The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-31
WHAT AN ELEcrIoN COSTS.
Nearly Million WIN Do Expended This
Year.

Nearly Million VIII Do Expended This
Year.
From the New York Star.
Election expenses form very consider
able item in the amount that the good peo-
pie OF Manhattan Island are annually
called upon TO pay, and the figures grow
year by year in the ratio OF
the incrsase OF the voting popu-
lation. At the last presidential election
when there were 7l2 voting precincts in
the city, the entire amount appropriated,
SlS6, I96.SS, was used up; aud now, with
$50 election districts, the appropriation
has been increased to S227, 400. With the
additional expense for rent OF polling
places aud pay Of inspectors and poll
clerks, II is thought that after all the
bills are paid, there will be very little left
OF the amount appropriated. The largest
item In the bill is Tor the salaries OF in-
spectors and poll clerks, and this year il
will require SlI3, $50 TO satisfy them. The
amount needed TO pay the rent Of the poll
ing places, the lifting up, cariing ballot
boxes aud their removal after the election,
is estimated at 81, 800. Tho necessary
legal ADVERTISING, the compensation OF
Chief O'Brien and the clerks TO the county
canvassers will exhaust the remaining
$4,000.
This IL what the taxpayers Of the city
have 10 pay, regardless OF their party at
iiliations, but IL forms only fraction of
the amount OF money that will be used in
the legitimate expenses of the campaign.
An expert puts the total at over - 900. 600.
"Why," said he, ''thero are $50 meet
ings being neld now nightly i'm
the city, and this alone makes
considerable item when one thinks
OF the expenses Of rent OF halls, pay
OF speakers, printing and aycrtising aud
other incidenials. | tell YOU il takes
money to run q political campaign in New
York city. Just think what the various
political organizations spend, not to speak
Of the amount Of money that IL Gusts indi-
vidual candidates, most OF whom have
opened special headquarters oitheir own. 4"
"Wcll, how much money will the Dcm-
ocraiic organization spcndl" asked the re-
porter
"In the strictly Legitimate expenses Of
the campaign | suppose the Counties aud
1ammany hall together can't get out OF IL
for much less than half a million dollars."
u NlNAA AANAAlNAA ANAlsANN
ayes, not a cent less think when the
bills arr all paid the counties wall have
expended $4,000 and lammany an
equal amount. Both win have an army
OF watchers ut the polls on election dny.
II would be probably safe 10 say that each
organization will have not less than three
men and in some cases rs many ~ ten
nj every one Of the $50 polling places.
aud ut s. day each you can easily
calculate what tins will cost. Then there
IL the printing Of tickets AMI their dis.
tributi0n. the cost Of the polling booths.
the rent Of the various headquarters aud
club.roous scattered all over the city.
Besides all this, there are 100 items % cx-
pcnsc 10 be met during the progress Of the
campaign. and large as the figure Is, /
don't think IL Il at all out Of the way"
Another gentleman put the figure that
the election in the city will cost tho Re
pnbliclns at least $4,000. He thought
that Coogan would easily get nd Of $780,
600, and that the Prohibiiionisia. the
United Labor party, the Socialists aud the
Woman's Equal Rights party would spend
a. much ~ they could raise, aud that alto
gelhor they might disbuno something like
500. 600.
10 this Is 10 bo added the expenses that
will be- incurred by United States Marshal
Mcmahon and Supervisor Of Elections
John I. Davenport, which, Of course, will
be considerable.