Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-23
CASH IN CAMPAIGNS.
Secretary Foster Tells Where the
Money Does the Most Good.
PREACHERS AND sALOoNKEEPERs
Have Their Influence and They're Always
Open to Inducements
PARTIES MIGHT AGREE NOT TO SPEND
OF THE DISPATCH

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE pIsPATcH.i
COLUMBUS, O., Oct. %. - Secretary
Charles Foster, of the Treasury Depart
ment, who is now devoting himself to the
interests of his party in this State is COM
monty considered the best politician in
President Harrison's Cabinet Perhaps 1t
would be q stand-of, however, between him
and Secretary Elkins. Mr. Foster has been
six times candidate for Congress before
the people of Ohio and twice candidate
for Governor. And there is probably no
better school of politics than the State of
Ohio, where there is an election every year,
and where, though the Republican party
always gets the electors in national con-
test, there is still a'chance OF Democratic
success for the local ticket.
MI. Foster has had not only local but ma
tional experience in politics. Only recent
" he furnished one-half the money neces-
sary to carry on the campaign OF Kolb TOR
Governor of Alabama, which nearly re-
suited in the overthrow of the Democracy
in that State. MI. Foster is practical
politician, and he believes in the use Of
money in political contests
The Use of Money In Politics.
Az he sat in the Chittenden lobby smok-
ing put these questions to him:
"What are the legitimate expenses of q
political campaign? What makes it SO
costly to the candidates and to those who
are interested in the success of one or othe
of the great parties?"
ssThere is great difference in the minds
of people as to what is a legitim ate use OF
money in q political contest" said Mr..
Foster. about some matters there is no
doubt. There is the printing of the tickets,
the printing Of speeches for circulation, the
advertising OF the ticket in newspapers.
Then you take the work of canvassing. In
our own State, Ohio, there are 1900 voting
| precincts A regular canvass is made Of
every one of these before the election, and
| a poll of the voters is made. The record
shows the politics of each man, whether he
| is doubtful or not, and if he is doubtful
gives some reason why or suggests now ne
| can be approached. There must be books
| for this canvass; then other larger books in
which this information is copied by town
ships; then other books in which all of the
material is collated for the use of the State
| Committee. All of this requires a large
amount of stationery and great deal of
clerical labor
Doubtful Voters Come High.
eTheu a list of doubtful voters is made
| up, and they may aggregate 1O, 600 or ~, O00
in q campaign. Each of these must be
worked upon by sending him campaign
literature or by sending someone to talk to
him, In this work there are travelling ex-
penses and buggy.hire and printing and
postage to be taken into account
Snow you come to the labor fellow, who
may be useful to you in his missionary
work, but who says. i can't leave my regu-
lar occupation unless you pay me for my
time. I can't afford to. must earn my
as much as he would earn at any other occu-
patton. Then there il the German who
has great influence with his race and who
wants to bes paid to 60 around and make
speechea And then there Is the Irishman
who can influence the Irish, and the Swede
and the Pole, and then there is the Catholic
and the Lutheran and, yes. the Methodist,
too On election day you must pay fol
carriages at the polls and nowadays the
farmer is greedy and wants to be paid fol
bringing voters in. Then good deal o
money goes to the saloon-keepera Ther'
are always around every saloon some foul
or five fellows who don't care how the.
vote and the saloon-keeper can usual.
vote them. He comes to the Republican
committee, perhaps, and says: I don
like the way the Democrats have beel
!; treating me. Now if you people will Civ
me SO or SIS or S25 I'll vote these fellow
tor the Republican ticket
Money Blown Into Saloon Tills
ssThe money il given to him ostensibly
buy drinks in honor of the candidate. L
reality it goes down into the saloon till
That does not sound very we'll, perhaps, bu
when YOU get into politics you find ths
everyone is doing the same thing and you
conscience il likely to be blunted after
, time. I've been approached in almoi
every campaign by churches and asked
subscribe to funds on the assurance that
would help me politically. I don't Sc
much difference between the saloon and til
. church in that. And it does help man
cultivate the church.
5 "In 1874 the Republican party got prett
. nearly as bad q setback as it got in 1891
D We had SO members in the House. I b.
/ lieve that this Congress has 80, but thel
are more members of the House now. I wi
, elected to the House from my district by Il
/, majority. The district went for the DEM
r cratic State ticket by 1000. During tt
canvass there was Catholic bazaar in m
> town, and my opponent ana were asKeu
0 attend and contribute to the charities. I dl
!. not 60 Neither did my opponent But IN
$ partner, who was good Catholic, went an
d subscribed 500 in my name. My opponel
was stingy, and he gave nothing. II
r had thought that he was not going to gi1
: anything, I think that would not have i
d my partner do 90. I let him do it just b
cause thought the other man would. Wei
sir, that $1O0 elected me. 1 ran away ahea
of my ticket on the Catholic vote.
Money Spent in Ohio Politics.
'Thers are many expenses which the locs
politicians bear, such as the unIforming I
t political clubs, the purchase of banners, II
. hiring of brass bands. Very little, If An.
. of this expense is borne by the State Con
= mittee. But for that matter the State Con
mittee handles very small proportion
. the whole campaign fund. In Ohio, for e.
i ample, the State Committee usually b,
> about SIX, 900 or $50, 900, but suppose tn
z between $2OO, 900 and $500, 900 is spent du
r ing the campaign. There are 15 candidate
% for Congress-, and each of them will sper
. not less than 81. 500. This is $37, 500. The
y there are six local candidates in each of Il
So districts in the State. Each of them wi
r spend not less than $100 There is $50, 80
o "Then there are the local funds raise
L