Cameron machine facts for kids

The Cameron machine was a powerful political group in Pennsylvania. It was part of the Republican Party. This group controlled much of Pennsylvania's politics for about 70 years.

It was started by Simon Cameron, who was against slavery. Later, his son J. Donald Cameron took over. Then, Matthew Quay led the group, and finally Boies Penrose. This political machine believed in being careful with money. They also supported higher taxes on imported goods to protect American businesses.

Simon Cameron was a strong leader. But his son, Donald, was not as good at politics. This led to the machine's power shifting to Matthew Quay. Quay was very clever and used the machine's power well. After Quay, Boies Penrose became the leader. When Penrose died, the machine lost its power and influence.

History of the Cameron Machine

How Simon Cameron Started the Machine

Simon Cameron, who started the machine.

The Republican political machine in Pennsylvania began with Simon Cameron. He was first a Democrat, then a Know Nothing, and finally joined the Republican Party. In 1845, Cameron had already brought together different groups. These groups helped him get elected to the Senate. Around 1860, as the Republican Party grew, he formed this machine. It became very important for many decades.

Cameron used to be a businessman. After he was elected to the United States Senate in 1866, he gained control over state jobs and contracts. This helped him make his influence stronger. For example, he arranged loans from a bank for Republicans who supported him.

Leadership Passes to Simon's Son

In 1877, J. Donald Cameron became a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. This happened after his father resigned. He also took over his father's political machine. This made him the main "boss" of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. However, he was not very good at politics and lacked charisma. He was loyal to his party but rarely spoke in the Senate. He also did not introduce many new laws.

Donald Cameron strongly supported protective tariffs. These are taxes on goods from other countries. Most Republicans at the time also believed in this.

During the 1880 presidential election, Cameron was in charge of the Republican National Committee. He supported former President Grant running for a third term.

A picture of J. Donald Cameron.

In 1882, the Pennsylvania Republican Party faced problems. About 40,000 "Liberal Republicans" left the party. They voted for an "Independent Republican" candidate. This helped the Democrats win the governor's election that year. A few years later, in the mid-1880s, Matthew S. Quay replaced Cameron as the machine's leader. Quay was much more influential and capable.

In 1890, a bill called the Federal Elections Bill was introduced. It passed the House of Representatives but faced problems in the Senate. Some Republicans from the West opposed it. They thought it would hurt their efforts to support silver money. Other Republicans, like Cameron and Quay, focused more on protective tariffs. They did not do much to help the bill pass, and it failed.

In 1896–97, Cameron decided not to run for another term. This was because Quay's power within the party was growing.

Quay Becomes the New Boss

When the Pennsylvania Republican Party was having trouble, Quay came up with a smart plan. He gained strong control over the state's money. He also used his power to give favors and loans to his political friends. Quay once said:

I don't mind losing the governorship or a legislature now and then, but I always need the state treasuryship.

Quay's Strategy for Power

At that time, state treasurers were often chosen by state lawmakers. This made it easier for them to use state money in ways that helped their political goals. However, people started demanding changes in the 1880s. This was especially true after President Garfield was sadly killed. These changes eventually led to state treasurers being elected by public vote. Quay's plan had three main goals:

• First, he wanted to win the Treasurer election himself.
• Second, he wanted to elect Beaver as Governor of Pennsylvania.
• Third, he wanted to be elected U.S. Senator by the state legislature.

Quay believed that winning the state treasurer election in 1885 would help the party in 1886. If successful, this would create a strong party base. This base would then help him win in 1887. In 1885, he met with newspapers and independent voters. These groups had opposed the main Republican candidate in 1882. He managed to get most of them to support him or at least not strongly oppose him. The New York Times wrote:

. . . Quay had managed during his political life to do a favor for some strong political worker in each district in the State....

Quay used clever and sometimes controversial methods to keep power.

After the 1885 wins, Quay worked to elect Beaver in the spring of 1886. He told Beaver to talk a lot about protective tariffs in his speeches. But he also told Beaver to stay quiet and out of the spotlight. Quay advised him:

Your policy is to stand aside and allow the procession to pass until this convention is safely in hand and then only to interfere in case a disaster is imminent.

