Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-12-07
Democratic Northwest.
RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
One of Them Give a Picture Of the
Many Schemes Brought to Bear
Upon Them For a Money
Consideration.


Col. w. w. Armstrong, one II the
veteran Democratic editors Of Ohio, was
q candidate for treasurer Of Cuyhoga
county at the recent election. He ran
ahead ofbis ticket, but the Republican
majority was too great, and of course
was defeated. He gives the following
impressions Of the candidacy in Sun
days Plain Dealer.
In large city when man becomes
q candidate for an office, particularly
one of Importance, coupled with large
compensations, he become target at
which all men aim, and from the
hour of his nomination until the clos
ing Of the polls his life becomes bur-
densome and he almost cynic, a dis
believer in integrity, and almost
curses the fate that did not allow him
or some other fellow to take the place
on the ticket which he sought or
which was assigned to him.
From the day of the nomination to
election day the candidates mail be-
come formidable and the contents Of
the letters if made public and names
of the writers published, the people
would be astonished at the schemes
invented to take money out of the
candidate. The first thing, as mat
ter of course, the candidate is assessed
by his central committee for the legiti-
mate purpose of the campaign. The
supporters or pretended supporters of
both parties begin to prey upon him.
Small loans are daily asked for and
it seems hazardous in the candidates
opinion to ignore the polite invita-
tions made to him; yet II he Is in ordi-
nary circumstances and yields to all
demands made upon him he begins to
think that bankruptcy stares him in
the face.
Only the other day I destroyed q
large basket full of cards, invitations,
etc., the accumulation ofa campaign
ofsix weeks. The number of men who
have "puls," or who think they have,
ran up In the hundreds, and the rea-
sons they give for being influential are
as numerous as were the attractions
on the Midway Plaisance. To say
nothing of the men who seek to sell
you rattle tickets for organs, Watches
diamond rings, carriages and buggies,
there is demand upon the candidate
to buy the tickets for all manner of
literary and social celebrations; he is
looked for at church fairs and society
concerts, saloon opening, expected to
patronize grab-bags, donation par
ties and festivals.
One pastor of church in the city, a
colored man by the way, wrote me
that he was intensely interested In
seeing me, as he knew generous SUBJ
scription on my part would secure
good results in his congregation, num-
bering between 800 and 400. One man
in the Twenty-ninth ward came to me
and said there we're four votes in the
house where he lived, "but they were
for money, see?" And he was certain
he could get them to register and vote
for $12! Not agreeing to his purchase,
few days afterwards received q let
ter from him in which he said my
tight fisted policy ia not the one
adopted by your (my) antaganist."
The fellow worked against me. have
another letter from a citizen, who
says: II don't care much about
voting, but II you will send me $5 by
return mail / will vote for you" An
other who wanted a loan Of $40 ask
me to send it by "hurry up stamp"
as he wanted to convince couple Of
his friends that / was not "stingy."
Another letter inclose fifteen tickets,
so cents each, for the first annual
ball Of the-Social club. We hope
to see you present. Please remit 81 80"
Ihanded this letter to friend and he
went to the hall where the first social
was to be held and inquired of the pro-
prietor whether he had rented it for
the purpose of ball on the evening
named. He declared emphatically
that he had not and further stated
that he did not know the men whose
name were printed on the ticket as
COMMITTEE" and floor managers"
This ball scheme is common one
A couple OF hundred ball tickets can
be had for about So, including the cost
Of printing. The "committee' compos-
ed of a couple ofheelers, will then start
after the candidates on both tickets or
on al! of them. Sometimes the ball is
for the benefit of some mythical sick
man and each candidate Is worked for
from five TO ten tickets. The ball does
not come off; there Is no sick man in
the case Except the swindled candi-
date,) and the projectors of the ball
put into their pockets couple of hum
dred dollars. or course their are ex-
ceptions to all rules and occasionally
there are honest men selling ball tick
cts for worthy objects, but three-fourths
ofthe alleged ball tickets sold In cam