Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-08
THE STATE CAMPAIGN.
A TALK NTH caAlknAN aENsE1.

A TALK WITH CHAIRMAN aENsEL.
What Some Representative Politiciaus Said
10 the Now York Herald Cor
rc~pOndent--Bright Dom
ocratic Hopes.
A correspondent of the New York Her.
aid, who has been sent into Pennsylvania
to keep an eye on the campaign here,
sends tho following to his paper under
date of Lancaster 9th inst. 1t is interest.
ing aud valuable as showing the situation
as sceu from divergent standpoints, and
the hopeful viow taken by tho Democratic
chairman will have an especial degree Of
interest for our readers:
The active campaign begins earlier in
Pennsylvania than in New York, because
the registry closes on September Z. I'm.
registered persons can vote ON election
day, but only after great trouble in got
ting affidavits as to their right to 10 SO.
The chairman Of tho three states commit
tees have been busy in the work Of organ.
izatiOn for month past. Chairman VIM.
U. Hensel, Of the Democratic state COM
mittee lives in Lancaster, but has spent
almost all his time in Philadelphia since
the headquarters were opened there. Yes
terday no rau up to Lancaster for a Sup-
day rest.
This is evidently q campaign of tho
young Democracy. The candidate Tor
governor is barely tbirty-twO. Tho candi-
| date for lieutenant governor is not much
older. Tho chairman of the state commit
| tee is only just rising thirty. They say in
Harrisburg that he could have been nOmi.
natcd with 4 rush for orcongresSlnan. at large,
but that he positively refused in the inter-
est of tho ticket. 1t was the idea to dis
tribute the candidates as far as practicable
through the various sections of tho state,
and the candidate for lieutenant governor
had already been chosen from York, tho
adjoining county to this. Mr.. Henscl is
perhaps doing his party more good in his
present position than had he been on tho
ticket. Tho state committee in former
years has not been noted for it's great
energy. Tho young men who arc now
managing it are putting their shoulders to
| the wheel in good earnest, and, il the 1e-
ports of Democratic assistance to the Cam
erons in previous campaigns arc true,
|. probably the party will lose nothing by
tho new vigOr that is at the head of affairs.
Mr.. Hensel was asked what the committee
were doing in the way Of organization.
"We are endcavoring," he said, to
build up from the individual voter. We
are not content to stop with tho county
committees, but are organizing by school
districts in tho country ana by blocks in
the cities. The county committees consist
| of members from each of the election dis
! tricts, and they in turn select a worker
for each of the school districts who can
be made responsible for the thirty or fifty
votes within his immediate bailiwick.
These arc put in direct communication
| with the central committee, and we will
thus have some 90, OOO mon through whom
we can reach practically every Democrat
in tho state. We expect to have this Or
gauizatiOn perfected within the next two
weeks, leaving US fortnight to work in
| before the registry. This system, you
adopted by Mr.. Tilden in the New York
campaign of '73."
! "What response have you had from the
| county committees %
| I'VE hear that tho organization is be-
ing made thorough and efficient. There
| is delay in some counties, owing to tho
late date at which the county conventions
are being held, but in these cases we are
urging the old chairman to go ahead and
perfect tho organization, ready to turn it
over in good shape to the committees to
be chosen later. Tho committee in Phila-
delphia has been active since it's appoint
ment in April, and in Allegheny, which
polls tho Ecxt largest Democratic vote, tho
new chairman aud committee will he
chosen next Tuesday. The Democrats OF
Philadelphia feel confident that they have
signal advantages this year in the unusual
opportunities offered for fair and honest
count"
Sand they arc what p
| "The Democrats have gained largely in
representation in tho election boards. The
tax Office is organized Oh non partisan
basis, and we are relieved from tho inter
ference of 200 policemen, who, hereto.
fore, have becu active agents Of the
Republican party at the polls. Mayor
King. elected rs Il Democrat, but with tho
aid Of the reform Republicans, has forbid
den the police to interfere ut the polls, or
in any way for the benefit Of tho one side
Or tho other and he is in u position to
enforce compliance with his orders. We
expect to have Il FREQ and fair ballot in
Philadelphia this year. and that will mean
u large increase III the Democratic VOTE
Tho Poll Tax IN Pennsylvania.
! "What is your advantage in nQn-parti-
san tax collectors %
| "Under tho new constitution Of this
state the payment of Il state or county tax
of fifty cents for a single man and twcnty-
five cents for Il married man-you sec, We
place Il premium on nlatrimOny in Penn
sylvania-is = necessary qualification bo
fore voting. Tho pcrnicious practice has
sprung up in many communities, especially
in the cities, of party leaders paying these
taxes by the wholesale. There has
been much complaint, and in this city the
complaint has bccn justified by the ex-
posurcs of judicial investigation that Re-
publican tax collectors havo given undue
advantage to the politicians 0: their party.
The law requires that this tax shall be
paid thirty days before election. The tax
collector can give the politicians of his
party the opportunity to pay on the day
of election the taxes of delinquent voters,
dating back the receipts to the day re.
quired by law.
"This payment of poll tax in Pennsyl-
vania is ono of the heaviest drafts upon the
campaign funds of both parties. In tho
election of HOyt the Republican commit
tee of this county paid over $4,000 for the
poll tax of Republican voters, and the
| Democratic committee considerable sum
The Virginia Readjusters arc endeavoring
to secure tho repeal of a similar require
ment in that state, because, doubtless, the
pauper negro vote costs them in this way
too large sum. In Pennsylvania well-to.
do farmers or merchants expect, as q
matter of course, that tho party will pay
this tax for them. 1t is a part of the con-
stitutiOn and cannot be easily repealed.
tNspk 20 tru1xv hat