The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-13
THE CAMPAIGN SPEAKERS.
hundreds Engaged by the Republic
cun Committee

1
NEW YORK. Aug. 12-Ccntinuous talk
is more and more the groundwork Of no.
litical campaigning. say the national CON-
mitteemen OF the various parties concerned
in the coming election. Money talks. Of
course" say the opposition forces SEN
ator Nathan B. Scott. OF West Virginia.
who has charge of the bureau Of speakers
! at Republican national headquarters can
show a book in which he has entered the
names of 2.500 applicants for places as Re
publican spellbinders. and before she
campaign is fairly on its course this num-
Der Will have been increased to more than
| five thousand. Twelve hundred of these
men have already been employed. and
three times that number will be in readi-
ness to speak when the work of looking
| up their qualifications has been com
! pleted.
Inc cost of these speakers. though
enormous, does not terrify a national COM
mittee well supplied with funds The
average price demanded is SIPS week and
expenses, some receiving less than that
amount and several more. 4 few of the
more noted speakers give their services
to the party free OF charge, bat cot so
those who make speaking their profession
Figuring that each OF these speakers may
be In tae fed for an average Of four weeks.
and that eacn may spend in expenses, an
average of s25 a week. one arrives at the
conclusion that it will cost the National
Committee something more than $4,000
20 make use of less than 4.oC0 speakers.
Senator Scott says that the greater part
of the employing will be done ct the head
quarters in Chicago, from which 1t viii be
seen that the expenditure will be more
than doubled.
Speakers are not employed indiscrim-
inately. Hundreds of applications reach
headquarters daily, but none is accepted
without-a careful search into the qualia-
cations and antecedents of the would-be
orator. The names registered in
book with the addresses and whatever data
are already at hand concerning the appli-
cant. With the applications come letters
and recommendations of every kind, set
ting forth the capabilities of the appli-
cant. Then the national committeeman
Office force begin the work Of looking him
up by writing to friendsras the char
acter, the party affiliations. and the ora
toTical ability of the, person in question.
IL he was ever In a campaign before.
note is made of the fact Some of the en-
tries in Senator SCOTS book are like
these: John Smith, New York: Senator
Hanna says he is good speaker. John
Brown. Boston. Mass, can talk well on la
Dor questions; good" John White Al
bany. spoke in the last campaign, but was
not satisfactory" et
Names that receive coed support Upon
investigation are put upon the official
waiting list, and thenceforthT are regarded
as engaged. Opposite their names are
entered the periods during which they are
at liberty to speak, for May leave trades
and professions TO take the stump for the
election. The salary which they recs.ve
for speaking Is only paid during the actual
time thsy are in the field. and the Ma
tional Committee, while it spares no lesiti-
mate expenditure to obtain coed speakers.
tries to arrange the itinerary OF each so
that his current expenses VIII be as small
as possible.
The speakers are put in the field by
means of The various State committees.
each of which sends in a requisition for a
certain number of speakers on certain oc-
casions. Each State committee has its own
speakers. in addition, but the National
Committee, wherever it thinks the issues
of the election need to be pressed home,
sends as many speakers as the State COM
mittee will use.
After the speakers go out. the National
Committee is in constant receipt OF re-
ports showing the amount of actual and
effective work done There are many
States where the election OF a Republican
candidate seems so certain and the ar
engagements OF the State committees are
so perfect that the National Committee
does not think it necessary to send a great
number of speakers -.-.t-.
For instance. none of the New England
States, with the exception CT Maine. will
receive more than half a dozen speakers
from national hefdluarters. while hundreds
will be put in tie field by the State COM
mittees To New i=rsey Senator Scott will
send about % nlii. but the State commit
tees will have 10 out. Throughout the
Middle and Ws24srE States the number will
be larger. aEG eacf locality VIII receive
men best suited u speak on the topics
most likely to interest its inhabitants Va
rious are the methods adopted by these
''speIlbinders'' to attract their audiences.
and a man who can talk effectively to la
boring men. 20 miners. to foreigners, or
to Anarchists is as much priced as one
who can make smooth and logical speeches
to more eXacting audience.
A man who has succeeded wonderfully in
attracting the attention of laboring men
had a habit of taking of his cot in the
course of his speech and slapping it down
on the platform under his feet. calling at
tention meanwhile to the blue Bingham
shirt which he wore. Speakers in various
foreign languages are particularly sought
after, German. italian. French. Scandina-
Wan. Danish, and Finnish orators being
readily engaged. Hg-