The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22

leeal sitna4ion. When be soes inte another
DtatD - spsak unaee the annplces Of the
Nak1esA coanittes Il h Important that
be keep on safe ground and make No
break. An iu-advtsed utter1nce BY m OBJ
SECURE speaker might emharrass the Ma
tioad Conmtttse. neeessltating explains
tons and lose many votes for the ticket.
For that reason. the general campaign
speakers, who are known a spellbinderA
are brought to headquarters for consulta-
ttsA and instructions- They are supplied
with certain facts and figures to Be- ussd
in particular localities. and the speeches
they have written are thoroughly censored
BY some r1ember Of the National Commit
tee.
While the bureaus Of literature and
speakers are arranging all these matters
the Chairman Of the National COMMITTEES
and his immediate assistants are busy
communicating with State committee and
party leaders In all sections Of the coun-
try. They obtain elaborate reports on the
political situation In every State. especial
attention being paid to the States classed
~ close OF, doubtful. Through local COM
mittees and leaders they ascertain where
there IL party dissatisfaction and the cause
q II, where votes will be lost or votes
may be gained by hard work. Local and
factional party quarrels must be settled
early in the campaign. and the National
Chairman IL often compelled to hear both
sides and decide the question In dispute.
The exact condition OF all State and local
organizations also becomes q mefler OF
record at national headquarters. For weeks
the volume Of correspondence is enormous,
and personal interviews with State leaders
are often necessary to adjust matters for
the real work Of the campaign. The man
ayers Of the campaign also And out what
kind OF literature ID needed in particular
localities, what Issues are popular, and
what speakers can exert most influence.
Day after day, when casual visitors to
national headquarters see little outward
evidence that anything Is doing. tae hard
est work OF the campaign Is going on day
and night. The campaign managers are
taking the political temperature and pulse
Of the country and compromising RENE lies
for all the weak spots In their organiza-
ton. They have little or no time for in
terviews or formal statements. and the
public cannot begin to understand the ex-
tent and Importance Of the work that IL
carried ON behind closed doors.
TAe second staxe.
By the middle of September nearly all
the party nominations for State ofices and
for Congress have been made and the Ma
tional Committees pass to the second stage
Of campaign work. Great mass meetings
and public speakings are held IL all the
large cities. Literature is scattered broad
cast, there are torchlight processioEs, CAM
paign clubs are organized and uniformed.
and scores OF speakers are put to work In
the doubtful States. For two Or three
weeks the campaign is passing through the
stage OF oratory and fireworks. By the
second week of October the National Com
mittees begin the work that tells, the cam
paigning Sthat is visible to every observer.
State and county committees have made
preliminary canvasses Of the voters, count
ed votes in advance as well as they can,
and the result is promptly reported to the
national headquarters. Then the real weak
spots are discovered and there campaign
work b redoubled.
Assignment of Speakers.
Meetings are organized at short notice,
the best speakers sent where they may
change votes, workers are employed. and
the most hopeful predictions Of the result oe
the election are made There are in every
locality certain voters who want to be on
the winning side. and In the last weeks
and days Of = campaign, both parties mako
extraordinary efforts to convince such vot-
ers. The really expensive work Of ma
tional campaign is done in the last three
weeks before the election. Every doubtful
State and city is closely watched, and the
campaign managers of each party take
extra precautions to conceal their plans
from the opposition. From both headquar-
tiers elaborate statements are issued daily
to show how all the doubtful States are to
be carried, and both candidates elected by
large pIuralities.
The real facts that are known to cam
paign managers in the closing days Of
4 national contest are not always made
public The managers who realize that
their party is beaten will not say so. and
those confident of victory fear over-con-
idence on the part OF the voters II state
ments from headquarters are too SAN
guine.
The general public does not understand
the extent and accuracy Of the political
obtained in advance Of an
election by the managers Of national cam
paigns. Political parties are now 80 thor
oughtly organized, and national campaigns
are SO skillfully managed. that the vote
81 every State can be foretoid with reason
able accuracy ct least ten days In advance
u an election. In 1892 Chairman Harrity,
II the Democratic National Committee, q
week in advance Of the election made up
4 table showing the States that would be
carried by each party. The electoral vote |
Of Cleveland was two more than claimed
by Mr.. Harrity. In 1896 the cleo oral vote |
Of Mckinley was five votes In excess OF
the estimate prepared in advance ~ Chair |
man Hanna and his associates a. the
Chicago headquarters.