The Sunday herald., 1886-10-24
COSTLY NEW YORK ELECTIONS.
ALarse Campaign Assessment-This Not A Big
Money Year.
Especial correspondence

Especial correspondence
NBw YORK, Oct 81, 1885,
The cheapest municipal election campaign In this
city within fifteen years cost twenty-five thousand
dollars, and the dearest hundred and fifty thous-
and. These figures represent, be 1t understood the
outlay on behalf Of the city and county ticket by a
party, and has nothing TO do with Congressman,
Assembymen, or Aldermen. The town is divided
into eight hundred and fortytwo election districts
so that the number of voters at any one point Is
small. The safeguards Of the law are so many, and
the supervision OF the polls thorough by the rival
interests that actual fraud In the taking ami count
ing OF ballots Is very rare This army Of watchers
on election day Ia heavy expense. The aggregate
vote Is about two hundred thousand, and 1t costs
$4,000 to merely mall set Of ballots TO each voter.
The maintenance of general headquarters Is charge
able to the party fund.- and so are certain Incidental
outlays, but the orators, banners, fireworks, and
other Indictments belonging to out door meetings
are customariiy provided by separate political clubs,
candidates, and interests. What are regarded as
honest expenditures are here considered. The dI.
rect purchase OF votes is matter OF speculation.
anu Is BY no means 30 common as In some rural dis.
ricts. when done at all, 1t is practced In parts OF
the town where personal character Is lowest.
The biggest assessment ever paid to q party by
candidate was taken by John Kelly, for Tammauy.
$4,000. The ONCE was then worth about as much
as that annually for two years In fees but has since
been reduced to salary. The usual price had been
$aS,o0o. The County Clerkship was assessed the
same, and the Shrievalty $4,000. But some Of the
canvasses have been vastly extravagant 10 the par-
tclpants through outputs Of money beyond the regu-
lar contribution to the party fund. 1t Is computed
that Mayor Grace spent 100000 In his last cam
paign, and not many dollars were wasted, for he
conducted his own political bureau, and would not
let the strikers fool him much. p. Henry Dugro
offered to Tammany sOO, 900 for the Mayoralty nom
ination, which has been given to Abram s. Hewitt,
but the leaders did not think that he could be
elected Independently, and 30 went into a fusltl
with the rest of the Democracy. Dugro is very rich
and ambitious. Roswell p. Flower would have
spent as much as that II the Labor party had nomi-
mated him instead Of George. His liberalty Is re-
markable He donated 1000 to the Cleveland fund
and $25,O00 TO the election Of Hill as Governor He
| spent $4,000 to beat Willie Astor for Congress-
In the present remarkable struggle for the mayor.
atty, Theodore Roosevelt and Abram s. Hewitt are
wealthy, and yet the campaign Will not cost them
wonderfully. Hewitts assessment is only 10000.
and 1t is doubted II he will spend equal sum indi.
vldually. Roosevelt has paid in like amount to
mis- party treasury. Hewitts election is deemed GER
tain and Roosevelts hopeless. Hence there is no
call for money in big quantities Thebulk fthe cam
pagn funds Will be gotten from the candidates for
lower but more remuneratIve oflces. With Hewitt
and Roosevelt the nominations sought the man. But
II Henry Georges chances should become promising,
through the adherence of Irving Hall, or by means
OF that ealty which the trades union have promised
to him, then Hewitt could be reasonably expected to
thrurst his hand deep into his well-nlled wallet In
the case OF George reliance placed the unioniss
to do gratis tho work which regular political parties
have to pay for, and the comparatively small neces.
sary expenses are met by assessments on the
unions. He pays the bills OF his own activity In
stumping and other forms Of eectioneering. Proba-
bly, he will thus get rid Of $1,000. Should he be
elected, not the least of the wonders OF 1t will be
that 1t was done without fat fund.
OMAR JAMES.