Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-09-06
CAMPAIGN IITERArURE.
100, 000, 900 Pieces OF Literature Sent Out
to Win Votes. j

to win Votes.
L. A. Coolidge in Ainslces. .e
ut has been said that the distribution
of literature has come to be about the
NEST important feature of q national coiii-
mittee's work. This phase Of campaigu-
ing has reached truly colossal proportions.
The head of the literary bureau OF a
national committee must be a man OF rare
Judgment, of varied resources and OF
unusual executive ability. The head OF
the Republican literary bureau in 1896
was Perry s. Heath, now assistant post
master. general The head the Demo.
cratic bureau was Daniel McConville OF
Ohio. Documents were sent out from
both headquarters by the ton. The Re.
publican committee distributed over 160,.
600, 900 pieces of literature Over 10000
packages we're sent by freight or express,
and over 1870 carloads of printed matter.
In the shipping department alone 275
people were employed. The distribution
by the Democratic committee was almost
equally large.
"The work has been reduced to a
science. Each committee has lists OF
voters which are furnished originally by
the various local committees in State and
Congressional districts, and these lists are
so arranged that, so far as possible, just
| the right kind of document will be sent
to each voter, and just the right kind of
argument will be presented TO each mind.
The Republican and Democratic National
committees today each have at least
100000 names ON their lists. BY far the
larger proportion of documents dis
tributed are speeches in Congress which
\ go out under Congressional franks, thus
reducing immensely the expenditure for
postage. OF such great advantage is this
that in the Congressional session imme-
diately preceding Presidential campaign
| many speeches are made chiefly with q
view to ther distribution. Entire books
have been inserted in the Congressional
Record in this way. In recent Con-
gress, Tom johnson, the millionaire Con.
gresham from Ohio, printed as part OF
his speech Henry Georges book on
progress and Poverty ard this was
sent out by the hundreds of thousands
under Congressional franks. OF course,
the national committees have to bear the
expense OF. paper aud printing.
"This class of documents is far from
comprising ell that go out. The literary
bureau of national committee is great
workshop. The Republican committee ID
1896 employed 81 writers, most OF then
specialists on the tariff, on currency ant
On other topics of q political nature, ano
these men were kept busy at headquarters
constantly preparing timely material a.
the occasion might demand. Much o.
this work was sent out through the news
papers, and three or four columns %
matter for this purpose were prepared
, every day, Statements, cards, cxpiana
| -. 4 ptrtl fo,lt 10
press in the guise of news. One of thu
rooms at headquarters was lined will
books of reference, and two or three meI
were kept busy all the time responding I
kilograms from all over the country ask
ing for information on all sorts of ques
: tions. A sneaker assigned to talk in
given town would pick up the local OPP
! position paper on his arrival and find
, statement about the tariff or about tn
! currency which he thought he ought.t
refer to on the platform that night. II
would telegraph promptly to headquar
cYs for exact information, and within NJ
hour or two he would receive reply tell
/, ing him exactly how be should meet tn
> point which had been raised. Similh
Inquiries would come daily from editor
of newspapers in remote districts whic
7 hacked reference facilities of their owl
The press bureau was highly importar
= adjunct to the literary department. Owe
. $4,000 newspapers were furnished wit
, plate matter, patentinsides and occasions
! editorials. Bulletins were sent daily
= telegraph at the expense of the commi
: tee to 100 morning newspapers and to IL
!, afternoon prints. These bulletins range
y, y all the, way from 100 to 800 words /
. length.
!, There were special departments *
!, almost every conceivable class Of populi
y ton. Men were kept busy preparir
!. documents in German, Swedish, Danisl
u Polish and Hebrew, which were to
!. sent to localities where any one of the'
y languages happened to prevail. The
. was colored bureau which had charl
!. OF all questions relating to the colort
y vote ,sendipg out literature TO convince Il
y negro that his interests lay in continuir
= to support the Republican party. The
y was woman's bureau under the charl
" Of Mrs. ]. Ellen Foster, who had
" women in her department preparing f
q distribution literature calculated to affe
l. fayorably the feminine mind. For IL
recognized by the politicians thot ,althoul
l. there are few States where women q
10 allowed to vote, there is not one in wifi,
., they do MOI exercise great and sometim
~ decisive influence upon the ballot. The
=. were departments to look after col
Oh mercial travellers, bicycles, savings
70 situations and life insurance companies