The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-17
EXPERT SILICITORS.


delight to talk about the late Marshall
Jewell, who as a collector of campaign
funds, perhaps never had his equal.
When others failed Jewell always sue
ceeded, and 1t Is told of him that in
Boston in n single day he raised $780,
900. AS beggar his methods were
most winning, and il was seldom, in
deed, that he left n business office or
counting room empty handed. Had he
been as skillful in the use as he was
in the collection of campaign funds he
would have ranked first among the
great political generals of his time.
Zach Chandler was a good deal of Il
diamond in the rough, but he was Il
shrewd judge of human nature, and he
knew pretty well what chords to strike
in order to make men generous. He
was chairman OF the Republican ma
tional committee in 1876. and there was
no lack of funds in that campaign.
stephen W. Dorsey. who managed the
Republican campaign in 1880. never at
tempted to collect much money HIM
self, but he was surrounded by men
who raised it for him, and he used II.
as results showed. with consummate
skill.
In 1884 II. +. Jones and stephen b.
Elkins contributed literally to the Re-
publican campaign fund, and were
very successful in inducing others to
do the same.
In 1855 John Wanamakcr and his
friends contributed Sl00,000 toward the
campaign fund disbursed with SO much
skill by Senator Quay. Four years ago
the financial affairs Of the Republican
national committee We're in the hands
of Cornelius n. Bliss, and with the aid
of men like William \. Russell in Bos-
ton, Thomas Dolan in Philadelphia,
Mark Hanna In Cleveland. and Russell
\. AlGer in Detroit and Chicago, the
New York millionaire brought that
body through an exciting and costly
campaign with only small deficit to
face at the end.
The late August Belmont, vino, as
chairman of the Democratic national
committee in the years Immediately
following the war, was for long
period one of the financial pillars of
his party. Eminent as a banker and
iinanccr. he always knew where he
could find aid when money was need
ed, and, while it has often been re-
marked that he did not use campaign
funds as skillfuly as he collected thom.
it Is still well-known fact that the
discipline and system introduced by
Mr.. Belmont did much to reorganize
and rebuild the Democratic party.
William II. Barnum, who succeeded
Mr.. Belmont as chairman, was an able
collector of campaign funds and a fine
tactician. Mr.. Tilden always gave
freely to campaign funds, and he had
numerous friends who were equally
generous in their contributions. Good
authority reports that Edward Cooper
and Abram S. Hewitt gave 100000
apiece to the first Cleveland cam
paign. although it does not appear that
n nf,Ny rt,l "a.
the administration. The late William
l.. Scott. of Erie. gave freely to the
same campaign. Once, when Mr. Bar
mum talked of closing the committee
rooms for lack Of funds. Mr.. Scott drew
ms personal check for s25,OOO, and
raised 100000 more within a week.
SCOTT AND BAYARD.
Apropos of Mr.. Scott's part in the
campaign of 1884 an amusing story is
told. Shortly after the first Cleveland
administration got into running order,
so the story runs, Mr.. Scott turned up
at the state department and asked Mr..
Bayard to make some friend consul
or minister. please file your papers
for him. said Bayard. "What?' said
Scott In astonishment, and Bayard re-
joined: You will have to file a paper;
1t will be duly considered" Then Scott
stood VI in front of the secretary's
desk: Look here, Mr.. Bayard, i've
been filing papers with the Democratic
party for twenty years, while you've
been drawing papers from the govern
ment and giving nothing to the party.
want you to understand that / got
through filing papers when Cleveland
was elected. Hells full of fellows who
Will sign papers to your satisfaction.
Good day, SIR
Later, however, Mr.. Scott's friend got
the Office he was seeking, and in the
campaign OF 1888 the former was again
the anchor sheet of the Democratic ma
tional committee. l have il from n
source that is entirely reliable that in
that year Mr.. Scott contributed 5000
900 toward the election of Mr.. Cleveland.
Still, after the election the committee
had debts amounting to half million
dollars, and these We're paid by Chair
man Calvin S. Brice from his own pock-
ct. In 1892 William C. Whitney and Il.
{. Benedict. the banker friend of Mr.,
Cleveland. between them raised a quar-
ter of q million dollars with which TO
open the campaign.
ROSWELL l.. Flower and Oliver L. Nor
ton. the one Democrat and the other
Republican, have neverI believe, been
connected with a national campaign in
an official way, but both are famous
fund raisers. Mr.. Flower in collecting
campaign funds follows q method that
is original and effective. He makes out
list OF those upon whom he intends
To cal, with the amount he thinks each
man should give set opposite his name,
heads the list with his own subscription
FOR generous amount. and then goes
the rounds. AS those upon whom he
calls are rich men like himself his
tours are generally productive of speak
ing results.
Ihr. Morton very rarely sets out to
make purse. but when he does his
methods are very similar to those of
Mr. Flower. He prepares a list of men
whom he knows on the street. sets
down opposite their names the sums
he thinks they ought to give, and then
visits them. Not many words are
passed. The business men look upnn
the matter as a business transaction.
They feel that Morton has good rea-
son for calling uoon them. Perhaps
one will say: "Do you think I ought
to put my name Gown for so much. Mr..
Morton?' and he REPLIES: "If had not
thought so ] wouldn't have named the
amount" Indeed, after the famous
Fifth avenue conference of 1880. it is
pretty well catahlis he'd by the Dorsey
revelations and letters that Mr.. Nor
ton raised nearly o. million dollars for
the Republican national committee.
The moneys expended by the nation
al and state committees represent only
a part Of the cost of presidential cam
raiGn. Conventions like these held in
st. Louis and Chicag 90 cost at modest
estimate from one end onc-half to two
million dollars apiece. and the check
of business during the campaign which
follows them involves q loss of many
millions more. Taking all these things
into consideration il may be roughly
estimated that presidential campaign
costs the country about SgO,O00,o0O.
His Mine. Clear on One Point.