The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-12
more prosperous now than they were in

/
more prosperous now than they were In
1896.
Unless one could get behind the scenes
and account for the bulk of this vast sum
few probably would believe that so many
millions could be used by the politicians
in so short time With each succeeding
presidential election it has become easier
and easier for the managers on both sides
to use money bounteously. This does not
mean that there is to be a wholesale de-
bauchery of voters. No-one knows just
! what proportion of the $4,000 900 will go to
| purchaseable voters. 1t IS known, how
ever, that only a comparative small part
Of the total will be used in this way.
With the opening of national headquar-
ters in this city last week by the Repub-
licans the campaign to re-elect President
Mckinley was got under way. The Demo-
Gratis have not yet formally begun their
fight, although they soon will be doing
in Chicago practically the same thing
that the Republicans already are doing in
this city. The Republicans, unlike the
Democrats, already have decided upon
having two great national headquarters
one in New York and one in Chicago
The Democrats may open a national
headquarters here later, but they will
start the campaign with Chicago as the
Democratic storm center.
1t was an old idea of James G. Blaine
that presidential campaigns should be
conducted from two central points. The
| Plumed knight used to impress the i'm
portance Of this view upon his Republic
an friends, but the idea never was for
maily adopted until the campaign of 1896.
When Marcus A. Hanna became chair
| man of the Republican national COM
| mtttee he decided to try Mr.. BIaine's
plan. and 1t was found to work admirably.
It Is being followed again this year, and
Senator Hanna, as commander-in- chief
of the Republican forces, will divide his
time between the two national headquar-
ters
Senator James K Jones, chairman of
the Democratic national committee, has
net yet made arrangements for formal
! headquarters elsewhere than in Chicago
The managers of William J. Bryans can
| vass four years ago conceded the East to
| Mckinley at the outset of the fight and
FOR that reason were content to have desk
room in the headquarters of the Demo-
/ cratic state committee. Mr.. Bryan, Sen
| ator Jones and other Democratic leaders
| this year believe there viii be strong tao
| teal advantages in having headquarters
| in New York and in conducting stiff
! night In what they used to call 1.-THE en-
emy's country" This done, the general
outline Of the Democratic and Republican
! campaigns will be similar
| 1t was repeatedly asserted by Mr.. Bry-
| ans supporters in 1896 that they had lit
/ tie money with which to conduct their
I campaign. Despite this statement, we'll
| Informed politicians estimate that the
| Bryan managers had not less than 81. $780,
| 600 for use In that campaign. 1t was con-
| eeded on all sides that the Mckinley
| managers had as much and by many
| they were credited with possessing a
! much more substantial campaign fund
All kinds of politicians agree that the two
national committees had at least 81. 900. ooO
| to spend in the fight of four years ago.
and the same authorities are unanimous
In declaring that the two committees Will
| have fully as much this year For every
dollar that the national committees spend
| 1t is conservative estimate that the
state committees OF the two parties will
| spend four, and this will make up tn total
OF $2o,oo0,000 that the election will cost
To show where so much money goes. a
study-of the cost of campaign speeches
| alone is very instructive. Zach national
| COMMITTEES spends at least 100000 for
speeches, and the state committees spend
ten times as much more There is one
item of eleven millions. The Repubi.can
national committee this year will send
out twenty-five hundred speakers from
the New York headquarters, and three
| thousand speakers from the headquarters
| in Chicago. The Democrats will send
out an equal number. These speakers
| cost an average OF $40 week, that sum
including salaries to the spelfbinders ana
4 an expense allowance of IS a day. Some
of the campaign speakers receive salaries