Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-14
THE COST OF MAKING 4 PEEsI-
DENT

DENT
A recent English critic writing upon
our manners and customs has been
| caught saving that "The American
| people il peri eiually voting for some
! election Or another" and the Herald
! adding thereto the remark that some
body has to hear the expense Of these
perpetual elections, continues; "JIst
| what the expense is, in general eau
vass like that which is now drawing to
/ q close, it is difficult to estimate with
| any approach 10 accuracy; for there
are no Statistics extart upon the Sub
| iec., and the politicians who plan and
| couI;ur. campa:gns are naturally reti-
| cent upor such matters. 1t is plain,
| however, tina, there must be heavy
outlay of money. The printing and
distribution II campaign documents,
the rental of public halls, the pay Of
, stump speakers, the purchase Of ban
, rers. torches, uniforms ard other par
aphcrnalia; the expense OF postage
and teIegrap hing-all these are neces-
sarv ou.iays, and when the extent to
which they are carried throughout the
country is hOrue in mind it becomes
very apparent tiIat the aggregate must
be enormous. 4 paragraph has lately
. been going the rounds Of the press, 20
the eflec: hat the strenuous campaign
in Indiana preparatory to the recent
State election consumed ten million
dollars. This is, Of course, wild eNag-
Grafton, based upon q mere random
guess. An estimate that seems to us
not far from the truth places the aver
age cost Of a Presidential election at
about one million five hundred thous-
and dollars ;ar each Of the great oppo-
sing parties. or a total of three million
dollars. Accepting this as within the
bounds Of probability it would seem
that the expense OF putting Mr., Tilden
or Mr.. Hayes into the White House is
fifteen times greater than the whole
amount Of salary paid to the incum
bent during his term OF four years.
Calling the population Of The country
about forty millions this would be
equivalent 10 g tax of seven and one
half cents a head for every man wo
man and child in the United States.
The maintenance of the cour: o. rance
for the first year of the Second En-
pire was less than two cents per head
OF the population. II appears that the
cost of making Il President may be
greater than that of keeping prince.
The expenses of our elections, how
ever, are borne mainly by voluntary
contribution. The burden falls chic fly
on wealthy parlisans who expect to
share III some way the benefits ensU-
ing from the election of their candi-
date. il takes the form of a tax only
in the case of office -holders. who are
assessed Tor election expenses by the
party in power, custom that often
falls heavily upon department clerks
and minor officials. The burden
touches tho people remotely and indi-
rectly, if at all, while in reality they
derive an actual and immediate bene-
fs. The various devices by which
their sympathy and support are solic;
tea serve 70 awaken more active i'll
terest IN public affairs, and the masses
thereby acquire the rudineEts of po-
iitical education, instead of remaining
in apathy and ignorance OF the eondi- |
ton Of the country and the admits
tration of the government. Great as
the costs OF our elections may be, they |
cannot be Iamented As al unmi.igated !
burden upon the people.