The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-03-17

do not expect him to resign any office, or
devote two months to the work, in order
to secure the craftsmanship for me-" said
Mr.. Leach good humoredly, II of course
look for his cordial support.
SIT is not my desire, however, to be
made state chairman simply because of
my friendship for him or devotion to his
political fortunes. If the office is given to
me it must be solely because of fitness, by
experience and otherwise, for the work of
organization, and because of desire on
the part of active party workers through
out the state, whose wishes should be con-
suited and followed, that L should be
placed at the head of the state organiza-
tion. Unless that fitness and the existence
of such desire shall be made manifest l
will not ask for or accept the office"
"What special object have you in view,"
Mr.. Leach was asked, ''in desiring the
state chairmanship?"
''Simply to bring the state organization,
in this important presidential year, to the
highest possible state of perfection. In the
campaign of 1885, when l first became
identified with the state committee as first
assistant secretary, our organization com
prised 10, 600 vote rs-that is to say, we cor
responded with that number of people.
The work was considered quite stupen-
dous. In the following year, when l be-
came chief secretary our list embraced
80, 600 voters. From time to time the scope
of our work has been broadened, until last
fall, when we gathered the names and adj
dresses of over 100000 Republicans-in
fact every single Republican voter in the
state, except in three counties. During
that campaign we spent for postage alone
80, 1874, of which sum $4,000, representing
400,0 900 two cent stamps, was spent within
a period of forty-eight hours. l am salts
fed this line of work added from so, 900 to
100, 600 to our majority of 174,000
81 shall not consider the perfection of
organization to have been attained, how
ever, until the state committee has in it's
archives the name, address, politics and
vocation of every one of the l, 900, 900 voters
in Pennsylvania. If made chairman of
the state committee l would start in within
twenty-four hours after the adjournment
of the state convention to gather the data
in question, with the hope of carrying the
state by the largest majority ever given in
ii presidential year While during The
past ten years, great advances in the line
of organization have been made by the
state committee, want to make the effort
to broaden it yet further before l give up
"But could you not do this as chairman
of the executive commtteeY
"Possibly, but l will not. Under no cir
cumstances will continue in my present
office. "
From 1885 to 1898 Mr.. Leach was secre.
tary of the state committee, and from 1888
to 1892 was also assistant secretary of the
Republican national committee. Last
August he was selected by Chairman Quay
as chairman of the state executive com.
mittee.
In 1888, acting upon behalf of the ma
tional committee, Mr. Leach spent two
months in North Carolina, and conducted
the state campaign there. He made an
effective still hunt He perfected an or
ganization such as had never been known
in any southern state before. Mr. Leach
had the satisfaction of knowing that,
though the state was lost, three Republi-
can congressman We're elected which
really saved the house of the Flfty-flrst
congress to the Republican party. A
change of three votes would have given
the Democrats majority of one.
AS result of the methods of organiza-
tion introduced in 1888 by Mr.. Leach
North Carolina is now Republican state.
the present legislature having large Re
publican majority.
Probably nothing ever gave Mr.. Leach
greater prominence, or gained him SO fully
the respect of the public, as his action last
summer In reslgning 5000 office-that
9f real estate deputy sherlf-in order to
take charge of Senator Quay's campaign
for the state craftsmanship, the Office for
which Mr.. Leach is now an aspirant That
the success OF that memorable camUaien,