The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-26

GCupendOuS campaign ever cOQQucGeO.
Proof Of this lies III the fact that more
money was spent in the work Of the bu-
reau of publicity than in any other bu-
reau at Republican headquarters.
Literature by Freight.
Tt has been stated recently that the
government had to stand most of the
cost Of campaigning in mailing speeches
and transporting them under congress
sional frank
That may have been true Of some
campaigns, but it was not true Of this
one.
We shipped an enormous quantity
Of literature by fast freight and ex-
press, said Mr.. Heath, land the post
Office department. got back a good share
Of what it contributed in carrying
ranked matter. In the last two weeks
of the campaign our bill for postage
alone was 81, 600 a day. We sent alto
gether about $500, 600 packages by
mail. By express we sent IA, 600 pack
ages and cases and by freight 5000
packages. In several instances we ship
ped a carload Of documents at time. -
s'What was the total number Of docu-
ments distri buted?'' I asked.
1--WE can only estimate it, but approx
imately the number of documents, news
paper supplements and posters issued
from Chicago headquarters alone was
about 1876, 600, 600 copies. Add to this
probably so, 600, 600 leaflets, documents
and pieces of literature not published
directly under our supervision and the
documents issued under our direction
through she American Protective Tariff
league-about &c, 600, 600 copies-also
tho documents issued under our direc-
tion by the Republican congressional
committee at Washington, estimated at
14O, coo, 600 copies, and the whole
would make about six trainloads Of 20
cars each, each car containing 20 tons
of literature.
''We prepaid express and freight
charges on this matter where state COM
mittees were not in a financial condition
to pay them. p"
The bureau of publicity did not at
tempt to cover the country from Chioa-
go, Washington and New York.
It conducted a separate newspaper
bureau in Indiana, serving ITO weekly
newspapers with supplements, plate
matter and ready prints
It had special men at Des Moines and
at Lincoln, Neb.. to write special mat
speotive states.
It conducted another bureau from
Minneapolis and St. Paul for the prepa-
ration of matter treating Of the produc-
tons and conditions of the northwestern
states.
1t ran a supplement-, ready print and
plate matter bureau from Portland, Or
serving the Pacific slope
What the Press Did.
Through the main Offices and these
auxiliary bureaus an immense oircula-
ton was obtained for the arguments Of
the Republican campaign managers.
The 422, 900, 600 pamphlets, speeches
and leaflets issued by the Republican
committee was an average of six to each
inhabitant of the United States. But
the machinery which could be devised
for circulating these was not nearly so
perfect as the machinery already in the
control Of the newspapers of the coun-
try, most of which were for the Repub-
lican ticket. The bureau of publicity
therefore undertook to furnish to news
papers which favored the Republican
ticket arguments all ready for publica-
ton in the form of editorials, inter
views, quotations from recognized au-
bnOrlt6ss 6dDulaf STATEMENTS, etc
The circulation Of newspapers con-
tanning supplements, ready prints and
plate matter suggested or written under
Mr.. Heath direction was nearly 5000,
600 copies per week, reaching about
one quarter Of the families in the Unit
ed States.
The regular weekly supplement sys-
tenn had an edition of 1855, 1876 copies
In addition to this weekly service there
was a series Of daily and special supple
ments, one Of the latter being sketches
aud illustrations Of the home life Of the
McKinleys aud the HObarts.