The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-31

sible head and front of the political forces
of his slde He has to bear the brunt of
nearly all the criticisms and possible scan
dals OF local management. If his side
wins the candidate nearly always is so &C.
cupied with the future as to forget the past.
/ Whoever heard of the chairman of the ma
tional committee being prominently recog
nlzed by an administration which he has
helped to elect! The doctrine of civil serv-
ice reform would be outraged to the utter
most degree il the chairman of any such
committee should ever receive any reward
! for his work. If he fails to elect his can
! didste then he is made the scapeg oat to
bear the burden of this defeat. The task
from beginning to end is q thankless enc.
These chairmen have plenty of notoriety,
but never popularity. They are hunted
from morning TO night by men who want
TO dip their hands into the committees
treasury. They have to approach and
leave their committee headquarters by
private ways and have TO live almost in
hiding TO escape.the swarm OF bores and
mendicsnts. Then they have to submit to
| people from whom there is 10 escape. The
| political leaders Of various communities
come TO headquarters for the purpose of
advising the director-in- chief Sometimes
| he receives good sugges tions, but in tie
main this is only waste Of time, and crdi-
uari,y such visits are used as covers for de-
mands upon the national treasury.
The secretary the committee is the buff
fer TO the chairman. HIS real duty is to en-
terrain all the men who come to heaGquar-
tiers and to fight off as adroitly as possible
the swarm Of people who seek each day TO
capture the headquarters for purposes Of
their own.
There are people who think that, like the
standing armies in Europe the national
committees are necessary evils. if there
could be a mutual agreement between the
/ two sides much of the work and expendi-
ture could be avoided, as there is so mucn
of 1t of routine character. People are
worried and worn out with political parades
and, except as an excuse to get out of
doors, political meetings throughout the
country are not greatly enjoyed.
The day OF the campaign orator is pass
| ing. 1t is felt, particularly this year, that
issues are business ones, aud that senti-
mental ones will rot be considered. The
side that gives the best business reasons
for succeeding will capture the country
Manufacturers will contribute freely TO
the campaign funds to preserve TIE prin-
ciple of protection, and the wealthy i'm
poriers of New York will contribute with
equal freedom to the other side in the in
terests of free trade.
POORLY COMPENSATED.
What is the compensation for chairman
of national committed Ao cannot receive
any pay for his services. He is obliged TO
entirely give up his time for ut least six
months. He lives in the midst of confusion
and riot. The bulk OF his work begins at a
time in the summer when most people are
anxious TO avoid extra exertion, and from
then on until the close of the campaign he
has hardly moment he can call his own.
IL is upon him that rests the burden of rails
ing the money necessary for the conduct of
the campaign. People look to him to heal
all party differences, 10 smooth down the
ruffled feathers of disturbed personal vani7
ties. He must present q harmonious front
ito the public. Every petty difference
around the committee rooms is so exagger-
ated by the opposition that it needs great
tact, great self control and great force of
character to keep the diverse elements of a
vast party organization together. In this
country the civil service people demand
that practical politicians shall not have too
much 10 Go with the management OF the
party. In England the political campaigns
are nearly always conuucted by officials
l mention this only because it is sup
posed TO be the ideal land of the civil
service reformer. There is no campaign
conducted IN England that is not super
! vised and controlled BY the parties directl-