Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-09


nature. They depend for their literature
upon the national organization.
The more important of these documents
are translated into ten or twelve languages.
This is polyglot country, and the cam
paign of education must be polyglot. The
hill for translations alone will run up into
the thousands of dollars-twice as much
as it would be if there was more confidence
in human nature Every translation is
practically made twice. One man makes
the draft. and before it is sent to the printer
another revises it. You see, the committee
doesn't intend to be imposed upon by the
first translator.
Suppose that worthy were mean enough
to sell out to the rival committee and to
doctor" the document-that is, to put
something in it which would anger the
Germans if it were German document, or
the Swedes were it Scandinavian. He
could do it with few strokes of his pen,
and his employers wouldn't know the diff
ference. The consequences would be ap-
palling.
A series of pictures shows how the
tariff robs everybody in America, and an
other series shows how it has made ev-
erybody rich or prosperous. He might
not know any more about the tariff ques-
tion than when he started, but he would
be sure to know heap more about art
/ should have mentioned that early in
the campaign the literary bureau has a
very delicate and important job to turn
out. This is the campaign book" A
campaign book is a sort of ritual of the
principles of the party and elaboration OF
the platform adopted at the national con-
vention, fortified with facts and figures
galore It's chief use is as inspiration for
the orators who later in the year are to
thrill audiences from one end of the country
to the other, and the purpose of the cam
paign book is to secure harmony of utter
ance 1t doesn't always succeed, which is
a pity, for the editors of the campaign book
do work so hard, spending anxious days
and nights trying to ascertain what their
party does stand for anyway, and what
will be orthodox and what won't. The in
genuity Which they display in handling
certain questions in such way as to give
satisfaction in all parts of the country,
though the party in one section is affirma-
tive on those questions and in another
negative, deserves greater appreciation
than is bestowed by the ungrateful spell
binders. From what l am saying l don't
want you to conclude that / think all poll
tics is humbug, for don't think that. But
am willing to go on oath and affirm that
a good deal of it is.
Managers of campaign literary bureaus
have learned what some other managing
editors have not yet learned-that the pic
ture is a great educator. For the first
time illustrations are playing an important
part in campaign work. Each of the liter
ary shops has in its employ three or four
cartoonists, illustrating pamphlets and
documents with the pictures which are
supposed to ''speak louder than words. !"
If you will send to either of the committees
they will furnish you with pictorial his
tory of the tariff issue, and if were going
to make a study of as dry subject as the
tariff l am sure should want to do it pic
torially. After one had gone through it, it
is good deal lilH running big newspaper.
Handling the spellbinders resembles the
theatrical business. First the attractions
the orators-must be engaged. Then they
must be coached in their parts by means
of the campaign books. Finally their
dates have to be arranged, transportation
provided, entertainment looked to. With
hundreds of speakers on the road. count
less details to watch no end of cranky per-
sons to smooth down and an awful lot OF
DllIS 10 pay, Uut lOU Ol UllC Cutlll VI uLS
committee on speakers is not happy one.
1t wouldn't be SO troublesome if the at
fractions would remain assigned, but they
won't.
Campaign orators change their minds,
fall ill, get drunk, have rows with other
people, or find some other cause or preteXt
for changing programme. And then the
poor impresario of spellbinders must go
to work and rearrange his scheme, tele-
graph to men who can't be reached and
endeavor to appease local committees who
never heard the definition of the word.
Campaign speeches cost the committees
pretty large sums. Many of the orators,
particularly those who enjoy or have
enjoyed or hope to enjoy public office-and
precious few of them fail to come under
one or other of these categories-
without pay, excepting Of course their eX.
penses. Others want fifty, seventyfive OF
a hundred dollars a speech" merely tC
repay me for the loss of time from my
business, you know" 1t is a serious
question with experienced campaign man
ayers in which department of their busi
ness they waste the more money-in edu
cation by means of the printing press or in
rousing enthusiasm with eloquence.
The men who are charged with the duty
of raising money with which to pay all
these bills are the ones to be pitied after
all. 1t is surprising that the managers are
able to find enough funds to keep going
with. Yet they do. Where it all comes
from is more than l know, but am tolt
that in both committees about one-half O
all that is spent comes from dozen or fif
teen rich men. / have heard of five men
three in one party and two in another
who have given nearly $4,000 apiece. A
number of others have given from $40, 900 tt
10000 each. The masses don't contribute
to campaign funds, but go along about
their business enjoying all the fun that tn,
committees are able to provide for them
Do campaign committees spend all theil
money in headquarters expense, postag,
stamps, printing and orators? am sorry
to say that they do not On either sid,
they are at this very moment strainine
every nerve to get together an emergenc!
fund You know what that means as wei
as do. 1t means bribes of certain corrup
leaders of gangs and factions, chiefly il
cities. 1t means outright purchase O
"floaters" in states where it is fashionabl,
to sell votes. The national committee
don't buy votes-of course not. You woult
insult them by mentioning such thing
But at the same time when they sen(
money to the local committee in a clos
state they know very well that what ism
stolen in the processes of distribution find
it's way sooner or later to the greasy ant
itching palms of American sovereigns.
It's shame, but | am afraid that W,
shall have to change human nature befor'