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CHARLOTTE DAILY OBSERVER, JXTLY 26, 1903.' . ? - BV RUFCS ROCKWELL WOSOJi. -vj" T . The late Leonard 8wett' speaking from first-hand knowledge or tae taxis, once said that the, whole ex-t Dns of Lincoln's first nomination tor President -including the cost of feeadauarters. telegrams, music, fare cf--delegates-eha incidentals, did not exceed Tvs. It cost tne Kepuou ran national committee less to elect Lincoln la 110 than it does to con duct many a State canvass of the present tlme. That-wmmlttee,' said Mr. Swett "spent a sum that would now seem, contemptible, but It did Its work at thoroughly and sue cessfully as any committee the party hss-nad since. In Itti. at the most i crlUcal-iliour ih- the history of the cation, the sum of tlOO.OOA was all ahat was spent to secure , Vie re-eiec-tle-n of Lincoln." ' It Is a far cry from 1884 to 1808. and It is well within the bounds to ay-that it will cost mors than $5.000,000 -to elect a President this year.- This sum will be spent by the national committees of the, two great parties and does not include the funds ' collected and disbursed by the 'several - Etate committees and other smaller arencies. The use of large sums of money la politics, as has been Infer red. U a growth of the last forty years. Previous to that time politi cal campaigning was largely a matter of hurrah and sentiment; but in the later 10s business men, alert, shrewd and fond of system and order, began . to take the management of politics Into their 'hands, and a wonderful change In methods and measures was speedily effected.. To Samuel J. Til- den, more than to any other man. Is ' due the credit of perfecting the sys tem of campaigning now In vogue. He Jiad a gift for the management -of men on a large scale that amounted to genius. He saw that great Issues which arouse the enthusiasm of the masses, though most essential, are not In themselves sufficient to Insure sue- cess In a campaign, but that much of the work to be effective must be done In secret and that it was of the first Importance that every voter should De prougnt into direct personal con tact with the campaign management This' required a comprehensive system, great volumes of correspondence, and an almost unlimited use of printed matter in a word, an organisation which reached out and embraced every borne and fireside in the land. and the operation of which Involved the expenditure of vast sums of money. Time stamped Tllden's methods with the seal of success, and they nave taken tne place of those former ly employed. In 1171 more than 4101,000 was collected and spent by the campaign managers of the two great parties. Tour years later they had at their disposal -more than 91.000.000. and In 1114 the campaign disbursements were half ss much gain. In Kit the Harrison-Cleveland -campaign cost not less than 11.800.000; and In the campaign of 1112 the expednltures of the two national committees were quite S2.000.000. Finally, In 1891, more than 14,000.000, and In 100 an even larger amount passed through- - the bands of Chairman Hanna end Chair man Jones and their associates. in 1908. at least $5,000,000 will be ex pended. But the charge that the greater part of these vast sums is Used to corrupt voters and purchase votes Is a f&lse and silly one. Nearly, If not all, of the moneys collected are anticipated by the legitimate expenses of the campaign. :"" These cover a wide range, and their volume swells with every succeeding campaign. - . ? ; The first work of a national com mittee is to prepare campaign litera ture. , These-documents not only in form, the people but sglve to orators and writers a mass or xacxs and argu ments. -They are in the main the speechesof leading Senators and Con-' gresgmen but often brief and trench ant cards and circulars, which pierce with a single shaft the -armor of ,; the enemy, are-employed with 'telling- ef fect. . In 1184 the famous "Rum. Romanism and Rebellion" 'utterance or jpr. Burchard was "printed on email cards and distributed before the doori of all the . Catholic churches of the country the Sunday before election Its effect was most disastrous, and as there was little or no time in which to counteract it it had much, to do in determining the result of the election. This year the two national commit tees will probably spend fully 1500. 