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. 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. He was appointed by the governor as Secretary of the Commonwealth from 1873 to 1878, and again from 1879 to 1882. He was appointed as the County Recorder of Philadelphia from 1878 to 1879, and state treasurer from 1886 to 1887.