Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-19
Chairman of National Committee
Has a Difficult Job.
A HUSTLE FROM START TO FINISH
How Political Literature is Prepared
and Disseminated.
LARG SUMS EXPEN D E D


Written for The Evening Star
In a burst of confidence, following a long
day of devotion to the consideration of in
soluble puzzles in practical politics, in the
midst of the campaign of 1886. Senator
Hanna declared that of all the jobs he had
ever tackled the Craftsmanship of a national
campaign committee was by long odds the
worst. Then. after a picturesque recital OF
some of the exasperating, brain-racking ex-
perlences through which he had recently
raised, he made the unqualified statement
that no imaginable consideration would in
duce him to attempt the management of a
second presidential campaign. Yet, there
are plenty of indications that unless his
health should fail he will enter the cam
paign this year with as much heartiness as
he did four years ago.
AS to the trials and difficulties which be-
set a national campaign committee CHAIR
man, there is probably no man living that
has been through them who would disagree
with Mr.. Hanna Leaving the political work
out altogether and considering II solely
from the business point Of view, the con-
duct of presidential campaign committee
Is appalling proposition especially OF rate
years. 1t involves the creation of an eX-
ecutive organization quite as elaborate and
complicated az; that required to carry on the
most extensive of modern enterprise, the
collection and expenditure OF sum OF
money so large as to require seven fSureS
for its expression. the selection and en-
ployment, directly and indirectly, of thou
sands of workers. the gathering and DIS
semnatlon of special information on a scale
not less extensive than that of a great tel
egraphc news association, and hundred
other things beside. none of which can
safely be intruSted to any one not an expert
in his line
Moreover, the organization of the commit
tees forces has to be effected from the
ground up, as it were. and as its entire
n,lr 10, lshe in
than four months. at the outside. everything
has to be done under the most intense and
wearing pressure.
Committee Headquarters.
Until 1886 campaign headquarters were
Invariably established in the city of New
York and according to an unwritten rule
they We're almost always located in four
story house on 9th avenue. That year,
however, both parties broke away from
the old order of things and housed their
chief headquarters in Chicago, though each
committee perforce maintained a branch in
the metropolis. In Chicago the forces of
both committees were quartered in modern
office buildings; in New York the repub-
licans took one whole floor in a handsome
white marble structure on Union Square,
while the democrats occupied rooms in 2
well-known hotel not a stones throw
away
The headquarters of a national campaign
committee must of necessity be almost as
extensive as big railroads executive Of
fees since room must be afforded for half a
dozen different sets of employees, besides
suites for the various committee officials.
In 1886 Chairmen Hanna and Jones were
provided with large airy rooms both in
New York and Chicago, but in 1892 it was
different Chairman Carter of the repub-
licans being content with a hall bed room
for an office, and Chairman Harrity Of the
democrats faring little better.
In a sense, the press bureau Is next in
= no ,l,oirr &c haa ,a-ter
since through it the reporters and CORE
spondents are furnished with such news as
tho committee wishes to give out. 1t can
not be revealing a secret to say that ma
tlonal committee press bureaus are some
times managed about inefficiently as
possible There have been some exceptions