000 In the preparation, publication and circulation of documents. This repreeents a mass of printed matter large enough to fill a small freight train, and it is an open question whether or not too much money Is not spent in this way. Still, so shrewd a politician asex-Senator Hill Is of the opinion that this plan of anneal has more Influence on the wavering and doubtful than any other. Each of the national committees also maintains throughout the cam paign a news bureau, which, under the direction of experienced political writers, supplies partisan news and ar rutments to the smaller newspapers. A good many newspapers are subtilJlz- ed newspapers in foreign 'tongues, and certain class journals. There are hundreds of these kinds in the larger cities and towns, nearly every one of whose editors is ready to support cith er party for a consideration. They do no say so openly, but they announce early In a campaign that unless they are "helped" In some way by the na tional committee to" which they ap poaU it will e Inconvenient for them to devote a proper amount of apace to "booming" the candidate. Payments to these political soldiers of fortune usu ally take the form of standing orders for a certain number of papers of each issue, the order ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 copies. The campaign orator does not cut the figure In politics that he did In former years; the multiplication of printing presses and telegrapn lines has struck a heavy (blow to his pres tige as a creator end too We r of public opinion, but his influence is still great and must te taken into account by campaign managers. During the months of. a national campaign hundreds of speakers of a national and local repute are kept constantly employed by the national and State committees, tne efforts of those under the direction of the national organisa tion being as a rule confined to the close and doubtful States. The expenses of all of these speakers are paid, but their services are generally given with out expectation of monetary reward. In the jcaMLol. .man. of exec ptlphal gifts of oratory, or of those who can not afford to neglect their business (without a money recompense, fees are paid, though an effort is generally made to keep the fact nf such pay ment secret, as when, It is known the orator ts looked UDOn as a. anrla1 pleader and his arguments carry lit tle weignt. The result of thin flood of rompalgn oratory Is an .open question As Republican mass trieetlns-s, are at tended " In the malnf toy . Republican voters and Democratic- mags meetings by "Democratlo voters the number of convert made --by -r them must - be eroalL Still they serve to create enthu siasm, to maintain and Improve dis cipline and, as It were, to close Up and steady the party ranks.'- Very useful for the same purpose are the cam paign clubs and societies, whoso or anlz&tlon and equipment cost -In the a-Zfrregate .a large sum. .The moneys which a national committee gives to Its several etate committees are -sent rudgingly and the latter are. always urged to raise all that they fan them selves. '.''-:--:,";.- .,..fv:v The routine work of a, -national com mittee requires the renting of spa cious quarters, the employment of a large force of clerks, stenographers and messengers, all of -whom are well paid for their services, and the com mittee -g-enerally, sustains the expense of the varty parades suid demonstra tlons held in New York City during the campaign months. . These parades and demonstrations do not materially alter the result in the-snetropolia and are not expected to, bujveir influence its Imposing partisan spectacles . are believed to have good effect upon the county at large. Thus It will be seen that while the sums of money collect ed for campaign purposes swell year ly, the ways of spending them, more than keep pace -with the means of rais ing them. ( . . 1 , With the growing use of money in politics It ihas feeen found more and more desirable that the chairman of a national committee should oe a man of large private fortune, with a credit and business status which In spire confidence and respect. When subscriptions are slow In coming In and he has as yet only promises in lieu of cash, he must become responsible for or advance the, funds needed to meet current expenses, and these ad vances often amount to several thou sand dollars. If there Is a shortage avier tne campaign is ended, be U the one who is looked to to -make it good. The caution of contributors coupled to the close watch which one nation al committee keeps on the doings and disbursements of the other reduces to a minimum ths possibility of campaign funds being misappropriated. Though they are disbursed in a larsv measure on honor, and a final accounting Is seldom had, still their management Is governed as tar as (possible by strict business rules, and, handled as they are by men of the highest character and integrity, Instances. In which they fail to reach the channels for which they were' Intended are very rare In deed. It can, X think, toe said with truth that the funds of a national committee are as carefully managed as are those of any large business cor poration. In ltt I Postmaster-General Wanamaker was at the head of the finance committee, (which had in charge the