Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-06-15

lection and 1t VIII BE Victory-How
Free Trade Reduces Exports-Price of
Cottons Under Free Trade.
How the Republican National Committee
Does Its Work.
Isabel Warrell Ball writes an interest
ing article for the Washington Post on
the party machinery at the head
quarters of the Republican National
Committee in Washington. 1t is well
worth reading. as it gives much intorma-
ton concerning the magnificent scope
and plan Of the work being done for the
enlightenment of the voters. The per-
manent headquarters of the National
Republican Committee are located ons
the eighth floor of the great granite
building at the corner of Ninth and F
streets. The general headquarters are
at the Plaza Hotel in New York City,
and branch offices are located in
Philadelphia and Chicago. but the
main business of the committee is trans
acted in Washington. The location
of the permanent headquarters Of
the committee in Washington shows
the clear foresight OF Gen. ClarksOn, the
chairman of the committee. Mr..
Clarkson has been an active member of
the National Republican Committee for
sixteen years, though now serving for
the first time as its chairman. The
committee occupies suite of eight
rooms perfectly equipped for the work
in hand. The machinery" Is sucn as
will be found IN any first-class news
paper Understanding, of course, the
type and presses.
Many hundreds of papers reach the
committee rooms daily. Every polit-
ical editorial, every comment and criti-
cism in whatever form, and every men
ton of prominent politicians, socially,
politically or otherwise, is clipped and
filed IN novel scrap-fling case, the in
vention of Capt. T. II. Mckee, who IS
acting assistant secretary in full charge
Of the Washington office, in the illness
of Gen. Garrison. After the clipping is
done. the papers are tied in bundles
and stacked away, while the metropOh-
tan Journals from Bangor to San Fran
cisco are kept IN regular newspaper
files.
In the adjoining room are four stem
ographers, four typewriting machines
and two monographs. From morning
till night those machines are kept hot
making copies for the printer, arranging
lists of names, indlting letters and adj
dressing them. The library occupies
one room. The books, which line the
wall nom floor to ceiling, form one of
the most complete political reference
libraries in existence. In the next
room about dozen people are at work
addressing wrappers and envelopes,
which are to enclose political literature
to the voters of every section OF the
United States. AS there are something
over half million names of voters III the
hands of the committee, and fairly rap
id penman can get rid Of 800 addresses
day, it will be seen that the con-
sum tion of postage is something enor-
nous. This room is arranged with cases
for each state. At glance the chief OF
the department can probably give the
names OF two-thirds of the voters In
gwen state, can tell the county, town,
congressional district, whether he casts
his maiden vote this year, whether he
is a Democrat, Republican, Third
party, Mugwump, Or doubtful. OF the
literature that is being prepared for dis
triDution, there are twenty-five docu-
ments, of which 100000 copies have
been printed for distribution as sam
pies. Three rooms of the suite are
packed with these documents. They
cover all questions at issue between the
two parties.
The principal document of the list is
pamphlet, in five parts, termed The
Tariff Riddle" and is the work of Well
ker Given. The National Committee
has exclusive control of one large edi-
ton Of this work. 1t is an incom parably
fine bit of literature, and exasperating-
ly convincing. During the recent
round-upi in Congress, when Jerry Simp-
son committed the Democrats and
Third party to absolute free trade
by reading Henry Georges book,
protection OR Free Trade" in
to the Congressional Record, the Re-
publicans submitted gracefully, and
sending to the National Republican
Committee for campaign literature be-
gan to read it into the Record. The
Democrats stood a good dose Of from
Plymouth Rock to Mckinley" but
when the tariff riddle" was produced
the Democrats got right up and howled,
and forthwith proceeded to cut off all
leave to print in the Record. They
couldn't stand that bit of diamond
pointed satire.
Among the other documents is Bob
Ingersolls "Why Am | a Republican ?"
| and the great orator never gave utter
ance to more beautiful sentiment
'Bab," that piquant, saucy little butter
| fly, has contributed a serio-comic study
on going to England to buy a wardrobe
in a free trade country, and how she
paid her passage both ways and saved
money at lest by buying in America.
Other pamphlets are American Ideas
Conquered" Abraham Lincoln, :"
"Taritf Catechism, y Farm Implements
Abroad" Free Traders Unveiled"
Farm Mortgages Not an Evidence of
Distress" and dozen others.