J. Donald Cameron as leader of the state Republican government in 1887. Quay then led the state Republican party and the state government that it controlled until his death in 1904. Like Cameron, Quay also became one of the nation's most powerful politicians, using his position on key Senate appropriations committees to reward loyalty to the Republican party and the high tariff, pro-business interests it represented.
