The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20
CONVENTIONS
THEIR COST TO POLITICAL PARTIES
HARD TO ASCERTAIN.
Facts That Came Out Concerning the
Chicago Democratic Convention
expenditures Vary.

What is the actual cost or tne nationai
convention Of one Of the great political
parties? This question is more easily asked
than answered. as have found in endeav-
oring to secure an accurate answer to II.
Party leaders, convention managers. con-
vention officials, either do not know or VIII
not tell the details of the expenditures on
this account. They seem TO be part or the
body of secrets which one national COM
mittee hands downs to another. and which
all national committees endeavor to keep
from the public.
The national conventions are largely I'M
DER the management of the national COM
mittees. National committees select the
time and the place, make the arrangements
with the cities which entertain the conven-
ton, manage everything but the actual
proceedings, and wind up the business at
fairs afterward.
The actual work of arranging for the
conventions convenience and comfort and
the convenience and comfort Of the news
paper men and other spectators is dele
gated by the national committee to a sub
committee, and the officers of the national
committee, as a rule, control the expendi-
lures. Presumably the accounts are sub
mitted to the national committee and duly
audited. and, presumably. vouchers are
produced for the expenditure OF the money.
But, if so. very little seems to be known
about the accounting, and some or the po-
litical leaders say that it is not always
either rigid or exact. The fact is that the
fund for the entertainment Of the conven-
ton is nowadays always made large
enough by the city whose invitation is ac-
cepted to leave a large surplus over and
above all necessary expenses for the use
of the national committee in the campaign
following, and this makes the party man.
ayers unwilling to say definitely what the
actual convention expenditures were, and,
perhaps prevents the adoption of strict
requirements as to the accounting for those
expenditures.
FACTS COME OUT SOMETIMES.
1t is only when there has been complete
revolution in a national committee that an
outsider can get anything like an accu-
rate idea of convention expenditures. In
1896 the Democratic national convention at
Chicago turned out the old conservative
Democrats from the national committee
and substituted Bryan Democrats in many
instances.
committee, which has been In power ever
since and is now arranging for the Kansas
City convention which will elect its sue
cessor, have felt free to talk about the ex-
penditures of the old Democratic national
committee in arranging and managing the
convention of 1896. They say that they be-
lieve that was the most expensive con-
vention ever held, because not one dollar
of the forty thousand dollars raised by
the city of Chicago for the convention ex-
penses and handed to the old committee
was ever turned over by the old committee
to the new committee.
The members of the new committee as
sumo, of course. that all of this money
was spent on the convention, although
they cannot account for 1t by items, since
they say they have no detailed report
of it, They know some of the items and
frankly say that they consider them ex-
travagant For example, they say that
the engraved tickets OF admission for del
egates, national committeeman, news
paper men and general spectators cost 800
while the tickets for the Kansas City con-
vention. which will be just as good. will
haps not half. They estimate that the total
expenses of the Kansas City convention
may not exceed between $4,000 and $4,000
and that they will certainly not be more
than $4,000.
of course all the convention managers
say that there can be no fixed schedule
of convention expenses, because every con-
vention is different from every other con-
vention. Alterations In the hall might
make the bill of expenses differ by 5000 or
$4,000 from the convention of the other
party in the same year or from conven-
ton before or after. In a rough way, 1T
is possible to make a pretty good estimate
of expenses for what might be called
an average convention by comparing such
fragments of information as the party
managers are willing TO give on the sub
ject.
Certain things are expected by every
national committee of the city which has
the honor to entertain the convention. 1t
must of course, provide the hall and what
ever alterations are necessary. and the
seats and other furniture. and the deco
rations and q number of incidentals, such
as stationery. 1t must pay the expenses
of engraving the tickets and providing the
bands Of music for the convention proceed
ings. 1t must provide for the entertain
ment of the national committee as body
with large suite of the best hotel rooms
as ''headquarters,' and the rule is to pro-
vide for the entertainment of the individ-
ual members of the committee as well. The
ordinary delegates must pay their own ex-
penses or have them paid by their state
organization. All they get are few tick
cts of admission each for their friends,
which in some cases have been sold to
meet personal expenses
The proceedings of the convention are
always reported by stenographers and
published afterward in full, and this is
done at the expense of the host city. Car
riages and other conveniences. luncheons
and other eatables and drinkables. are
among the other items which may be In
the convention expenses. AS a rule the
national committee is asked the highest
prices and does not hesitate to pay them
for whatever il thinks necessary. If the
hall has to be rented. the rental may vary
from $1,000 to 5000. If alterations have to
be made, cost as much more, and the bill
for the decorations may be equally large.
The entertainment of the national COM
mittee IS body and as individuals may
cost several thousand dollars. Music In
the convention may take from 800 to 500
a day.
TICKETS NEVER CONTEMPLATED.
The stenographic work at the Chicago
convention of 1896 cost about $500. and the
edition Of several thousand copies of the
printed report of the proceedings cost sew
eral thousand dollars more. The tickets of