The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-12-27
GAmPEiGA. FUNDS

How the Necessary Money Is Raised and
Handled for Carrying Elections.
During q political campaign the first
and in most cases the chief source Of
revenue is the assessment OF candidate.
The amount Of these assessments varies
IL different localities and under differ
ent circumstances. A common assess
| ment in Illinois. for example, in districts
that are not considered especially doubt
full in ordinary elections, is 3 per cent.
Of the annual salary, and it is expected
that all candidates, unless there IS so1le
| special reason for exception, VIII pay
| this assessment. However, it not rf-e-
quently happens that the most valuable
candidate for the party is a poor nan
who is unable to pay the regular assess
ment. In that case, the committee, tax
ing all the circumstances into account,
ask him TO pay what seems reasonable,
or be may be wen entirely exempted
from assessment, as in the case Of a
crippled candidate for county recorder
in Indiana in 1890. A wealthy caldi-
date, who can well afford to pay more,
is sometimes assessed a lump sum with
out any especial reference to the salary
that he is to receive if elected.
In national elections local county cOm-
mittees expect to receive money also
from the national committee, usually
through the hands Of the state commit
tee. In the campaign Of 1888 the Re-
publican committee in one county Of
Indiana received $800from the state com
mittee, which they supposed, as a mat
ter Of course, came from the national
committee.
In the campaign Of 1880, in that same
state, the two leading county managers
Of One Of the parties went to 1ndianaPo-
lis and met there a representative from
the national committee. They went to
his room in the hotel to talk with him
regarding funds. When he asked their
needs 1t was replied that they did not
come to beg money from the national
committee, but that their county stood
ready to match dollar for dollar whatever
sum he was willing to give them
You're the kind of men | have been
wanting to see" replied the gratified rep
r~esentative from New York. You can
have as much money as you want; help
yourselves" He took down two v~alises,
and threw them open, showing thel
packed full Of bills. One of the most as
tute of New York political managers is
Of the opinion that while they doubtless
took what they needed they failed l
keep their promise to match the SUI
dollar for dollar from their own c0un-
ty; but they did keep their word.
Another source of revenue, and Il
that is much larger than we should ex-
peCt, if we did not consider the great en-
thusiasm that a close campaign arouses,
is voluntary contributions. | am no;
speaking here Of the large sums that are
raised by national committees from
wealthy men, especially from those who
feel that they have much at stake in ma
tiCnal legislation. but the amount thatis
contributed to county and city commit
tees in local campaigns. In the cam
paign of 1888, in the same county that
received $500 from the national commit
tee, one little city Of 1000 Inhabitants
raised 81 ,2G0 a day or two before the
election, after the assessments he'd been
collected. The money was given volun-
tarily by enthusiastic men. In hat cam
paign, in that county, some $1,000 was
spent by n party alone.-Professor
jerks III Century.