The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-10
CAMPAIGN MANAGERS.
Characteristics and Political Methods
Of Quay and Brice.

Of Quay and Brice.
From the Nelo York Commercial.
The directors of the national and state
canvasses, who have headquarters in this
city, are just now the most talked-of men
i'll town. Few persons, however, even
among the politicians, have seen them or
know anything of their personal character
istlcs
The number Of mon who have made their
way into the little back room at republican
headquarters, where Senator Quay holds
forth, is small. 1t is easier for most per-
SINS to obtain an audience with President
Cleveland jay Gould or Mike Kelly, than
70 reach that back room. M. Quay makes
his way into his den about 10 O'Clock every
morning while he is here, through the
much talked-of side door on Sixteenth
street. His private secretary awaits him.
The Pennsylvania boss" begins operations
by throwing off his coat. Then he sits
down at his desk ,rumples his hair diligently
for a few minutes, looSens his collar and
tackles the pile of letters on the desk. Mr.
Quay has a marked ability for gettin z
through g large amount of correspondence
in a short time. His admirers say that like
Lord Macaulay, he can run his eye over
closely written page and master its contents.
He is very methodical man. He has
regular type written form for answering
the hundreds Cf letters That come weekly
from chairmen of county committees des-
cribing their work This form consists OF
congratulatOry words winding up with an
injunction to keep up the good work. Many
letters Of advice come; in fact, Mr.. Quay
has found that every republican politician
who has written to him knows more about
running national campaign than he does
These letters do not make him angry He
simply sends out another typewriter form,
expressing his heartfelt thanks for the sug-
gestiOns offered and determination to pro-
fit by the advice. So with the thousand
and one OF er kinds of letters he receives
He always sends satisfactory replies, but it
may be made hot for him If some of his
correspondents in different states should
meet and compare notes and find that he
has worked the circular ''racket" on them.
Mr.. Quay is somewhat of diplomatist. On
the rare occasions when he admits reporters
to his room he is all smiles and geniality.
When questioned about any political moves
he looks childli1e and bland, but, while ap-
psrently undurdening his heart to the
scrlbes, he manages to say not a single thing
that could be written up. Indeed, the re-
porters have found him an expert in saving
nothing in a great many words. Mr.. Quay
is not over popular with his colleagues on
the national committee. He has way of
asking their advice on all important cues
and then pursuing line of action ON which
he had determined before talking to them
Still, every body about headquarters has
confidence in him. His sphinx-like face
and his silent ways impress every one with
the idea that some great plan is always re-
volviug in his brain and that he will prove
equal to any emergency.
Chairman Brice, of the democratic cam
paign committee, is very different man.
There is nothing sphinx-like about him. He
enters headquarters through the front door,
stops in the reading room and press room
frequently to greet those he knows, and re-
ceives many callers in his own room. He is
like Mr.. Quay in being an expert in the
matter of correspondence, and he, too, has
to bear with piles of letters of advice. But
he does not send circular replies He has
a rare facility Of dictation, and his stenogra-
pher is kept busy. He is at work nearly all
day at his desk. Talking does not disturb
him, Frequently be carries on desultory
conversation with members of his comittee
while debating a letter. He allows few
communications to go unans wered, al.
though hundreds of the ridiculous letters
that come to him deserve a place in the
waste basket. Mr.. Brice has some amusing
characteristics. Like most men of nerv
GUS temperament, he must keep his body
active in unison with the workings of the
brain. While debating he is usually twirl-
ing cane. sometimes so violently that his
visitors move nervously in their chairs
Then he keeps his feet in motion by cross
ing and recrossing them on a chair. Ere
quently he springs TO his feet suddenly,
takes a couple of turns in the room, rushes
off to the document room and returns, re-
Stunning the dictation just at the proper
place. He used to let off his surplus energy
by tying knots in his watch chain, but he
broke SO many chains that he finally turned
to the cane for exercise.