The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-09
AT POLITICAL HEADQUARTERS.
Campaign Cranks and Their Ingenious
but Impracticable Plans
Fronl The Wellington StGt

DIG JlDDEdCJlCdDI0
From the Washington star.
81 hope he won't see me- was the remark
which greeted the entrance in an uptown
hotel corridor of tall, oldish man, with a
lean, hungry-looking face. As a precau
tionary measure against such a calamity
the speaker pulled his hat down over his
! eyes, and shranI back in his chair. He was
not recognized, and as soon as the danger
| was past n reporter who was with him,
| asked what was the trouble.
"Oh, he is "A great nuisance" responded
tho gentleman, who was Col Dickinson, of
| New York, the assistant secretary of the ma
tional democratic committee. II suppose
that tho man might be called a crank
! don't think that he is "A dead beat, but he
has IDEAS in regard to politics which he con
| siders important, and naturally he wants
| the committee TO take hold Of them. As is
often the case, the ideas are not practical,
| but in spite of that tie man hangs around.
! There are good mAlY cranks in Washing
ton. | suppose thEt the crop is indigenous,
| however"
+ Don't you have any in New York; in
| quired the reporter, thinking how lonely
| the colonel must be when he leaves Washing
| ton.
Thousands of thsn," exclaimed the col
! Onel with great vigori land when the hone
| supply is exhausted tho stock Is replonished
| from all parts of the country. You have
no idea of the number of people who Gail at
headquarters during a campaign with some
scheme or plan which they want the com
mittee to adopt. Plans of the organization
| of the work i'll the entire country. or perhaps
in one of the doubtful states, and PROPOSE
tions without end and almost endless in the
telling are proposed. Ihave been with the
committee since 1876 and this will be the
| fourth campaign that | have been located at
| their headquarters"
| PECULIAR EXPERIENCE.
"As you may imagine, | have had some
| peculiar experiences. There Is one case
| that made a strong impression on my mind
| About two weeks before election, in the last
| campaign, the bell at headquarters was
rung early one Sunday morning. | had a
room in the building, which occupied as a
| bedroom, and | answered the bell myself
A man OF respectable appearance and good
address greeted me. In rather hurried,
nervous manner, he asked if the national
committee was at home, ! told him that a
representative of the committeee stood be-
| fore him, and then inquired what he wanted
| He asked if it was my Intention to so to
church, and told him that would proba-
| bly, be unable to 20 that day. He seemed to
| feel relieved on hearing this, and observed
| that the members of the committee ought
NOV ~ so ~ 'i' do 'ioio was III O''ilV
WI IN. ~ ii. an A., :.
was in brief a very full and comprehensive
plan for effecting political organization in
in every county in the United States. He
| had thought it all out and and wanted the
committees to adopt 1t at once.
/ said 10 him that | tin ought his plan was
good one, and that there were many fea-
| lures about il which commended it to nv
Judgment at least There is one thing. |
added, that the committee usually looks
into first, and that is the expense "How
much do you think your plan would cost Yn
| asked.
about s., 900 for each county," he re-
! pliel.
"You think that would be amplep' asked
| "Certainlv,n was the reioinder.
''Now how long will it require to get this
| plan into working orderp | inquired.
| "PrObably about two weeks y
"Now, them | went on, taking vour
own statement, it will cost g.. 900 to effect
an organization in each county. There are
| sixtv.hve counties i'm the state of Now York
alone, and it would require, to establish the
| system IN New York state. over $500 OOD
which is more money than we huvr 10 r,i'
the entire campaign. Besides, as Won saw
| it would take two weeks to get Your plan i'm
operation. The election would be over be-
! fore it could be of any service.
| 81 never saw a man wilt 50 quickly in nll
my life" continued the colonel. lan ching,
"lt was evident that he had never thought
| of these practical objections to his plan.
no saw Une poIlt az once auu atter lew
WORKS ne 'ook ms leaVe
FROM INDIANA.
AZ recollect" he went on, during the
campaign of 1876, that man came al tbe
way from lpdianl to law before the com.
mite, plan for orraniznr society,
something like tho Kright, Of Tnbor
throughout the entire stata0f Iniiana Tho
| object of the society. of course wouId he
/ the success of the denocratlc ticket Than
! there are numerous suyg ,s,ions made IN
| other dircctiols. | could Sit here ali ',rht
and tell Won of the plans and p.onositi1ns
winch have been submitted 10 tine COMMIT
toe. Some of them are entirely useless
while others have some good reatures If
gives an idea of one class Of po3ple who ara
! drawn about the hondouariers Of a n ,litic,I
party during = campaignn
II suppose that they are all patriotsn OH
! served the listener.
"\Vrl some of thoin are I s,innosa - ,v,s
! the roply. but as a rulo bin Is preserted
! 10 iue COMMITTEE. 1 no suggestions are pre-