The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-16
THE COST OF AN ELECTION.
TIE VAST BUSINESS or POLITE
CAL CONTEST.

Hfn-hRN Nhu MhfFF mnnFN -
Raised aud spent-Thc Literary
bureau, the Speakers Bureau. and
the secret service Men Who
write, Men Who TnIk aud Men
Who Compute MAKE tn "a niR snIs-
~ List-AlwaSs ON GHard Against
"nurchR rdIsm"-Opcn bribery no
Longer Considered, hut Political
AdvcrtisinE L. Rata at Fancy
Rates. ana no Accounting IL De-
mandcd of Certain Expenditures.
By Walter L. Hawley.
Washington. Sept it-It cost seoo 20
nominate Abraham Lincoln for President.
and 100000 60 elect William Mckinney.
These figures represented n part the
growth OF political campaigning IN thirty
slN years into great business with per
feet system OF organization. To-day the to-
tal expenses OF an political parties and can
dldates In the United States Tor one cam
paign in which a President and Congress
are elected exceed tho entire cost Of the
federal government for the nrst twenty
years or a. existence
Arthur T. German Of Maryland ana Mat
thew :. Quay OF Pennsylvania are the
men who. as chairm,n OF che national eN-
ecutiVc or campaign committees Of the
Democratic and Republican parties in issi,
introduced into American politics she
present system OF conducting national
campaigns hy means ~ thorough organi-
zation throughout the country and tho
expenditure OF vast sums OF money for
speakers. literature music, fireworks and
other spectacular features thas please the
masses and often conceal the real work OF
the men who control or influence voters.
All che work done by the Republicans in
that contest. all their carefully laid plans
and mastery Of details were IN the end
nulined by one nl-simcd and iniudicious
phrase and IN every subsequent campaign
the secret watchWord Of each national
chairman. tho warning ever Before his
eyes. has been Remember BurchardH'
The brief speech OF Dr. Burchard, IN
which he used che phrase. Rum. Roman
ism and Rebellion IN the opinion OF all
Republican politicians of that time. de-
feated Blaine. Prior TO thai speech party
managers eagerly soughs ana encouraged
without question any and AN public dec
larations IA favor OF their party o. iia
candidates To-day they censor - per
cent OF an the campaign speeches deliver
ed. and carefully consider the possible re-
ception and eject Of every public utter
anca before they permit "a 60 be made
cal parties are entrusted 10 national COM
mitteca composed of one member from
each state and territory. who are elect
"a by tho delegates TO the national con
ventions az the time the conventions are
held The chairman 81 national com
mittee rs alWoys the choice OF the nomi-
nee for president. and he r. the supreme
power In planning ana conducting the
campaign Candidates for President. with
few exceptions. make no speeches or pub
lie appearances. ard write no political
letters during a campaign without thc
advice and approval OF the national chair-
man OF their party. The exceptions 10
this rule have all been defeated. Ia this
connection n may be recalled that Blaine
vas in New York contrary TO the advice
Of Senator quay when the Burchard In
cidcnt occurred.
National headquarters are opened soon
after the candidates are nominated. The
national chairman appoins various sub
committees ana assign memhsra - the
national committees 60 certain spe size
work. and then for four or nve weeks
every man who Is 10 take part Ia the
management Of the campaign r. expected
20 work from twelve to eighteen hours
every day The first and most important
work n 20 collect money for campaign
fund That duty falls 90 the chairman
and tho treasurer OF the national com
mlttec Circular letters and personal lei-
ters are sent out TO individuals and 10
great corporations. Many OF the great
corporate interests contribute 90 both
campaign funds. that they may have
friends IN power. no matter what The
result may be. Large contributions are
also obtained by the personal solicitation
OF tho ohsirmRn and the treasurer, both
u whom must have an extensive &C
abundance among men OF large wealth
Il . FguflttTi0Tw
no money Is raised by political assess
menta Every dollar received r., In the
ory az least. a voluntary contribution.
The management OF a national campaign
Il probably the only business IN the world
involving the collection ana expenditure
Of millions OF dollars IN a period OF three
months that o. conducted without the as
slsiance OF bookkccpor and az the same
time managed without extravaganza. The
chairman Is the only man who knows 10
a cent how much money Is received and
how much paid out. because ne alone han
dies the secret service ana emergency
funds The bulk Of the money. however
rs turned over To the treasurer. who
/ keeps u In bank and draws checks for ali
bills presented 10 him with proper voueh-
crs and audit.
First iu importance In the mass Of work
that confr0nts the campaign managers
when they open headquarters Is the pre-
/ paratiOn Of literature. great variety OF
! political Information. well written and ar
/ ranged must b. embosiied in small books.
circulars. letters posters and pamphlets.
Many expert writers are employed and
well paid. while tho mass OF stun submit
/ ted by outsiders Is carefully examined.
and such as proves available q accepted
aud paid for. Experts are employed 90
search che records OF Congress and the
departments IN Washington f0r facts ana
figures that may be useful ana convincing.
/ The chief document issued Is known
| tho campaign textbook. one million or
moro copies are printed In less than one
month Tho volume IL called n textbook.
| because ia supplies the information used
m political addresses by the hundreds 81
men employed 10 make speeches during
The campaign.
A great quantity ard variety OF other
| literature. including poems. songs. con
denzod statistics about finance. coinage.
che tarln and other issues. and speeches
! In Congress Of prominent party leaders,
Is selected and enough printed 20 supply
/ every voter ia the country. The cost 81
printing the literature OF one party. the
/ natter selected by the National Commit
tee. varies from $4,000 10 $1,000 ana the
| expense of distribution ~ nearly as much.
While the chairman OF the National
l Committee ard his assistants are pre-
pairing the literature they have In opera
ton a speakers bureau" where men are
employed 10 make speeches at any place