Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-28

GLIMPSE Into the Methods OF the
National Committees.

. oan,uaign committee in washington
,yo,,ld be best described by calling 1t the
,,oort Here is the great centre ofpoAt cal
act,yitv: and, as in the human body,eVery-
hing depends on the way IN W when the
beart does its duty.
Tong before the surface OF political al
fojrs begins TO be rutied in the states, the
Use aud experienced managers OF poH-
,ias are at work in Washington. AS far
hack as last July, both parties had FORMED
rSeir campaign committees, with head
,,arters in this city. To be appointed a
amber of the committee is an honor
bjgblv prized by politician, nor is this
strenQe when it is remembered that none
Int clear-bpaded. cool, sagaclous men are
c"oson. Thev must have knowledge OF
mon and of affairs; they must have
taIent for detail, for executive AFFINITY
more than all, they must have the faculty
NJ making cent do a dollars worth OF
rnod. This is especially the case TINS
ySsr' TIE Republicans are out of office
ord ont of funds; the Democrats are in
npira butthev cannot make assessments,
md an ofice-holder does not generally
Contribute unless a little compulsl0n is
used. a..
,,orv little about them gets into print.
trbe amount of influence they exert is de-
pendent upon silence rather than pluster
and brag. Both committees follow the
same general plan OF procedure. ~ hen
the committee is Organzed,' SAID tue
Secretary of the Democratic committee
toareporter few days ago, ''We atonce
make out a list OF every Congressional
district in the United States. From this
iist we select the double districts, where
the majority is only a thousand or 80 one
wAvor the other. To our candidates in
these districts we give all the assistance
In turnover. We get the political record
Of his opponent; and if he is poor we give
him financial aid or send him speakers to
help him in his canvass. we also send
olt great mass Of documents"
GLOW are the documents distributedW
1--WE have q record OF the chairmen Of
all the district committees, the county
committees, and even the subordinatesin
charge of voting precincts. We send our
documents directlytO these, alloWin them
toselect such documents as they think are
best suited to their constituency. This
year everything relating to the tariff and
the silver question has been in great de-
mand."
PRESERVING HARMONY.
.Does the committee ever interfere di-
rectly in a canvassW
"Oh, yes. 1t is the duty of the commit
tee to preserve harmony in the party, as
far as possible, and we always endeavor TO
prevent two candidates OF our party from
running as opponents in the same district.
We keep posted as to what the other party
is doing and frequently we are enabled to
give our candidates important intOrma-
ton regarding matters which are trans
piriug in their own districts. But the
great work OF campaign committee Ia an
of year is to distribute Information.
Every mail brings lis requests for en-
lightenment on some subject or other. We
keep force Of Young men whose sole duty
is 10 overhaul the files of the COngressiOn-
al Record and make extracts from
speeches, showing how a man stood on a
certain question, The other day we were
asked TO find out how man voted on a
question when be was in Congress ten
years ago. We always answer every in
quiry that is made 1 us, if it is in any
way pOss BILE. The Congressional Library
and the department records are fields In
which we CLEAN very thoroughly"
"What is the outlook from a Demo-
cratic standpoint?
I'VE have no doubt" was the reply, sol
carrying the next House of Representa-.
tiYes. Indeed. the outlook is Tor work
Ing majority as large as that in the last
House. Our headquarters is the resort
Tor visitng statesmen when they come to
Washington, and though the news that we
hear is apt TO be little rosy, we have
enough solid and reliable Information to
make us very sanguine as to the result"
AT REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS.
Within a stones throw OF the Demo-
cratic headquarters is a large brick
building, in which the Republican COM
mlttee has its abiding place. Entering a
wide ball, for the building was once a
hne private residence, the visitor finds
himself in room, plainly furnished, but
STACKED to the ceiling with mail sacks
bied with documents about TO be dis
trlouted throughout the country. The
moving, directing spirit OF the Republi.
can committee is Mr.. Edward McPher.
son, man WHO'S noted among politicians
l0r his varied experience, his shrewdness
IN managing campaigns, and his executive
aOllltY. he is the author OF "Mc-
Pherson's Handbook OF Politics." vol
ume which ranks high among works of its
KIND. He is hard worker, and the lead
trs oil the party rely to a large extent
upon him.
The management OF Congressional
campaign by the Republicans differs very
iltlle from the methods adopted by the
Democrats,' he said, in the course Of a
conversation. "Ihis year. however. we
Glu not issue campaign book and the
democrats did: that is where think they
maze mistake. We published ten sep.
date documents, believing that a mar
would read one or two where he would
not read a whole book. Here they are, all
Ieauy Tor mailing. Tbey can be ranked,
you see. We send out very little matter
lndI we nave to pay postage on"
LITERATURE FOR THE VOTER.
Mr., MCPHERSON handed the reporter a
small package. IL contained n number
Vi speeches. from the Congressional Rec
oIu; lhey related to the removal OF Union
suiuleIs ~ the Cleveland administration.
.ue civil service reform" practices, the
increase OF Democratic appropriations,
.ue democratic discrimination against
pensions, and the value and importance of
protective tariff. This list shows the
ALuu OF literature which is dissemina ted
among the average voter.
HOW many OF these documents have
Fah distrIbuted%
several hundred thousand have gone
ouv already. We send them broadcast.
aot VnIy 10 our candidates, but to all who
aoA Ior them. just now our work rs fall
tnS on The country districts have all
Ecu supplied and our tracts have done
,. ue.I NOfk there. In the cities, however,
i,dtseiVe ourselves for final effort lust
lure election. 1t these documents had
,ue INTO the cities when they went into
,,us country tue city voters would have
TiSoLlen everything that was in them.
ue cry voter must he influenced at the
last mOmeut.n