The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-28
he STRIKERS ORGANIZE,
5~ -~--~- E0-##L
hoy Do Mos! Abound When the
Campaign Begins TO Wax
Warm.
Viii March and Garry Torches
for Any Party for . Con-
sideration.
ponging ON Politicians and Tradssnsn-
when Their Ardor Begins to Cool
Looking for Rewards.

bn of richest harvest for the managers OF
Rmpaign clubs, the genuine and the spur.
BUS. The former can be described ~ an
ssembiaas Of earnest and interested pef-
pms Of either political party who design to
remote thu success Of candidates By what
YER method seems to them TO DO most de-
rabls. Some believe in the efficacy OF
psschss and debates; others In fireworks,
pusio and parades; others in mass meet
hgs, and others in the maintenance OF =
Tub room for social intercourse. the inter-
hange of views, and the formation OF
riendshipa which tend TO bind the men,
(srs together by 4 common political pur.
|ose. Al a general thing, says the New
Gosk Sun, the most aotive members Of gem
line campaign clubs arc ofiosholders or
lspirsnts for official station, and the gen
inc clubs are valuable nuxiliaries to q
party, especially in a long campaign.
Tho method Of establishing a fake oam-
baign club is very simple. Three or four
Dung men. usually between tho ngss of 10
nd Is. and we'll known III the neighborhood
where they live. arrange with tho proprietor
bf . barroom, who agrees to give thsm the
lee use Of his first floor under the oondi-
ion that they and their friends will patron
re no other barroom. Then a ohowder
party. a picnic or a summer nights exour-
ZION ia organized. with the object Of procur-
Fng money enough to furnish the club room.
Tickets are sold to the politicians and
Fradesmen in the nsiRborhood. and after the
expenses Of the chowder or excursion have
been paid, a sufficient surplus remains to
the room. Then a transparency 10
ed. and on it are painted the names Of
andidates to DO supported by n major
the members. not all of whom are
h Tit club takes its name usually
its most active organizer, whose
ledge Of politics Is derived from his
on election day as the employe. at
Ate Of IS from sunrise to shutdown, Of
~ ne candidate.
and the politicians are sought again for
contributions to a fraud for the purchase of
beer, liquor and cigars. If the campaign
CLUB be organized on a scale larger than
the average, a banner raising. toward the
Expense of which mo Q subscriptions are
As a rule, however. there is no
the club applying their energies
to getting more members. A nominal
fee is charged, but by common consent
payment is not obligatory. The club, once
under way, has fifty or sixty members.
Many of them join from no desire to ad-
vance the interests of the party or the can
didates. but to have some place where, at
small expense, they may meet young men of
the neighborhood who are employed like
themselves during the day. The presence
OF twenty or thirty members of the club
each evening means a trade of $3 to S. in
the barroom. the profit of. which is consid-
erably more than could be secured for the
room If rented otherwise.
Toward the close of the summer, and
when the season of parades and marching
opens, the members of the spurious GAM
paign club arc in clover. Uniforms ATE
they march in the ranks of tue torchlight
PROFESSIONS. There is always a generous
supply of liquid refreshments at the end of
Che march, and. when the times are good
and party feeling runs high, cigars are dis
tributed also. The members Of the club,
besides taking part In the parades, attend
the big mass meetings.
The club rooms are visited from time to
time Ly the lieutenants OF the party lead
ers in the vicinity. and everything appears
to be going swimmingly until about two
weeks before election. when the viRor and
high-water mark. At about that time tho
rumble of discord may DO heard With re-
ordinations between the officers. The
attitude of the club, not doubtful before.
begins to be subjected to disagreeable hints
and u%nconcealed reproaohes. A screw
seems to be loose somewhere, and soon
afterward q meeting Of the club is called
to take action on the situation AZ it pre-
sents itself respecting the endorse
ment and support OF local candi-
dates. The politicians who have oon-
tributed to the ohowder party. the trans
parenoy, tho banner raising, tho parades
and current Expense of the club are asked
for u contribution, larger than any preced.
ing. for ball tickets or for an emit ertain-
place In a public hall between the day Of
election and the night of Thanksgiving.
If the spurious campaign club has preserved
up to that point the semblance Of harmony
and discipline, tho returns are satisfactory
usually. II. O. the other hand, tho club
appears to be rent BY discordant and an
%tagonistio elements. the harvsst is light,
and tho proceeds of tho tiokes sales do not
find their way into the treasury; they got
no further than the pockets OF the vendors.
On the night when the club il called to
meet for the purpose Of taking action about
local candidates, its attitude toward MI
tional and state nominees having been de-
fined sufficiently. tho chief organizer usu-
ally depreoates my formal action. He
counsels a ~postponement. He suggests the
appointment of a small committee, with
might be we'll to see in turn the leaders of
the parties and factions before doing any
thing rash or committing the club to any
hastv act or utteranoe. That proposition 10
acceptable after some opposition, and the
head Of the club, transformed into a
striker endeavors to barter the support
of his associates for his own benefit. He
does not succeed usually. but his failure is
not attributable to any lack of trying,
and Is cauaau BIZ the fact TINT aaxaral of