Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22

the propOSer has an eye wide open for his
own financial betterment. Such man
turned up one day, who was engaged In
the manufacture of ribbon In one or the
eastern states. He told the sergeant-at-
arms that he must see Mr.. Hanna, and that
he wanted the national committee to adopt
a ribbon badge, the material to be sup
piled by him. He explained that II the
committee would adopt the badge and
cause it to be worn by all republicans 1t
would increase the demand for ribbon to
such an extent that all the manufactur-
erS would put on extra hands In order TO
fill their orders. His plan was for the COM
mittee to make arrangements with the
manufacturers that all of these new hands
should be drawn from the ranks of the
democracy and that each one of them
should be pledged to vote the republican
ticket in return for his employment. The
plan didn't commend itself to the commit
tee. A manufacturer of novelties had
big scheme for flooding the country with
spirit thermometers containing a figure of
Uncle Sam. The bulb of the thermometer
was to be held in the hand, and as the
spirit expanded in a good republican hand
the figure would rise to prosperity. The
man who suggested this scheme didn't ex-
plain what the committee could say when
a democratic hand got on the thermometer
and the figure rose. The committee hasn't
bought any thermometers.
Literary Contributions.
There is one department devoted to cam
hundred different documents, which will be
distributed by the millions. These docu-
ments are not one-twentieth of the entire
number submitted to the committee. Au
thors some of them with regulations al
ready established, others as yet unappre-
ciated by the public, devoted members of
the party, and crankS, all contribute to the
mass of manuscript which reaches the lit
erary bureau. All of it is read. Some OF
the documents are very remarkable. Re
Gently one was received from Nebraskan
which contained violent attack on the per-
sonal character of the democratic nominee
for the presidency. Its author wrote that
he had personal knowledge of the facts on
which il was based, and that he was positive
its circulation would not only prevent dem
ocratic success this year. but would drive
Mr.. Bryan from the United States. He
added that the national committee could
hold him personally responsible for every
thing III the pamphlet Such a document as
this does not receive much attention. 1t
was returned to It's author, with a note say
ing it was not acceptable. Within a week
the committee received an indignant letter
from him, declaring that there was not a
republican In the United States who knew
his business, and that to rebuke them the
author would vote for Bryan.
On another day a well-groomed ind-
vidual appeared with proof-sheets of a sour
rlous attack on President Mckinley. He
said that he was the author of it, and that
the democratic national committee had
bought it and would issue 1t, but he offered
to have it suppressed If the republican COM
mittee would make 1t worth his while. The
republicans were confident that the demo-
cratic national committee had never seen
the document, and they promptly turned
the blackmailer out
Occasionally these troublesome visitors go
aStray and get into the wrong place. One
day long haired poet wandered around the
corridors for half hour or so without tell
ing any one his business. One Of Mr. Han
mas callers. on leaving the chairman's
room, forgot to close the door, and the poet
slipped In before any one could head him
off. He drew from his pocket great roll
of MSS, and explained to Mr. Hanna that
it was a history of the republican party in
the poet said, Il will read it, and he began
How long 1t was the chairman never
learned, for he made an excuse and de-
serted his desk, leaving the poet in possess
sion of the room. The poet was lured out
afterward by Mr.. Hannas secretary.
Mr.. Gibbs attends to the gentlemen who
are organizing great movements and who
committee to bring about a landslide
There are more of these persons, Mr.. Gibbs
says, than there are voters in the United
States. In the month Of August he received
over hundred and fifty letters, all of
which Endorsed the work that was being
done by an individual In one Of the Atlantic
coast states. This man was organizing the
lures of clergymen. physicians. lawyers and
merchants reached Mr.. Gibbs all of them
commencing In ardent words this organizer.
Mr.. Gibbs investigated the movement and
learned that all of the letters had been writ.
ten by the supposed organizer himself, COM
mendng him for work that he had never
done, and that the name he had been using