The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-24
in POLITICS
Growth and
Use OF Money.
WHAT is TO BE DONE
Senator Chandler Writes on
Situation in NewHampshire

Manchester, N. H., Dec. Ex-senator
William e. Chandler has addressed a
letter to the Union upon ''the growth
and use of money in politics in New
Hampshire-shall it increase or stop?,s'
the first portion of which will be print.
ed in tomorrows issue
In this letter Mr.. Chandler in open
ing says: Recent events make an ex-
animation of this subject appropriate.
and doubtless not Improbable. In the
days of the old whig and democratic
parties. as rule very little money was
used by either side.''
Then he tells of the presidential
campaign of 1852 when Col John H.
George wished to raise $500 to pay ex-
| penseS of a meeting at Hillsborough
the birthplace of the party candidate.
Col George wrote letters to individual
democrats, S. being the usual sum
named, and when the money came in,
| 1t paid the expenses and $500 went to
the party state committee which paid
all the expenses of the committee in the
canvass when a son Of New Hampshire
was elected president of the United
States.
| Continuing Mr.. Chandler says: -Four
years later, in 1856, when the republi-
can party was organized, no money was
used, although the state was revolu-
| tionized, giving Gen. Fremont 5291
majority as against the 6776 majority
given for Gen. Pierce, and becoming
| staunch republican state from that
| time forward. This Fremont campaign
was the most enthusiastic ever known
| in New Hampshire. The same condition.
substantially, prevailed in 1860. at Mr.,
Lincoln's first election. The wide
awales took care of themselves and
paid their own bills. Mr.. Lfncoln's plu-
rality being IL, 63S.
During the war of the rebellion the
state became a closely contested field,
partly because it held the first election
IN each year. The most critical and dan
gerous contest was that of 1863, but the
expenses of the republican state com
mittee that year were not more than
$4,000.
TN the two canyasses of 1854 consid-
cradle money was expended, but as the
result of Mr.. Lincoln's second election
| and the success of the war for the
union, New Hampshire took it's place
! permanently in the republican column
and very little money from that time
on to 1882 was used by the republican
party.
During this period prior to 1882, the
national committee OF the republican
| party raised and expended moneys, but
| TO no considerable amount except in the
| presidential canvass Of 1864, when Mr.
Lincoln's second election in war time
was in danger In the first Grant cleo
| ton of 1868, when Gov. William CIaf-
lin of Massachusetts was chairman, and
in the second Grant election of 1872
when Gov. Edwin d. Morgan was chair
| man, some money was raised and it
was mainly expended by donations to
the state commissioners in the states
where fall elections We're held prior to
| the presidential election In neither of
these years did the national commit
tees expenditures for all purposes ex-
coed 100000. But in 1882 new sys-
| tenn of politics came into existence in
New Hampshire. For the first time in
| the history of the republican party,
large sums of money We're expended
by rival candidates in the struggle for
| the party nomination for governor
Samuel w. Hale Of Keene carried
on his money canvass through an ex-
| ceedingly competent and energetic
manager employed for that purpose
| The expenditures are believed to have
| been equalled by those of the rival
candidate, although Mr.. Hale became
| the party nominee for governor.
| The evil feelings created by this la
| mentable struggle for the nomination
made the contest before the people a
| doubtful one, and large further sums
OF money were disbursed under the
charge of Mr.. Hale's manager, who had
| become the chairman of the republican
| state committee, with the result that
Mr.. Hale was elected by the small ma
| jority of SIT.
| From and after these notable events
/ in the notorious contest for the nom
/ nation and election in 1882, the system
| OF large money expenditures in politics
| in New Hampshire, .ook it's rise and
became permanent. Mr.. HaIe's former
| opponent, Mr.. Currier was however.
nominated without expenditures, in 1884.
| but large sums were expended in the
! congressional contest, although Mr.
| Currier was elected by 55S majority.
| In 1886, when Charles H. Sawyer
| was candidate for governor money
expenditures were continued, the same
chairman again being a candidate for
congress, with the result that Mr.,
Sawyer lacked 1893 votes of a majority.
! although he was elected by the Ieeis-
| lature, and the chairman was elected
to congress by 1166 plurality, while
Martin A. Haynes (republican) in the
other district, was defeated by 1O5 plu-
| rallty for his opponent, Mr.. Mckinney
The chairman himself continued in
office during the state and national
| canvasses of 1888, becoming while such
candidate for United States senator
at the election to take place in 1889.
/ Two other series of facts should be
! considered in this review. AS the state
became close one during the proceed |
/ 1ngs narrated the democrats began to |
make large expenditures in politics,
! Charles A. Sinclair appearing upon the |
| stage and directing the expenditures. es-
pecially In 1890 when he drew on No |
vember $4,000 from the Maverick
National Bank of Boston, and vainly
made lavish expenditure, hoping to de-
feat Hiram A. futile for governor, and |
also becoming a democratic candidate
for United States senator.
THE rival railroads Of the state also
began to exDend enormous sums OF
money in their contests in legislatures.
particularly in 1882 and 1887 In the
latter year. in the famous contest be- I
tween the Concord railroad and the |
Boston and Maine, the chairman of the
republican state committee became the
supreme Legislative agent for the Con
cord railroad. and Superintendent its
disbursements. while Charles A. Sin
clair performed similar service for
the Boston and Maine.