work of raising the Re publican campaign funds, and care fully supervised all disburesemtns for which he received vouchers. Still, as I have Just said, the disbursement of the party funds is in large measure a matter of honor, and the innovation Introduced by Mr. Wtanamaker may wot be rVeated. How is the money raised for cam paign fundi? The work has developed shrewd ....aiuL. successful beggar . of money. As a collector of campaign funds, Marshall Jewell, who was for several years chairman of the Repub lican national committee, perhaps never had an equal When others fail ed he succeeded, and It is told- of him that In Boston in a single day. he col lected tlTO.000. President Arthur was a charming feegrgar, and when he was an active politician Ws services as a fnce. Bethat is it may, it; is certain money-getter were always counted as wr me Tirst importance. He had much i? t w,th collection of the funds uuiBureeo ny jne Republican national committee 1n ; 1180. -Bo had Lev! p. ."ir.00 wno' U 'generally believed, within twenty-four hours . oiiri XJ0O.00O ;or thereabouts for Purely .,,vai, puiiycs. his powers were tne test in 1888. He fol lowed a method of his own. He pre- f JUt of TOen he new. and put down opposite their names the sums he thousht the ,-, . -..- awt-he-went to see them, few words "i .twitj, Ane Business men look " u' to matter as a business ansaotVon. and felt confident that Mr.'Mortpn fcad go&l business reasons wing upon mem. - - "Do you think I ought to put my name down 'for - m ton?" i v. 'i'i no bought so. I Shouldn't un iwmni nm tmount" -Most men paid without further a Jo ,a3?! Vnd,J:to, ! 'Mr.. Cleve- j vne. in ne main, from a dozen men, William U. Scott Wll am C. Whitney and Oliver Payie X ieuevea, quite 1100. 000. It is thought that Edward Coon. f .v ?:L Abram Hewitt each con tributed an . equal amount. - Senator Benjamin f. Jones was chairman , of jwiriuuiwi nauonai committee In that year, and .with the aid of Senator Stephen B. Elkins he collected in round figures 1800,000. But this sum did not pay all.the bills, and there was a deficiency at the end of the cam paign ox s ua.ooo. xnis Senator Jones iiju gooa out or nis own pocket. Nor was he the only heavy loser. Mr. Blaine, at the outset of the cam paign, drew his check for 125,000, and sent it to the national committee as his share of the campaign expenses. In the last days of October, his man agers became seriously alarmed at the situation in New York. New Jersey and Connecticut, and decided, as a last expedient to raise 1150,000 for use in those States. Only 150,000 -could be got from the usual sources, all of wnicn nad already -been freely drawn upon by the committee. Mr. Blaine was Informed of the difficulty, and, on me assurance tnat tne money would be collected and repaid to him later, he advanced 1100,000. But after the campaign the national committee was unaoie xo maae any collections, ana Mr. Blaine's loan was not repaid. It Is thought that it was mainly to retrieve this 'loss that he wrote his "Twenty Years V congress." William U Scott's contribution to the Democratic campaign fund in 1888 was 1250,000, Other generous contrlb utors were Christopher C. Baldwin, E. C. Benedict and William C. Whit ney, who added perhaps another quar ter million to the fund. A large sum, It has been said $400,000, of the Re publican campaign fund of 1888 was collected toy -John wanamaker. An equal amount was raised in New York City through the efforts of Cornelius N. Bliss and Levi P. Morton. Four days before the election. Senator Quay, who managed the Republican campaign, felt the urgent need of an additional $200,000 and appealed- to Senator T. C. Piatt. Senator Piatt at first protested that in the brief time, the task was an impossible one; but he finally accomplished it -by discount ing a note which, according to com mon belisrr'bore the indorsement -of Co His P. Huntington. The largest con tributions to the Democratic campaign funds In 1898 were made by the "silver Interests" the owners of silver' mines. that the -Democratic managers In ll2 had a larger fund at their dis posal than the Republicans. And in 1891. when the Republicans were out of office, the committee feeaded . by Chairman Hanna collected a - cam paign fund almost twice as large as the fund of the managers of the Bry an canvass. It is an open seccrt that the largest subscriber to this fund was William K. Vanderbllt who sent his check for 1150,000. It was not sent la answer to any appeal, tout was a de liberate and voluntary gift late in the canrpaigm The largest subscription from a corporation came from a pure ly savings and benevolent association, whose directors voted 225,000, "to protect: their depositors from. loag'jf their savings." . ". Xi : v "- j - This fact brings as to the source of most of the campaign