Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-27
attistsllaueults geadimg.
CAMPAIGN EXPENSES.
State Candidates Spend From &4OO
to s2.OOO and More.

to $4,000 and More.
The campaign is a costly thing. II
sometimes deprives candidates OF
whatever political following they have
built up after years Of work. From q
monetary standpoint the cost Is also q
burden on the man in moderate cir
cumstances.
One of the plain-living candidates
stated yesterday that he estimated the
actual expenses at Sc a day, for IS days
or $500. This included railroad fare
hotel bills, etc. The campaign this
wear will cost some of the candidates
for some of the so-called "minor" Of
fees nearer two thousand than one
thousand dollars.
This has been an expensive election
Ieering tour. The newspapers have here.
tofore been giving their support and
the use of their columns to candidates
If candidate were so favored he took
it as his due, and those who were not
favored were wont to say the papers
had no influence anyway.
The belief in such statements was
tested this year. The daily papers
made 1t a rule to charge the candidates
each and all, for every puff" or COM
lplimentary notice, sent in by Voter,
Many Friends,' PRO Bono Publico,
etc. The result has been highly salts
factory to the papers. The county pa.
pers have very generally observed the
same rule.
The result has been that while many
columns of the papers have been filled
with biographical sketches, ETC., the
same have been paid for, the regular
price in some offices being 20 cents q
line. So the fewer great things can.
didate had accomplished, the less he
would pay for being great. This Is but
one item in the candidates expenses
There is another practice which was
followed this year-by the candidates
themselves. Last year one tireless
strong opponent through the medium
of the handshake and the distribution
Of cards on which were printed the
name Of the candidate and the Office
for which he was running. This year
nearly all Of the candidates have tried
that plan, but not with with the same
ease as the party who won office last
year. Some candidates are said to have
circulated not less than $4,000 Of these
cards this year. Oh, what picnic
for the job printing offices in the va
rious towns visited by the candidates.
1t has been matter of much amuse-
a person with grave demeanor and
pumphandle handshake slowly making
his way down the aisle of the car
greeting voters and others with a smile
as natural as If the possessor had just
gotten money from home without writ
ing for it. Into the hand of each pas
senger is placed a tiny bit of paste
board, telling that this stranger Is a
candidate. The distribution Of cards
become quite a source of sport for the
youngsters in many communities. They
got up collections" of these cards, SOU
venir collections, and they perhaps
took more interest in this feature OF
the campaign than did the voters them
selves. If all the cards distributed
could be gotten together they would al
most fill one of the offices at the state
Capitol, and fill it a reat deal more
easily than some Of the candidates
could fill the job figuratively.
The distribution of handbills is not
unique with this campaign, but thou.
sands of these dodgers were put out
this year. a great deal more extrava.
gantly than ever before. These are, as
a rule, inoffensive printed eulogies
which could hardly be distinguished
from obituaries except for the fact
that the candidates political death will
not be recorded so cheerfully by him.
self.
Some of these circulars contained the
representations of the beatific counte-
lnances of candidates with their "Vote
for me-" smile. An innovation this
year was the Introduction of buttons
for the coat lapel with miniature pho.
Itograph of the candidate. But few OF
the enterprising candidates pursued
this course.
These are all legitimate though un.
necessary expenses. Few resorted tt
those other practices which are no,
commendable. The use of whisky ir
vote getting is receiving the condem'
nation of the people as it has never
done before, and this practice has moi
been so noticeable this year. This Is
reserved for the county campaigns
But the voters themselves are some
times responsible for the prostitution
lof the rules of the party. Not long