The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-12
CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES.
Nature Of the Work Done by The Con-
gTeSSiOlal Committee.


The Secretary of the Democratic Or
ganization Gives an Insight Into Its
Workings-Political Literature Re-
Gently Prepared by the Members-The
Money Contributed for the Work in
Congressional Years Comparatively
Small.
Washington. Oct. u.-Much appears
from time TO time in the newspapers
about the congressional campaign com
mittees. Reports go forth as to what
these committees do, and a great deal
is heard about what those committees
think, and what one committee charges
the opposite committee with having done
or failed to do, and the other committee
reports with nat contradictions. A great
deal of curiosity has been manifested
by many people as to Just who compose
these congressional committees, what
they do and where they do it. Judging
from some of the inquiries received by
out of town correspondents, many per-
sons must believe the committees to
contain very large number of lucrative
and easy positions.
Such an impression is wrong. All ma
tional parties have congressional commit
tees, but there is no sinecure in any of
LuGus AL6 WOIk uOn6 is nara and eX-
haustiVe, and except to a person who
has a particular liking for politics, apt
to grow extremely monotonous. In brief
the business of the committee is to col
lect all possible information concerning
the political situation in the various con-
gressional districts in the country, and
make such use of that information as
will be most likely to secure a victory
of the congressional candidates belonging
TO that party by which the committee is
created.
Lawrence Gardner, secretary of the
democratic congressional committee,
complying with the request to satisfy
peoples curiosity concerning committee
work, dictated the following replies to the
preceding questions asked him:
How long have congressional commit
tees been in vogue?"
They have been in vogue since the
first contested campaign for the presi-
dency of the United States when notonal
campaigns were conducted by congress
sional committee and presidential candi-
dates nominated by congressional eau
Gus"
How are they created?"
They We're created by party represent
atives in the House and Senate respect
lively and selected in special caucuses.
When they were selected they met jointly
and elected their officers. OF late years
the arrangement has been for each dele
cation having representation in congress
to select one member of the delegation.
Where there was no representative in
congress from the Democratic party some
one of prominence in the state was Sc
lected, generally az the suggestion of
the chairman of the state committee. The
senatorial representatives were selected
by the chairman of the Senate caucus"
What are the functions?'
THE functions of the congressional
committee IN Alorf q ives N
the Lower House, members of the legis-
lature in the several states, elect United
States senators and to help the party
where they think it best"
What has this committee done?"
AT one of the early meetings it was di-
Vided into several committees; one to pre-
pare the campaign book; one to select the
character of the literature to be prepared
and sent out and finally a committee on
finance. The executive committee is sup
posed to be the one which lays out the
plan of the campaign. The work
of the congressional committee be-
gan some months earlier this year
than usual but the real active work was
delayed because of the uncertainty as to
the action of congress, especially on the
tariff question. During the early months
the time was devoted to collecting Stats
tics from all over the country in all con-
gressional districts, and to-day we have
the finest lot of tabulated statements of
congressional districts that 1 think has
ever been prepared. Reports have been
received from the chairmen of the county
committees, from chairmen of state con-
gressional committees and from members
OF congress. Thus we have collected all
the data possible to throw light on the
conditions existing in the several con-
gressional districts. When that matter
was collected the next step was to de-
termine what districts were absolutely
\, if.f- ND TUl
tricts were doubtful, and what republican
districts II might be advisable for us to
attack The policy of the committee has
been that as we had nothing to defend,
we would pursue an aggressive cam
paign."
what is the committee doing?'
1.-THE committee on campaign book pre-
pared the book that is now before the
public The demand for it has been un-
precedented. We are now printing the
third edition, and from the appearance Of
this mornings mail, ] am strongly of the
impression that we will have to order
fourth edition. The speeches sent out by
the committee have been confined to
tariff and populistic measures, showing
the Inconsistencies of that party's posi-
ton. The speech of MIR. Pigott of Con
necticut on this subject has received much
attention and 1 understand the repubh-
can campaign committee has ordered q
large quantity for distribution in some of
the western states, a compliment seldom
conferred on a democratic speaker.
THE speech of Mr.. Hall of Minnesota
on What Has Been Done by the Fifty
third Congress- has also been in great
demand. The committee has also issued
a series of slips, some Of them extracts
of the strongest points of the speeches
delivered in Congress, but the majority of
them bear on special subjects. For In
stance, the Harrison panic, the increase
in wages, and a numebr of circulars show
ing that the price of wool has increased
since the passage of the new tariff law.
The number of documents sent out UP
10 this time IL away up in the millions.
We are to-day issuing our first posters
showing pictorialy the large reduction
under the new tariff bill from the Nc
Kinley bill"
What does your committee propose DO
ing now until election day.
up to the present time nearly all our
correspondence, though large. has been
in arranging for literature and campaign
books, and It is only from now on that
We begin to hear results of the organiza-
t,a,ra oefocfaI committee