funds In recent years the great corporations. The so called' "business interests" contribute most freely to the party that is in power; for they wish no change In the conduct of affairs; but - many " large concerns contribute to both sides, to have friends at court In any; event Office-holders are another certain source of revenue to the .national com- kjnfttee of the party la power,, and a third source Is a considerable class of men. who, anxious to secure political prominence or to occupy high posi tions, give lavishly as a means of ad vancing their personal interests. Fin ally comes the aggregate of small pop ular suoecriptions, wnicn, especially in contests of unusual enthusiasm, is a large sum. . There is always a sum. large or mall, spent In "secretV work- which is charged on the books of the nation weeks - (before the . election . EVy doubtful State and ' city" is close ly watched by men 'prompt to discov er every change in the politic-! tide, and money, is transmitted -to 3 large sums to the localities In which it la be lieved It will produce the best results, . . Political, parties are new so thor oughly organised and national cam paigns are so skilfully conducted that the vote of every State can be foretold with reasonable accuracy at least ten days before election, "but the loss of a presidential i election oy l.zoo votes proves the lurkmg -perils that be net tho rtathwav of the -wariest polit ical strategist Reckoning all the ex penses in all the States, k - may , o roughly estimated that-a presidential campaign, inciuamg iw causes the total expenditure of per- al, gubernatorial and lesser campaigns, haps iZP.QWP.pm', ' -f . , . SCBIBBLINGS OF AN IDLEB ' ''""BY. 6. B." U. ' jk. little learning is ' a dangerous thing In politics. Mr. Horns had Just enough to be costly. ? , ; . . , - .Experience is the best vscho?--but the tuition rates are too nign, v A girl in the kitchen is wortjl two in the gtarlor.' ' When a woman marries a man to reform him, her whole nature is soon deformed; t One of the loafer the other day got .1 vrrr,l,-. -,v, t . ' OH UIO lOUOWing. OKH U9 UW IIWl where it could never be traced. Just, c!' t!!1 , Campaign managers say that It Is under most conditions easier to raise money for the party which Is out of power than for the party that Is in as the contributions of corporations are onargea on tne dooks or tnese cor porations to some account .where a stockholder, for Instance, could never find it There are many uses of cam paign money that ths managers think prudent to keep secret which are not illegitimate. Inde'ed, the money that is used at last in ouylng votes on election day may have -been properly charged on the books of a national committee as a legitimate expenditure and it may have been perverted from its legitimate use on the last day by basket he said religiously, "A the tast man who received it; or it and his money are soon parted.' may inave come irom Johnnie went to Sunday school with a brand-new nickel, given him by his uncle the day before. As the children mads their contributions, each recited a verse of Scripture, appropriate to the occasion. One youngster said proudly, "God loveth a cheerful giv er;" another, "Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth," etc. Fi nally it .came Johnnie's time and he marched up to tne table with some thing of a frown upon his face. As his nickel disappeared into the capacious fool conversation on the streets of. a cerjV tain Xorth Carolina town shows hew--'ra'uch' some people knew- about -civil-- government and politics, it is a fact, f that a large number of citlzens-ln v, f ery- community is at heart anarchists. ' i ' They rebel at any semblanse of out- i side rule, however democratic It may be. - We all know men who are honest and sincere, and who pay their debts and behave themselves, and yet secret ly think 'that the governorship- is useless ornamentation to the body poi- ; Hie The Legislature exists, according ' to their way of thinking, simply to provide Jobs for the faithful po clan. The county commissioners, even, are only trying to catch ths humble citlsen upon ' the hip. These same" men are the ones who grumble at paving a hard-worked school teacher f $20 a month for four months in the ;s? year and sneer at the merchant who fj "runs" them because he wears fstore" clothes and works in ths shade. When asked for a contribution - to the ex- , penses of the Church, they Invariably say: "Let the preacher work for his living, like I 'do. They are honest and sincere, but -t ' . ' .... The Leap Year girl had. with flush- : ed face and halting tonsue. lust stem- ' . mered out a serious proposition to ths ' y coy young man at her Mde. He -best- Uted thoughtfully, while she , waited - with bated breath for his answer. He, looked Into her liquid eyes with a