Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-01-31
Practical
Politics
Vl.-Work In County and Pre-.
Cinct Committees.
.. By.
WILLIAM H: HINRICHSEN

In County and Pre-
cinct Committees.
l"HE candidates being nominated
| and the platforms put forth,
the active work of the COM
mittees begins.
The first work taken up in these
lessons will be that of the county and
precinct committees, which will be
handled together, for so closely are
their duties interlaced that it is almost
impossible to deal with them sepa-
rately.
The work done by the student I'D 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;
If not, he should proffer his services
for certain number of hours each
day. His proffer will certainly be &C.
cepted, and he should enter upon his
duties with a determination to obey
all orders and to perform any drudg-
cry assigned him. He should provide
himself with private record, in which
he may enter anything that he may
not be able to carry in his memory
and should faithfully keep it Up to
date. He should read the newspapers
carefully and should keep a political
scrapbook for his own use.
Organizing the Committee.
The first work of committee after
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 made. In
any event the lists of officers, sub
committees or bureaus are to be COM
pleted, and the student 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 a treasurer,
though some committees add vice
i chairman, assistant secretary, etc.
The work of the campaign is usually
divided up and assigned to subcommit-
tees. These subcoinmittees take charge
of the finances. the distribution of lit.
erature, the speakers, contests, ETC.,
and the entire work is usually super
vised by an executive committee much
smaller than the general committee
and made up Of men who can devote
considerable time to the campaign
Sometimes campaign committee 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 aft
er completing it's own organization is
to put it's political house in order. Con.
tests between candidates are quickly
decided, and all sores left by the con.
ventions and primaries are healed if
possible. 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 the strong points of
each are noted so as to be made as
useful as possible to the whole ticket
Candidates are brought together be.
fore the committee and plans discussed
and agreed upon, so that all will work
in perfect harmony.
All the purely formal work is got out
Of the way as early as possible. The
legal eligibility of each candidate
should be investigated and recorded, sc
as to be ready in case it is attacked.
Nomination papers, if required by
law, should be filed after being sub.
mitted to good legal inspection. Com.
plete lists of township, ward, precinct
and other subordinate committees
should be made, and from the poll
books, if ready, all possible data fo1
the use of the committee should be
compiled, classified and arranged for
easy reference.
Scrapbooks should be posted up suit
able stationery. blanks and books pro-
vided and everything got ready as if
for the opening Of a new business
house. a.
In this formal work the student
should participate under the direction
of the officers or subcommittee of the
committee, and he should endeavor to
learn as quickly as possible the system
of bookkeeping used. He should be
painstaking in his work and strive for
accuracy and neatness rather than for
speed. That will come later.
His experience UP to this time will
prove valuable, and he should con.
stantly review the work he has here,
tofore done. He should keep in close
touch with the people in his own pre-.
cinct or district and should watch over
their interests. He should endeayor to
secure them their share of speakers
iteratu re, etc., and should there be in
his district any man unusually well
equipped for political service he should
endeavor to have him recognized by
the committee To yO,1np and amhi