Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-07
Another Installment of the
Articles On Practical
Politics.
WORK OF COMMITTEES
Healing Sores and Settling Con-
tests Considered.
SCANNING THE MEN AND PLATFORMS


portant Factor in the. Work-The
Manner of Collecting Funds to Car
ny on Campaign.
Article Vi.--Work in County and Pre-
circt Committees.
The candidates being nominated and
the platform put forth, the active work
of the committee begins.
The first work taken up in these les
SONS will be that of the county and
precinct committees, which will be
handled together, for 80 closely are
their duties interlaced that it is almost
impossible to deal with them separate
ly.
The work done by the student up to
this time is that usually assigned to
the precinct committee, and while he
should still keep in touch with the pre-
cinct work, he should, If possible, get
an assignment for work in the county
committee also. If he can afford it, he
should volunteer to give his whole
time to politics during the campaign,
IL not he should proffer his services a
certain number of hours each day. His
proffer will certainly be accepted and
he should enter upon his duties with a
determination to obey all orders and to
perform any drudgers assigned him.
He should provide himself with pri-
vate record in which he may enter any
thing that he may not be able to carry
in his memory, and should keep it up
fo FILL un chnf,1I tho
pers carefully and should keep polit-
ical scrap book for his own use.
Organizing the Committee.
The first work of the committee af-
ter the nominations are made, is to
perfect it's own organization. The
committee may have been organized
before, of course, but even then there
are usually gaps to fill or
changes to be make. In any event the
list of officers, subcommittee or bu-
reaus are to be completed, and the stu
dent should observe the work closely
in order that he may become familiar
with the duties of each.
The officers consist usually of a
chairman, secretary and treasurer,
though some committees add vice.
chairman, assistant secretary, etc.
The work Of the campaign is usually
divided up and assigned to sub-com-
mittees. These sub-comittees take
charge of the finance, the distribution
of literature, the speakers, contests,
ETC., and the entire work is usually
---.,srvised by an executive committee
smaller than hejgeneral commit
tee and made up of men who can de-
vote considerable time in the cam
paign. Sometimes a campaign COM
mittee is also selected without regard
to the membership Of the committee,
with duties regulated by custom or
special direction of the organization.
Healing Sores and Settling Contests.
The first work of the committee af-
ter completing Its own organization is
to put it's political house in order. Con-
tests between candidates are decided
as quickly as possible, and all sores
left by the conventions and primaries
are healed, if it can be done. While
this is being done. the general plan Of
the campaign is mapped out.
Scanning Candidates and Platforms.
Candidates are carefully scanned :.
The weak and strong points of each
are noted SO as to be made as useful
as possible to the whole ticket. Can
didates are brought together before
the committee and plans discussed and
agreed upon SO that all will work in
perfect harmony.
ALI the purely local work is gotten
out of the way as early as possible
The legal eligibility of each candidate
should be investigated and recorded
SO as to be ready in case it is attacked
Nomination papers, if required by
law, should be filed after being submit.
lists of township, ward, precinct and
other subordinate committees should
tbe made, and from the poll books, if
ready, all possible data for the use of
The committee should be compiled,
classified and arranged for easy refer
ence. Scrap books should be posted
up, suitable stationery, blanks, and
fbooks provided, and everything gotten
ready as If for the opening of new
4 business house.
In this formal the student should
participate underline direction of the
officers or subcommittee of the com
mittee, and he should endeavor to
learn as quickly as possible the sys-
tenn of bookkeeping used. He should
be painstaking in his work and strive
for accuracy and neatness rather than
speed, that will come later.
fIis experience up to this time will
lprove valuable, and he should con
lstantly review the work he has hereto.
Ifore done. He should keep in touch
with the people in his precinct and
district and should watch over their
Interests. He should endeayor to Sc
lcure them their share of speakers, lit
Ierature. ETC., and should there be in
|his district any man unusually well
lequipbed for political service, he
should endeavor to have him recogniz.
led by the committee. To young and
Ambitious speakers or writer's he
SHOULD give especial attention.
4 At headquarters he will meet the
prominent politicians of the county.
land he should endeavor to become well
acquainted with each, and should in
gfact, miss no opportunity of extending