Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-07-08
COST OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.


II The Utah statute relative TO filing
a statement OF election expenses as
public record IL lived up 10, we will
have some definite information as to
tho cost Of political campaigns locally.
with such n bill Of particulars, the
people may figure out the proportion.
ate Influence on elections Of money
and principle, respectively. Working
on this basis In national ailalrs, It does
not take long 10 conclu 10 that money
Ia the lever mat moves the political
worII.
A. matters 20 nowadays, II takes at
lras, a million dollars to elect Presi-
dent, and it IL probable that the com.
ing campaign viii cost more than that
TO tho national campaign committee
that 10 uuooC.siul This is independent
OF local expenses. There are legitimate
burdens connected with the conduct OF
a national campaign, but II cannot DO
that these attain the stupondons figuto
named. There arc tickets to print,
balls to hire, bands Of music TO DO
Engaged, bannon 10 DO printed, and
nuuborllss other expenses Of this
kind, but these are mostly met In tho
states where tho expense 10 incurred.
The bulk Of the money used, then,
must so In some other way, and howl
II ia well known that the money
which was required TO pay presidential
election oxponsosirom the days oiGeorge
Warrington to u. S. Grant would
not be enough nowadays to carry con.
gtossional district or even n municipal
ward In Chicago. Many congressman
spend their salary for the term-slO..
000-in securing their election, and 1t
has been openly declared that the cost
to some senators Of n scat In the high
or branch OF the national legislature
has reached half n million dollars. 1t
will DO remembered by those familiar
win election events when General
Hancock was a candidate Tor the prosl.
deney that, being n poor man, he
could not furnish tho cash, but tho
national committee had to iquotzs
hundred thousand dollars out Of the
vice presidential candidate on the came
ticket. Then uariield's running mate
IN nimllar circumstances had 10 put
up quarter OF million. Now York
importers paid assessments to the
extent Of hundreds OF thousands Of
G0llari ut Cleveland's first election,
Hud al tho second term william {.
Whilney, who has become special
~ prominent again by bis recent
ulloranoes On thc coinage question, be
credited with having clipped 10 a
quarter OF u million on his own ac.
count; ant the political supporters on
tho opposite side were equally sub.
jeotsd TO heavy calls iOT money.
Thesb figures Indicate that tho time
IL past when presidential elections are
decided on some great question Of
principle or theory Of government on
which the people were honestly
divided Ia opinion, or upon varyiua
estimates Of the character, ability uua
patriotism Of tho respective candidate (;
aud suggea. that the Highest tiiico ~
tho land IA largely n matter Of barter
and sale by questionable moth0ls. No
wonder that the people are grow ing
impatient under such a condition,
which compels them to DO monsurably
powerloss and silent spectators to o.
system OF spells OF which thoy arc thu
Victims. Il Is manipulation OF tte
national government by politicians
who serve th,ir own ends rather than
by statesmen who serve tue interrsta
OF the people.