West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-10-11
cAxPAIes DOODLE.
Some Facts and Figures About the
Cost Of u Presidential Election.

The assessment Of the Republi-
cans for nationa, campaign purposes
aggregates the sum of thirty million
dollars. This is the statement as il
has been made by both Democratic
and Independent papers and it has
not yet been denied. 1t is also the
statement reported to have been
made by Republican in Chicago
after Hanna's conference there.
The Republicans hope to obtain a
little over seven million votes in
order to re-elcct President Nc
Kinley. This makes the national
campaign fund average four dollars
for every Republican vote cast. It
is known that the expense Of the
Republican national committee in
1890 averaged two dollars and a
half for each Republican vote cast.
The expense of each Republican
vote in 1888 was only one dollar.
The Democratic committee had the
largest fund in 1892 that it has ever
had and expended that year twenty
cents for each vote cast. In 1896
the Democratic national committee
expenden less than five cents per
-
Democratic vote. In 1000 the
Democratic Committee will be sat-
isicd with fifteen cents expenditure
for each vote while twenty-five
cents would insure the election o!
Bryan by a tremendous majority.
The Republican campaign contribu-
tons are given in large amounts
while the Democratic campaign
contributions are all in small sums.
The Republicans are compelled in
order to obtain the contribution to
dispose of the leading Offices and
to promise legislation which will
reimburse the contributors and
afford them handsome profits. 1t
is absolutely necessary for the Re-
publican party to carry both the
legislative and executive branches
of the Government in order to
continue existence. The cost of
obtaining Republican votes has
become so enormous that it is no
longer easy for the Republican
managers TO raise the immense sums
necessary to carry the country. If
the Republicans lose Congress or
the Executive at the coming election
1t will be impossible for them to
carry out their campaign promises
or reimburse those who have in
vested these large sums of money in
the campaign. If the next Con-
gress is Democratic or the Execu-
tive is Democratic at the next
election the Republican party will
be without large funds and have to
rely upon small contributions. AS
it requires an average of four dol
lars for each Republican vote it can
readily be seen that when money is
no longer forthcoming with which
to corrupt the ballot-box the Rep
ublican party will go out of exist
ence in its present form. 1t will
have to change its form although
probably not its name and the peo-
pie will then divide upon questions
of principle and policy. The Re-
publican leaders are fully aware of
the fact that when the people do
thus divide the United States is
Democratic by an overwhelming
majority. This is the reason that
so much attention is being paid by
the Republicans to the Congress
sional election. The Democratic
managers can find nothing but
hope in the Congressional situation
and the Republican managers are
beginning to grow desperate and
are sending out hundreds Of thous-
ands of documents urging the Re-
publicans in every Congressional
district to stand by their Compress |
man. If the Republican party is
to lose either the electoral vote or
Congress they prefer to lose the
electoral vote. They can then at
least prevent all forms of Democra-
tic legislation and can show that
they remain loyal to the moneyed
interests which furnish campaign
contributions and thus raise another
large fund.
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