The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-17
THE MATTER OF
CAMPAIGN FUNDS
Enormous Recent Increase In the Cost
Of President Making.
HOW IT HAS BEEN OccASI0NED
Expense Accounts for '96 Estimated
at s5,OOO,OOO..Ail to Re Raised
by Voluntary Subscriptions..The
Collection a Political Science.

Dy NOiuntory SuDscrlptlons..The ne
Collection u Political Science.
Glope-Democrat's Washington Letter.
Competent judges predict that not
less than $4,000 600 will be spent by the
| two national committees in the great
political battle now at hand. This is a
careful estimate, made by those con-
nected with the campaign work, and is
| based on past experience. The eXpen-
ses of the campaign will add to rather
than subtract from the amount named.
The use of money as potential fac
tor in presidential contests is growth
! nf' the last thirty years. The late Gov.
/ Curtin, of Pennsylvania, said to me not
| long before his death that 1t cost less
to elect Lincoln in 1860 than is now Of
ten spent in single congressional dis
trict. THE Republican national COM
mittee In that year" said the governor.
spent a sum that now seems con-
temptible, but the work was just us
thoroughly done. and as successfully.
too, as that of any committee the party
has had since"
The use of large sums of money by
| national committees began with the
| two committees that managed Grants
| canvasses in 1868 and 1872. and SO rap
| idly did the extravaganza increase that
! In 1880, at the time of Garfields cleo
! ton, the national committee handled,
! or others handled for it, more than ST.
( 100000, while it has been estimated Ivy
/ those whose opportunities for knowing
! were good that throughout the country
! there were spent by different commit
tees in the aggregate more than $1,000
! OG0. The expenses of the campaigns of
! ISM md 1SsS n l,pt,t bp In
the campaign Of 1892 the national COM
mittees' each collected and expended
over Sl,50o,0 GOO, and the state committees
collected for their individual use about
one-quarter of that sum. How are
these vast sums expended by the cam
paiSn managers to whom they are en-
| trusted?
NOT USED CORRUPTLY.
The charge that the greater part is
| used to corrupt voters and purchase
votes. though often made, is false
and silly one. Nearly all, il not all of
the moneys collected are ANTICIPATED
by the legitimate expenses of the cam
paign. These expenses cover wide
range. Four years ago the Republican
national committee expended $500, 600
in the publication and circulation of
| campaign documents. An additional
9lNu,V'u was utNpttu 10 lIle campaign
| orators and their expenses. A little
over 100000 went to congressional dis
tricts where the contest was close and
| the outcome doubtful, and where it was
used to pay band hire and the cost of
the uniforms of marching clubs and of
parades and public meetings. Some
| thing like 5000. 900 was sent to the chair
men of the state committees of the
doubtful states, and the cost of main
tanning the national headquarters and
of the local campaign i'm New York
city consumed the balance of the funds
raised by the national committee. The
committee in 1892 varied in some minor
details, but its funds We're expended
through about the same channels as
the Republican committee, the cam
paign methods of both parties being
very similar.
With the growing use of money in
politics it has been found more and
more desirable that the chairman of a
national committee should be man Of
large private fortune and of high stand
ing in the business world. When sub
scriptions are slow in coming in, and
he has as yet only promises in lieu of
cash. he must become responsible for or
advance the funds needed to meet cur
rent expenses. These advances fire.
quently amount to several hundred
thousand dollars. while If there is
shortage at the end of the campaign
the chairman Is the one looked to to
make it good. Contributions to the
campaign funds come in the main from
the men of large means within the
party. some Of whom give as high as
800, 900. Large corporations also con-
tribute handsomely in hope of secur-
ing political favor. In some cases these
large concerns give to both of the
great parties, thus making themselves
safe in any event. There is conSid-
cradle class of men anxious to secure
political prominence or to occupy high
positions who give lavishly as a means
of advancing their political interests.
Finally comes the aggregate of small
popular subscriptions. which fOots up
a large sum, and which represents men
of moderate means. who take patriotic
pride in the success of their cause.
MIR. BLAINE'S GIFT.
Presidential candidates. as rule, are
not depended upon for large subscrip-
tons The only exceptions, l believe,
have been Mr.. Tilden and Mr.. Blaine.
The former is said to have spent over
half a million dollars in the campaign
OF 1876. \ tale hangs to Mr.. Blaine's
contribution to the campaign Of 1SS4.
At the outset of that campaign Mr..
Blaine drew his check for $4,000 and
sent it to the committee as his share
of the campaign expenses. In the clos
ing days of the campaign, when the ef-
fects of the Burchard incident and the
Field banquet were making themselves
felt, the members of the national COM
mittee in direct charge of the Republic
can campaign became badly scared
over the result in New York. New oer-
sey and Connecticut, and decided. as
n last desperate ,eXpedient to save their
candidates. that it was necessary TO at
once raise $l50,000, to be used in New
York city and in two or three of the
larger New Jersey cities. The usual
sources of financial aid had already
been pretty well exhausted. and the
committee was able to raise from these
sources at short notice only }.
Mr.. Blaine was informed of the emerg-
ency and the difficulty of meeting it,
and on the assurance that the money
would be collected and repaid to him
later, he advanced the sum of $780,
600. In this way the required sum
was made up and promptly placed
where it was thought it would do the
most good. Bat when the Republicans
We're defeated further subscriptions
could not be obtained. and the national
committee closed up it's affairs, leaving
the 100000 due Mr.. Elaine unpaid and
unprovided for. And it was thus that
to the sting of political defeat was add
ed chagrin at pecuniary loss which
was without remedy. There are many
who believe that this loss was the
cause of Mr.. Blaine's reluctance to
again become a candidate in 1888. when
the prospects of heavy expenditures
were as certain as in 1884. while the
outlook for success seemed good deal
more uncertain than it did in the form