The Indianapolis journal., 1898-09-26
Mr.. OVERSTREET'S WORK
HIS DUTIES AS SECRETARY OF THE
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE.
His Labor of Great Value to the Party
He Represents-Distribu of
Campaign Documents.
speclal to the IndianapolIs journal.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25.-As secretary of
the Republican congressional committee.
Representative Overstreet is doing work
of great value to the Republican party this
year. The performance of his duties in
Washington keeps him away from his home
district, but he has received assurances
that his interests there will not be allowed
to suffer by reason of his absence. 1t is a
ligh compliment to the ability of con-
gresham that he should be selected as one
of the managers of the national campaign
by his associates, and it is recognition of
his value in the national legislature which
his constituents should appreciate. Men of
mediocre talent are not selected by state
delegations in Congress to serve on their
central campaign committee. and the COM
mittee, when organized for business, picks
out it's brightest men to do the hard work.
The three members of Congress whose
shoulders devove the management of the
national congressional campaign this year
are Representative Babcock, of Wisconsin,
chairman of the committee: Representative
Hull of Iowa, vice chairman, and Mr..
Overstreet. They are putting in their time
in Washington and are working day and
night for the success of the party at the
polls in November
The general work of the congressional
campaign committee is arranged in three
parts-first distribution OF documents; Sec
end, the newspaper department; third, di-
rection of policies, settlements of disputes
within the organization providing sinews
of war; etc. The first and second of these
divisions of work are under the direction
of Secretary Overstreet. The third is looked
after by Chairman Babcock and Vice Chair
man Hull. Mr.. Overstreet's work embraces
great mass of details. ANY one who did
not possess executive ability of high order
would be hopelessly lost in a sea of con-
fusion and never be able to swim ashore.
Mr.. Overstreet has to personally direct the
distribution of campaign literature to all
of the S57 congressional districts. He has
to decide the kind of literature best adapt
ed to the localities. The committee does
not have unlimited supply of literature
to send out and he has to see that there
is equitable distribution of supplies. He
has to keep a regular set of books, to which
he can refer and at any moment ascertain
what has gone to any one of the 357 dis
tricts. Hundreds of letters come to him
every day and this great mass of corre-
spondence must be kept up sharply. To
accomplish this he has half dozen skilled
stenographers, and bookkeeper or a re-
corder, who is ever at his elbow. Some
congressman know what they want in the
way of campaign documents, but the
greater number of them explain briefly local
conditions and leave it to Mr.. OVerstreet to
send them what he thinks best.
Between 175,OO0 and 100000 documents are
sent out by the committee every day, and
this number will be increased to 225, 600 daily.
To properly handle this immense number
of documents requires force of seventy
five men and women. A building for the
purpose has been leased on Fifteenth street,
about half block from the headquarters,
in the Normande. This building is a hive
of industry. Great packages of printed mat
ter are brought to the building every morn
ing from the publishing house in Philadel-
phia, and each days consignment is cleaned
up before dark to make way for the busi-
ness of the following day. Contrary to the
usual custom, none of the printing is done
at the government printing office The lit
erature, however, is distributed under the
franks of congressman and great care is
taken to have documents distributed in dis
tricts where the congressman live whose
franks are on the packages. Where sena-
torial franks are used the distribution is in
States which they represent. There is quite
a point in this, as voters sometimes resent
the receipt of documents under the franks
of outsiders. They are apt to feel that they
are in some way neglected by their own rep
resentative in Congress.
Mr. Overstreet has organized his newspa-
per department on new lines. Through him
the committee keeps in constant touch with
about twelve hundred of the leading news
papers of the country. The use of the
patent insides, plan adopted two years
the committee has regularly organized
bureau of correspondence and fresh matter
goes right to the editors of the newspapers
all over the country bearing current
topics and containing data of interest to
every newspaper Office and of value to every
speaker. Quite corps of competent writer's
is employed in this work which is carefully
supervised by Mr.. OverStreet. Incidental to
this bureau of correspondence and growing
out of it there is large volume of personal
correspondence with editors of newspapers.
Innumerable queries have to be answered
which many times involve special investiga-
tion. The committee is doing very effective
work through it's bureau of correspondence
the creation of which is greatly appreciated
"A constant supply of good, wholesome facts
flows continuously through this agency and
finds its way into wide circulation.
In addition to the work above described
Mr.. Overstreet, as secretary of the commit
tee, has to meet a great number of visitors
every day who call at headquarters. Every
congressman who comes to town calls at
headquarters and confers with Messrs. Bah
cock, Hull and Overstreet. When they cam
not come themselves they send agents. The
campaign managers must find time for ev-
erybody. The preparation of the Republican
Campaign Textbook came under Mr.. Over
streets jurisdiction. 1t was prepared large
ly by Mr.. Fred Schrader clerk of the COM
mittee, but was carefully revised by Mr..
Overstreet. Mr.. Overstreet works fifteen to
eighteen hours a lay.
Congress of Mothers.