friendly gase. "I'll be a brother ts you." he said gently. And ths spirit of dosens of rejected summer suitors laughed silently, bat gleefully. Their ' . revenge had come at last 1 ;.:- some "secret fund which had in the beginning been provided for uses that would not bear investigation. How match is spent In buying votes can never be guessed at. But since the secret ballot Jaw went into effect In many States, bribery has been Vssened A very important and costly piece of work is the polling or doubtful States. From the first, the national committee keeps In close and constant touch with the several State committees. Some States are so safe and others so hopeless as to require no attention from the national managers, but for strategic reasons a Sham campaign is sometimes made in hopeless States. The real battle-ground is the doubtful States. The national committee, at an early stage of the campaign, causes to -be prepared as nearly correct and complete a list of the voters In these States as possible. Most of the men who make these canvasses have to be paid, and the ag gregate cost is, of course, enormous. But It is money that is regarded as pweli spent, for the real weak spots are discovered and campaign work) is re doubled where it is most needed. Meetings are organised at 'short no. tlce, an army of workers is employed. and the best speakers are sent where they may chage votes. Thus the most expensive work of a national cam paign Is done during ths last three The father held the man-child In his arms during one brief day. All the pent-up love of thirty childless years poured its sacred flood upon his heart He looked a-down the future and saw tender childhood, hopeful youth and vigorous manhood. He saw his own unfinished tasks taken up bravely and carried pn to successful completion; and the soul of hint thrill ed with a new and strange Joy. For one brief day, then back into the great iignt wnence ne oame went the man- child and a mighty darkness put its pall about the father. . . . And yet. people wonder at the grief of the man. "it was only an Infant, they say. TO ESIOLE. Dear, I have wandered all my days O't-r many s barren path and bleak. But come at last from out the mase . Of tanl"il ways; and strive to seek And nnd thy heart of love. "I've hearn tell that that man spent mighty nigh five thousand dollars to be nomernated Ouvnor. Now you Jest watch taxes ge up. He will git the Job and us poor devils will have to pay for It. He'll set back In the shade up thar In Raleigh and well sweat down here in the sun to pay for it" The above verbatim quotation from a Ths Observer la interested ia bdadt- on county Journalism but the by-no-means-effete r-Ast has them all "beat a block" when it comes to the question of newspaper enterprise. For a chron icler of all the Important happenings of the neighborhood, a true recorder of local current events, commend ne to a paper published by the placid Pasquotank, a clipping from which is appended. . Nothing Is allowed, to es cape the eagle eye of this reporter. If a person visits his neighbor, especially If he has serious Intentions, he may look to see the event chronicled in his home paper which Is well and gives the paper a deserved popularity. "Misses Sarah and Maude Austin have Just returned from tSlabtown where they have been attending meet ings. "Mr. Willie Lewark is a constant visitor of Miss Sarah Austin. It Is suspected that the wedding bells will soon ring there. "Mr. Clair Baum was to see Miss Maud Austin: Monday night "Miss Annie Gallop is the guest of Miss 8a rah Rustsr Monday. "Mr. Ray Sandeflln and Mr. Ernest Sanderlln had a pleasant ride over to Waterlily Monday in their gas boat "Hooray for Frog Sidon the wed ding bells have begun to ring when Miss Maud R us tin wll become Mrs. Maud Baum." Baseball. Greensboro Record. The baseball league winds ud Au gust 12th and taking K as a whole the people fond of the sport have been well pleased with the entertainment furnished. The games have served to while away many an afternoon And while the home team may not be able, at this late day, to win the pen nant, the patrons of the gams have been well satisfied. We have not heard the matter discussed, but quite likely Greensboro will be readr to nut another team in'the league next year. AMTT "Queen o.f r HOTEL Morehead City, North Carolina easide Resorts 9 COME-TO AUGUST Fishing is the finest sport, Mackerel is the finest fish, August is the finest month t6 catch them Encampment of the Third Regiment Here August 4 th Gome and have a great time then. Plenty of music. Plenty of Fun. i. . V WRITE FOR RESERVATION TO , P n nnwt It
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
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July 26, 1908, edition 1
14
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