At the Republican convention in July that year, Beaver was chosen as the candidate. He then won the general election. This brought Pennsylvania Republicans back into power in the state government. Quay was rewarded the next year.

Quay in the U.S. Senate

In the 1886–87 elections, Quay ran for the U.S. Senate. He won because grateful Republicans in the Pennsylvania legislature voted for him. He quickly became the leader of the powerful Pennsylvania political machine. He replaced the less effective leader, Donald "Don" Cameron. A newspaper that supported the Democratic Party said about Quay:

He is neither orator nor a debator, but a man of good practical sense, an excellent judge of human nature, and is always loyal and true in his friendships.

"Practical" meant he would use "whatever means necessary" to win elections and stay in power. "Loyal" meant he would give favors and jobs to his political friends and supporters.

In the Senate, Quay had American Indian heritage. He became a strong supporter of Indian tribes. He also opposed stopping Chinese people from moving to the United States. He voted for higher protective tariffs. He also supported bills that helped businesses. However, on other issues, he often made his own decisions.

How the Machine Kept Power

The Quay machine used clever ways to make sure they stayed in power. They had "local helpers" who worked for the state and city. These helpers were assigned to certain neighborhoods. They would give favors to people who were loyal to the machine. This included giving out city construction jobs. They also helped get young people out of jail. Sometimes, they even gave money or alcohol as rewards.

In cities with many coal and steel industries, the Cameron machine had a strong hold over immigrant residents. Many of these newcomers could not read well. They were often marched to voting places with ballots that were already marked. They were told to vote Republican. If they refused, they were threatened with losing their jobs.

1888 Elections

During the 1888 presidential election, Quay was chosen to lead the Republican campaign. New York was seen as a very important state to win. It was controlled by Republican boss Thomas C. "Tom" Platt statewide. But New York City was controlled by Democrats. Because New York had voted for Democrat Grover Cleveland in the last election, Quay set up the Republican campaign headquarters in New York City.

On election day, Quay sent people to New York City to check for unfair voting practices by Democrats. At the same time, unfair voting practices were also happening in Pennsylvania cities controlled by Quay's machine. Quay also started a fund to pay for information that led to convictions for voter fraud. He also made lists of residents to see if voters were "imported" from other states. The Republican candidate, Benjamin Harrison, won the election, defeating Cleveland.

In the congressional elections of 1888, Quay helped Republicans take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. He gave money to Republican campaigns in close Southern districts. Detectives were also sent there to protect the voting rights of Black people and white Republicans from challenges by the Democratic Party.

1890 Elections

In the 1890 elections, Quay found it hard to adapt to the changing political mood in Pennsylvania. He could have overseen many job positions, but it was too much for one person. Quay knew it was important for the party to work together, but he did not follow this in 1890. This led to big problems.

The media criticized Quay's handling of state money. The senator tried to force his personal choice for governor, but that person lost. This was due to pressure from the national level and from cities in the state. According to a book called A Practical Politician: The Boss Tactics of Matthew Stanley Quay:

Quay needed to control key components in a state. What he could not manage, he would set against each other so they would not unite against him.

Quay Keeps Control Through Clever Rules

In 1895, Quay publicly said he supported reforms. He wanted to stop public offices from being "enslaved." He spoke out against "municipal thieves." He said public office should only be used to help the public. He also opposed public employees deciding their own salaries.

Quay then pushed for four new laws that were supposed to stop these practices. However, these bills were written in a way that left clever ways for some of the old practices to continue.

Quay's Senate Seat Problem (1899–1901)

In 1899, the Pennsylvania legislature refused to re-elect Quay. This was because he had used state money in ways that were not allowed the year before. The governor then appointed him to the same job. But the U.S. Senate refused to let Quay take his seat. They voted against him by just one vote. It took two more years for Quay to return to his Senate seat. He was elected in a special election in 1901.

By the time Quay returned to the Senate, he had lost control of the Pennsylvania Republican machine. By this point, Boies Penrose was leading it.