The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-18

throughout the country as they came
out OF their churches on the Sunday pre-
"auing the election. There was no pos
slblc way of overcoming the effect of
these cards before Tuesday, the cleo
ton day, had arrived.
In the main, however, too much
money is spent or documents. Elabor-
ate documents arc printed and sent out
by the carload to various sections of
the country. The personal vanity of
senator's and members of congress has
good deal to do with swelling the
bulk of these publications. A senator
or member of congress will often make
Il speech in congress for the purpose of
influencing the campaign. lie will
then come to the national committee
aftcrward and ask to have this speech
circulated as one of the committees
documents. This request is nearly al
ways accedcd to to please the member.
1T is not customary to pay speakers
for their services in the campaign. Ii
is usual. however, to pay their expenses,
and i'll some special cases public men of
sufficient Importance to be paid are
given fees where they cannot ufford to
leave their business without payment.
But in nearly every instance the pay
mcnt becomes known and it has a bad
effect. man who talks for his party
because he is paid to do it occupies sim
ply the position of special plcader,
and his remarks have no influence if the
fact of such employment is known.
The campaign of this year will be
practically fought upon the same lines
as the one of four years ago AS each
year shows an increase in the amount
of money employed it is estimated now
that million of dollars will be needed
by each side for campaign purposes.
The battle this year will be largely be-
tween two business organizations rep
resented by the two committees. It is
probable that the spirit of the Indiana
management which was SO direct and
successful in Minneapolis will control
the republican national committee.
even with Mr.. Carter, of Montana, us
thurman 1t will be remembered that
Gen. Kitchener, who had charge of the
Indiana delegation, has often been men
toned in connection with the coming
campaign. lie was the directing spirit
OF the whole republican campaign at
Minneapolis. Gen. Kitchener will bc
the presidents representative in the
coming contest
Upon the other side the directing
mind will he that of w. C. Whitney.
MIR. Whitney is n man of great reserve
power, possessed of thorough l1nowl-
edge of. the world and one of the most
adroit of political managers. He knows.
the value of coaXing instead of driving.
lie has unlimited resources Mt his com
mand, and so there is no reason to sup
pose that the democrats will be any less
provided with money than the republic
ans
The chairman of each committee de-
clarcs as general thing the policy of
the campaign. Back of him is always
the candidate, who is the real chicftain.
Every matter of supreme Importance is
submitted to him before action is
taken. The post of director of these
political organizations is net n desirable
one He is the ostcnsible head and
front of the political forces of his side.
He has to bear the brunt of nearly all
the criticisms and possible scandals of
local management If his side wins the
candidate nearly always is SO occupied
with the future as to forget the past
Whoever heard of the chairman of the
national committee being prominently
recognized by an administration which
he has helped to elect? The doctrine
of civil service reform would be ont
ragged to the uttermost degree if the
chairman of any such committee should
ever receive any reward for his work
If he fails to elect his candidate then he
is made the scapcgoat to bear the bur-
den of this defeat
The task from beginning to end is O
thanlSlcss one. These charmen have
plenty of notoriety, but never populari-
ty. They arc hunted from morning to
night by men who want to dip their
hands into the committees treasury.
They have approach and leave their
committee headquarters by private
ways and have to live almost in hiding
to escape the swarm of bores and mendi-
cants. Then they have to submit to
people from whom there is no escape.
The political leaders of various com
munities come to headquarters for the
purpose of advising the director-in-chief.
Sometimes he receives good suggestions,
but in the main this is only waste of
time. and ordinarily such visits arc used
as covers for demands upon the national
treasury
The secretary of the committee is tho
buffer to the chairman. Ills real dutv
is to entertain all the men who come to
headquarters and to fight off as adroit-
ly as possible the swarm of people who
seek each day to capture the headqnar-
ttsrs for purposes of their own.
One of the great elements of cost in a
campaign is outside of any work of the
committees. This is in the check to
business during n presidential year.
Everything in business way is in an