Arizona republican., 1899-02-09
EVERYDAY GOSSIP RN
 NEW YORK POLITICS


 is, however, that MT. Lauterbach's ex
 perience is by no means exceptional
 for the records of county, state anC
 national committees bear abundant
 testimony to the manner in which
 those in command have had to foot tht
 bills. When victory is the result ot
 their efforts they often manage to get their money back, but if they go down
 in defeat the wise ones among them
 write the whole thing off and forget it.
 This is what MT Lauterbach hss
 probably done with the 5000 still
 due him by the county committee. Campaigns are costly affairs, and the necessity for a financial round robin frequent and imperative. Every
 body chips in hoping that outside con- tributions will soon make up the de- felt, but they seldom do. Hence cleo tion day comes and is over, the bank account is overdrawn, and another year at least must pass before the chairman can hope to reimburse him. self. Meanwhile, if he goes out of office, his successor is not worrying over the past, but regards all current contributions as applicable solely t2 current expenses.
 There is one, and only one known exception to the rule that political committees always close their cam paigns with deficit and that is the committee that ran the Mckinley pres idential campaign. When MT. Cor nelius N. Bliss accepted the place Of treasurer he made one stipulation with Chairman Hanna-that no expense should be incurred unless it was first known that the money would be in hand to pay the bill on presentation. MT. Bliss took with him to headquart- CTS one of the most expert account ants in his business house, and the financial affairs of the campaign were conducted in such a way that when Chairman Hanna left Chicago for Cleveland on election eve he had with him a detailed and final statement of the committees accounts. This not cnly accounted for every charge against the committee, but showed a surplus on hand. It amazed politi- clans of both parties when they learn ed of it, for nothing of that sort ever before existed in the treasurer's office of national campaign. To do it, however, it was necessary for Treas urer Bliss to listen to a great many schemes for party advantage-a num- Der of them excellent ones, too--but to intefpOse consideration of them with the inquiry, Where is the money to do it?' Had he not done so he would have been Swamped long before elec-- ton day, for that campaign was a cost ly one, and every move that was made meant a large expenditure. Hence it needed just such a Clear-headed busi- ness man as MT. Bliss to put Cn the brakes and slow up until the road Io payment of all obligations was en- tirely clear.
 A conspicuous instance on the other side was the democratic national cam paign in 1892, when the late Calvin Brice was chairman. Everybody who knew Senator Brice will understand that he was not much of a hand in economics, and that if he wanted to do anything he seldom stop ped to consider the money involved. It was not his nature to be cautious. He ran that campaign to elect Cleve- land, no matter what the cost. and in the line of extravaganza his record stands without a rival. Everyone will recall his remark that he was conduct ing a campaign of education. When the bills came in, as they always do just as chickens surely come home to roost, they were. simply appalling. and C1CCIIOh Ocy SdW d uGDI u6utIC on the committees books high up in the six figures. MT. Brice and others put their signatures on the back of notes of no inconsiderable size and they passed the hat around for contri- buttons to meet these debts A year afterward some of these notes were still enjoying a vacation from active life, and the indorsers finally had to go down in their pockets for a large share of them. What that campaign cost Chairman Brice will never be known, but it is doubtful whether any other chairman ever paid so dearly f-r a national campaign.
 
 The republican campaign that year cost quite sum, too. though not near y so much as did the campaign two years ago, but it's results were similar 70 those of the Brice campaign, and at it's close a number of republicans had 70 get together and raise a fund reach ng well up into six figures, too. One 1f the signers of this round-robin-a well known Wall street man-died soon afterward and his assoc 'ation | with others in underwriting this na- .ional committee debt complicated the | work of his executors for a time. Not much of the sum was ever made up, | 9AcepI out or the pockets Of the under | writers, for Cleveland, it will be re- nembered, went into office with a 1 whoop, and the whole national gov became democratic Then | came the panic. Putting both sides | .ogether, there was not particularly | iertile field for republican money | 'aisers to reap harvest from-there was not any forty -bushel-to- the-acre | territory to be found.
 When B. F. Jones of Pittsburg, and | Senator Elkins ran the Blaine cam oaign in 1884 they started out with the agreement to be mutually liable for he deficit at the close. if any should | occur. Had the campaign closed with election day it is probable they would | nave had but a small assessment to evy on themselves, but it will be re- ,alled that the fight was so close that [ required several days-and costly laws thaV WArp-tO catt1a and pyvpr