Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-02
pOPuIIST,

For Alderman, Second Ward 80.
.................'.....'. ...'.'JoiN H. A1Lho
MADE A BUSINESS CANVASS.
No warmer political fight was ever waged
In the city than that which has been In
progress during the past week. The old
method of making a general hurrah and ap-
peal to the faithful in each party to come
out and help in the good cause has been dis
carded in the present fight and the politicians
have got down to brass tacks and are making
an individual canvass of the voters of the
city. Each precinct has been polled and the
men who make politics a business claim to
have positive information as to just how
every man in the city proposes to vote The
wires were kept warm yesterday and every
travelling man whose home Is in this city
and every resident who is away on business
has been urgently asked to come home and
help out his friends. "Now is the time for
all good men to come to the aid Of the
party has been the burden of the song.
Meetings were held yesterday by the candi-
dates and workers in both parties and plans
laid for the battle today. Both republicans
and democrats are apparently sanguine of
success, but that does not deter them in the
least from keeping up vigorous hustle for
votes. The only thing that seems certain
now is that there won't be any big ma
jorities on either side and the chances are
that both parties will have representation in
the city hall after the battle is over.
That talk about Doodle that printed
in The Bee yesterday morning caused con-
siderable CONSERVATION in certain ranks and
an effort was made yesterday to ascertain
Just who the parties were who are behind
the movement. 1t Is enough to say that the
movement to prevent and punish boodling
| at the polls has assumed definite shape and
that each voting place today will be under
the surveillance Of a detective in the en-
ploy of the committee having this part of
the election in charge and that arrests will
follow any attempt to make voters by the
use of money. The Christian Citizenship
league has been accused of fatherng the
movement, but such Is not the case. The
plan to keep bcodle out Of politics is in
the hands of men who have no direct in
terest in the fight, but are tired of seeing
money openly used on election day and pro-
pose to put a stop to that feature Of NUM-
cipal elections.
PLANT OF A CANDIDATE.
| "If you have a friend you love- teach
him to tell my story" remarked candi-
date to The Bee yesterday, with due apol-
| ogies for the liberty taken with the text of
| Othelo's harangue. ITO be candidate for
| any kind Of an office is to be the target
for little bit more of everything than the
| liveiest imagination can conceive. The
| fight that begins before the primaries and
| in the convention for the nomination is
often exciting and about always legitimate.
| 1t is an interesting and not altogether un-
| pleasant experience, but oh, the road the
| candidate must travel from the day he is
nominated until the polls close on election
night! IL he Is an honest man and has still
| cinging to him a little of the faith in hui
| manity that was taught him at his mothers
knee he Is surprised and panied within an
| hour and irremediably disguised before the
| close of the first days campaign He is
approached by all classes and kinds Of men
with all sorts of propositions to make his
| election
/ Incidentally he is bed but 1t is with the
| assurance that these little necessary cam
| paign funds will be all that will be required
| from him. and although hit pretty hard he
| is told that he is getting off very easily.
| He has scarcely ceased congratulating him
self that one part of his public duty has
been faithfully and conscientiously discharged
until he 10 invited to attend a candidateo
meeting. He responds with alacrlty. There
he learns that the chief object of candi-
dates meeting is to raise election funds and
| while he Is trying to explain that he has
already contributed his share to the general
pile he is assessed in proportion to the lucra-
| tive Importance OF his prospective office.
| When he quietly whispers to the campaign
| managers the story of his first assessment
and prompt payment he is told that he has
paid some individual for individual help for
| himself, but that does not relieve him from
the necessity of a general campaign con-
| tribution.
STRETCHING HIS LIMB.
"After all Of these things have passed
the candidate imagnes that It will be
smoother sailing and that his habby wallet
will not be subjected to any further at
tacks. But he is sadly mistaken. He is
| met by men whom he never or heard
Of but who ceme up and call him familiarly
by name, grasp his hand and assure him
| that he has n dead cinch on his office pro-
yding that he can get the boys to go to
| the polls There Is always a large number
| Of the boys who will not go unless they are
| personally solicited by this unknown stranger.
! II will cost about $40 to see the boys but
| the office is worth that much more. and the
| candidate Is urged to make the investment.
| The candidate is in doubt, but the man is
| persuasive and positive, and for fear the
| twenty votes may go to the other fellow If
| his man sees the boys first, he gives 10
| the cash. This is the daily and hourly ex-
! perience of the candidate. He is approached
! on the streets. in his office and at his home
by beggarly-looking fellows all wanting a
| few dollars to make his path to the new
office smooth and certain. Each fellow has
| from five TO fifty votes absolutely under his
control. / have kept a sort OF an account
OF the amount OF money i have been asked
for to insure my election to the Office for
which | was unfortunately nominated, and
1t reaches about $1,000
"Of course, there are legitimate campaign
expenses which the candidates arrange for
at the beginning, but II is the army of
touts, eager. vulgar fellows, who make the
life OF the candidate so unhappy. and politics
so thoroughly disgusting These fellows go
to every candidate with the same story and
the same proposition. They DO not even
control their own votes, and are utterly ir-