The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-12-24

ed Effect in Increasing the EXpendi-
lures For Nominations and Elections
Manchester, N. H.. DAS. Ex-senator
William II. Chandler hNs addressed a
letter to The Union upon the growth
and use of money in politics in New
Hampshire-shall It increase or stop"
The first portion of the letter is printed
in todays issue. In this letter Mr..
Chandler says in part:
Recent events make an examina-
tlon of this subject appropriate. and
doubtless not Improbable In the days
of the old Whlg and Democratic par
ties as a rule. very little money was
used by either side"
Then he tells of the presidential cam
paign of 1852, when Colonel john II.
George wished to raise 5000 to pay the
expenses Of a meeting at Hillsborough,
the birthplace of the party candidate.
Colonel George wrote letters to in
dividual Democrats, IS being the usual
sum named, and when the money came
in it paid the expenses and $4O0 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
Republican party was organized, no
money was used, although the state
was revolutionized, giving General Fre-
mont 5.291 majority, as against the
6,776 majority given for General Pierce
and becoming a staunch Republican
state from that time forward"
This Fremont campaign was the most
enthusiastic ever known in New Hamp-
shire. The same condition, substan-
TALLY, prevailed in 1860 at Mr.. Lin
coins first election. The wdeawakes
took care of themselves and paid their
own bills, Mr.. Lincoln's plurality being
II ,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
dangerous contest was that of 1868. but
the expenses of the Republican state
committee that year were not more
than $4,000
In the two canvasses of 1864 consid-
erable money was expended, but as
the result of Mr.. Lincoln's second cleo
tion and the success of the war for
the Union New Hampshire took its
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 to 1882 the ma
tional committee of the Republican
| party raised and expended moneys, but
to no considerable amount, except in
the presidential canvass of 1864, when
Mr.. Lineoln's second election in war
time was in danger In the first Grant
election of 1868, when Governor Will
lam Clafin, OF Massachusetts,, was
chairman, and in the second Grant
election of 1872, when Governor Edwin
d. Morgan was chairman, some money
was raised, and it was mainly ex-
pended by donations to the state COM
| mittees in the states where fall cleo
tions were held prior to the presidential
election. In neither of these years did
the national committee expenditures
| for all purposes exceed $1,000, 600.
But in 1882 a new system of politics
came into existence in New Hampshire
For the first time ia the history of the
Republican party large sums of money
were expended by rival candidates in
the struggle for the party nomination
for governor,
Hon. Samuel w, Hale, OF Keene, car
y
ceedingly competent and energetic
manager, employed for the purpose.
The expenditures are believed to have
been equaled by those Of the rival can
didates, although Mr.. Hale became
the party nominee for governor. The
evil feeling created by this lamentanle
struggle for the nomination made this
contest before the people a douhttu
one, and further large sums OF money
were dshursed under the charge Of Mr.
Hale's manager, who had become tn,
chairman of the Republican state com.
mittee, with the result that Mr.. HaIt
was elected by the small majority OF
517.
From and after these notable events
in the notorious contest for the nomi-
nation and election In 1882 the system
of large money expenditures in poll
tics in New Hampshire took its rise
ana became permanent. AS the state
became a close one the Democrats be
gan to make large expenditures OF
!, money in politics, Charles A. Sinclair
. appearing upon the stage and directing
the expenditures, especially in 1890
when he drew on Nov, s51 ,06o from
the Maverick National bank, of Bos
= ton and made lavish expenditures
|
) governor, and also becoming Demo
" cratic candidate for the United State
senate,
The rival railroads of the state ais,
began TO eXpeud enormous sums O
money in their contests In the legisla
! lures, particularly in 1882 and 1887. II
the latter year, i'm the famous contes
,, between the Concord railroad and tn
y Boston and Maine, the chairman of tn
" Republican state committee became tn
! supreme legislative agent for the Con
Il cord railroad and superintended it
u disbursements, while Charles A, Sin
clair performed a similar service 70
the Boston and Maine. When Governo
Sawyer vetoed the Hazen bill, whicl
the Boston and Maine had passed, h
gave as his reason corrupt expendi
lures of the Boston and Maine, an
said that the Concord members wer
"euually guilty" These immense sum
y of money expended by the contendin
a. railroads in their efforts to corrup
members Of the Legislature had a n4os
marked effect IN increasing the eX
Al penditure of money in the political cor
3, tests for nominations and elections.
But a fortunate change of system
last seemed to approach. The dt
moralizing contests between the tw
= railroads ceased. In 1895 the Bosto
and Maine railroad absorbed the Cor
cord railroad. In 1896 very little none
was expended by the state committe,
and since then the state commltte
wisely conducted the canvasses accord
ing to reformed methods.