Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-01
OUR OADDles' CAMPAIGNS
Differed Very Much from Those Of {,

Political canvassing In these days
ana political canvassing In the times
Of our fathers and grandfathers are
very different things. All that Is
necessary now is for an orator or
candidate to betake himself to a
private car. There. surrounded Nv
friends aud supplied with every
luxury, he is as comfortable as II at
home In his study or ONCE. The
train moves of, and at frequent In.
terva 8 stops at u station where al
ready a crowd OF people are gathered.
The orator steps to the rear platform
Ut his car, delivers a speech Of from
o to 80 minutes, according to the
exigency of the time table, and then
glides onward. Thus In the course
Of two or three days q great state
may be thoroughly canvass a, and In
the course Of ten days half dozen
states. At important capitals stop
Is sometimes made over night, where
the orator addresses the people In Q
vast hall amid the accessories Of
music and brilliant electric lights
In this manner a great political cam.
paign Is now reduced to matter Of
few weeks, where formerly 1t
dragged through many months and
often extended over u year.
In the old times political cam.
paign was serious labor 1t 10.
vOlvcd long and disagreeable journeys
on horseback or In private vehicles.
The roads were bad and sometimes
impas able, while creeks and rivers
were bridgeless. To canvass q con.
HressiOnal district or a State was the
work Of months. The announce.
ment had To be made weeks before
hand and a political meeting was as
notable an event rs the coming OF
the circus. 1t Ia said, indeed. that
S. S. Prentiss. one Of the greatest
and most eloquent OF stump orators.
once canvassed Mississippi In com.
pany with u circus, making an ar.
rangement with the Snowman to
divide time, to the advantage Of
both, for Prentiss was as attractive
% card as the show. To these old.
fastened meetings farmers and other
good aud patOriOtic citizens would
come distances OF twenty to thirty
AntCVS Oisu8tuk VuCu tu"itCS ouu
making a gala day OF II. For this
was their only means OF gaining
political information or Of finding
out what their public servants we're
doing The daily newspaper was u
thing unknown aud even the weeklics
were not circulated widely. so the
people nUcked to the great political
gatherings to yet news OF the world,
and one or two such meetings would
last them year.
Such was 'stumping" In the West,
thirty, forty. and fifty years ago, be.
fore railroads brought the market to
every farmers door aud before the
telegraph gave him the news OF the
world every morning. Aud as 1t was
In the West SO It had been In the
East. To-day Mr.. Reed can start
from Portland In Maine and In ten
days speak In every important city
between there and Portland, Ore.
Within q period OF three weeks he
can speak In every quarter Of the
United states and his utterances be
read ut u million breakfast tables the
morning after. In the days Of his
fathers II would have been hercu.
lean task to have travelled from Port.
and to New York In the same period
OF time. making speeches by the wav.
The first political tours OF impor.
lance IN our history were made by
Washington In his first administra.
tiOn. Ills object was to increase III
far as possible the union sentiment
and to acQuaint himself with the
condition and desires Of the people Ia
various parts OF tho country. Ills
New England tour occupied q month
and his southern three months. liz
travelled In his own coach, though
his entrance into tho towns wa,
made on horseback. lie himself
made no set speeches, but many were
made by others and the union feel
ing was greatly strengthened.
James Monroe lmadc two extensive
Presidential tours with an ulteriO
political purpose, so successfully, In
deed, that he was elected by the vot'
OF every State for his second term.
Iienry's Clay's journey to and from
Washington almost invariably tool
the form OF u political stumpinl
campaign, not that ne wished 1t SO
but because under the circumstances
he could not help It. Travelling wa
q slow process In those days aud wa
rarely performed after nightfall, ant
wherever he stopped the people wer'
wild to hear the silver tOnHed Harr'
OF the West. On some occasions rs
entire Journey was q continued Ova
ton. On his way back TO Lexington
after JacksOn's first inauguration, h,
was received everywhere by crowds o
enthusiastic admirers Suppers, din
ners and balls we're arranged for hin
all along the line, and he had fire.,
passage everywhere. Taverns st00'
wide open, stages we're free and o.
toll gate stopped him. His cours
was q triumphal march. Thus earl
did he commence his Presidents
campaign for 1892. During tn
next two or three years he made lon
and extensive Journeys South an
North and addressed vast crowds
but 1t was tho occupation Of months
not OF u few days.
Douglas In $50, occupied nearl
two months In his Presidential can
paign, making many speeches Mort
and South. and though he had tn
railroads he could not have tn
comfort and convenience of mOder
travel. That campaign cost him hi
life.
A generation has passed sine