Rock Island daily Argus., 1892-09-13
CAMPAIGN FUNDS.
As.v They Are Rnised-Democratic
Newspapers Aiding In the Work.

| NV They Are Rnised-Democrati,
| N-swspapers Aiding in the Work.
| Elections cost money.
| There are certain legitimate expenses
| which are unavoidable and must bt
| met One of the greatest items of cam
| paign expense is literature. Tons OF
| speeches and articles on political sub
1 jects are sent out by the committees OF
| the different parties, the postage or
| which alone amounts to an immense
/ sum- Club uniforms, brass bands
| speakers, agitators, organizers all cost
| money, while the salaries of secretaries
| clerks, ETC.. run up into enormous sums
| in the aggregate.
Where does the money come from!
| The Republicans assess the federal office
| holders, either directly or indirectly;
they fry the fat out of the protected
manufacturers and the amount thus
secured added to the assessments of the
candidates and the contributions of
wealthy members of the party usually
makes them very easy in money mat
terS.
The Democrats have no federal Off
cials to assess, they cannot fry fat out of
anyone and they must depend almost
entirely on the voluntary contributions
of members of the party. The Demo-
cratic party includes the bulk of the
great middle class, the people of small
means who work for wages, and while
this class is liberal one in such matters
it cannot hope to compete in giving
with the millionaire beneficiaries of
class legislation. One difficulty expert
enced by Democratic campaign COM
mittees in the past was in reaching the
men of the party who were willing to
give. That is, there seemed to be no
method of combining in a lump for
effective work the small sums which
the people as individuals We're willing
to contribute and which would amount
in the aggregate to a large total.
The newspapers have come to the res
cue by opening books for campaign
subscriptions. The New York World
started the movement for "a fund called
the western Democratic campaign fund,
and the other large Democratic papers
of the country have joined it and it
promises to be a success. The plan is
simple. Whatever sum you feel like
giving, from 10 cents up, is sent to the
newspaper, which acknowledges re-
ceipt through its columns, and turns
over the money to the proper commit
tee. The State Register of Springfield
is the first paper in this state to join in
the plan. Others will no doU5t follow i'm
mediately. 4
As indicated by its name this fund is
to be used in the west. That is it will
be applied to party needs in Illinois,
Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. The
national committee has established
branch headquarters in Chicago with
Ben r. Gable, the national committee
man from this state, in charge and it is
probable that the money viii be sent to
him for use in the states named. While
this fund was started in the east and
thousands of dollars are being contribu-
ted by eastern Democrats for our use
we ought not allow them to do it all
We should help ourselves rs well. AL
most anyone is able to contribute some
thing and every Democrat in Illinois
should send in his mite. Whether it be
10 cents or 81 900 it will add just that
much to a sum necessary to make our
state Democratic. If we are defeated
in Illinois this year it will be through
our inability to meet the necessary cx-
penses for speakers, documents, etc,
and the result may depend upon our
selves dollar is not much to a man
of ordinary means and contributed to
this fund it gives him a share of
burden he should be proud to assume.