The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-20

speilbinders are q rather hard lot TO get
along with. One man who has had good
deal 10 do with them asserts that they are
as notional as a lot OF second-class star
actors. He is probably mistaken, but it is
a fact that the poorest speakers always
want to get the best places, and are ever
lasttngly complaining of the treatment
they receive. On the other hand, they
sometimes have good cause for complaint;
noe speaker, who gave up Spellbinding for
one of the committees in 1886 because of
his treatment, was scheduled TO speak at
O'Clock i'm the afternoon, and at o'clock
in the evening of the same day, the towns
in which he was to appear being seven
hours apart by rail.
All these departments employ type
writer's and stenographers, and clerks and
messengers in numbers. Many of the
clerks are employed because of political
pull, but the stenographers and type
writers get their jobs on their merits.
Women typewriters are seldom in evidence
at committee headquarters.
The Sinevs of War.
OF course, money in rolls ard wads and
bags Is needed to keep the committee de-
partments mentioned and others of which
there is no room to speak, in operation,
and the real storm center Of every national
campaign committee is the treasurer's
Office. How he gets his cash nobody but
no doubt at all that he end his collectors
more often than not political stars of the
first water-are driven to their wits ends
to gather the needful. Presidential candi-
dates themselves have rarely made heavy
contributions, for the reason, among 9TH
ers, that they have rarely been able to Go
SO. There is a story, though that Mr.
Tilden contributed more than $4,000 In
1876, and that Mr.. Blaine's contribution
in 1884 was $1C00O0 Since then no anthem
tic news a s to contributions from the head
of the ticket has been allowed to leak cut
on either side, though it is understood that
the vice presidential candidates have gen.
orally put up with fair libera,ity. 1t may
be mentioned while passing that that while
presidential candidates seldom visit head
quarters, vice presidential candidates often
do. The late Mr.. Hobart was virtually in
charge of the branch headquarters at New
York whenever Mr.. Hanna was in Chi
cago, which was more than half the time
all through the campaign in 1896.
Going back to the campaign funds. 1t
may be added that the chairman generally
has as much to do with their raising as
the treasurer, and the writing of impaS-
stoned appeals to tardy contributors has
occupied rising of half the time of more
than one committee head. The chairman is
also generally a member, ex officio, of all
the committees sub-committees, which
campaign to campaign but which rarely
number less than half a dozen and rarely
meet less frequently than once day. He
is also of necessity in close touch with the
committees secret. service work-in fact
he is generally the only man in the outfit
who knows all its ms and outs.
The Committee and the Public.
Little of all this would be seen by the
casual visitor to committee headquarters.
He would have to have a strong Dull in
deed to get beyond the outside reception
room. where congregate 1.-The poets"
whose songs have been rejected, the "ar-
lists whose freak cartoons have been
turned down, and the motley hangers on
who yearn for committee jobs. 1t seems
to lie settled committee policy to provide
at least one such room for a class of
men who resemble the "setters" at the
average country grocery more than any
thing else.
Should TIE visitors errand be imp2rt-
ant he may possibly pass the portals,
though without previous pull, by making
friends with the sergeant-at-arms whose
duty it is to look after the pay roll, make
minor local disbursements and in general
do whatever is left undone by everybody
else. As a rule the sergeant-at-a-ms is
one of the busiest men about headquar-
ters and his favorite is aim st essential to
the successful srorming OF The committees
cit adel.