New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-22

|
| SURPRISING DEMOCRATIC SPEECHES..
| II is said that the Ohio Executive Demo-
| cratic Campaign Committee voted at recent
meeting to discontinue the practice OF circu-
| lating speeches in pamphlet form, and that
such speeches as the committee think the peO-
pie will read are to be printed as supple
| ments to newspapers. The reason gwen for
| this action is that nobody reads Congressional
| speeches as a rule, but that the immense mass
| of printed matter circulated through the
mails under Congressional franks finds
its way either to the junk shops with
other public documents, as waste paper, or to
| the grOcers counter TO be used in wrapping
ND herring or salt mackerel. 1t is said that
the idea that anybody has the time or incli-
nation to read these long-winded speeches
| of Congressman is entertained by no one but
| the Congressman themselves. A Washington
paper which, being printed at the centre from
which these pamphlets radiate, is supposed
| to know something of the statistics Of the sub
| iect, estimates that of every hundred speeches
| printed seventy-tye go into the hands Of
! store keepers and are used for wrapping
purposes, ten perhaps are read, and the other
| fifteen go into the waste basket and are used
| for fuel. The business, it Is claimed, is only
profitable for the paper-maker and printer,
and does not answer in the slightest degree
the end aimed at in enlightening or max
| ing any impression on the public mind 1t is
| in this view of the case as it is represented,
that the Democratic State Committee of Ohio
have voted to discontinue circulating pamphlet
| speeches
| Doubtless they are wise. We are only sur
prised that they have not reached this con-
clusion before. For aside from the mere
| matter of economy in the saving OF expense
| in printing, and labor and time in mailing,
and the tax upon the Post Office Depart
ment to carry them, there are considerations
of party policy which one would suppose
would operate powerfully in the direction of
the proposed reform. Chief of these is the
fact which no intelligent person who has
| given any attention to the Congressional
oratory, say of the late session. Will deny
that the circulation of such reading among the
people will have anything but beneficial effect
upon the fortunes of the Democratic party.
We presume the Ohio committee made this
discovery when Overhauling the literature of
the session for the purpose of making selec-
lions from the abundant craftsmanship brought
forth for general dissemination. Democratic
Senators and Congressman emitted during
those four months a very large amount of
oratOry, and of very exhaustive character.
1t was most of 1t intended too for just this pur-
pOse-tO be printed in pamphlets and spread
around for the public enlightenment and the
advancement of the interests of the party.
The committee probably discovered in looking
the speeches over that while they might indeed
effect the former object, they would be very far
from helping the party. The efforts of Mr..
Voorhees, and Mr. Ben Hill in the Senate, and
of such statesmen as Messrs. Blackburn and
Chalmers in the House, beautiful as they
seemed to be in the ears Of the dOOrkeepers,
are not calculated when reduced to cold print
and placed in the hands of the average voter
TO draw such voter to the support OF what
are therein set forth as Democratic principles;
or even to retain within the organization the
voter who habitually votes the ticket. The
general circulation of Democratic speeches
in Ohio during the pending campaign would
be much more likely to strengthen the Re
publican than benefit the Democratic ticket
1t may be taken as something of coinci-
dence that the Democratic State Committee OF
Ohio should have made the discovery that the
circulation Of pamphlet speeches does not pay,
as a general rule, at a time when they could
not lay their fingers on single speech dclly-
cred during the last session of Congress the
circulation of which would not certainly damage
their cause. If if were not unkind to suggest
it, we should say it would be wise stroke of
policy on the part of the Ohio Republicans to
take the matter in hand where the Democrats