Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-28
Practical
Politics
BY
WILLIAM H. HINRICHSEN

X.-Preparation For Election
Day.
~ EG1STRATION being over, the
preparations for election day
~ begin.
The literature is all distrib-
uted, the speakers are paying their last
compliments to the people, and, while
all the various schemes for making
converts and rousing enthusiasm con-
dnue in operation, but few changes in
votes are expected from this time for.
ward.
The work Of the national and state
committees during the last week con-
sists mainly of watchfulness. They are
I IN constant communication with local
committees and are prepared to advise
well and quickly on every question
which may arise affecting the interest
of the party.
Inc county and precinct committees
redouble their efforts. Every prepara-
ton for the final struggle must he
made, for any relaxation during the
closing days may lose the party all
| that It has gained during the cam
paign. The work of making converts
and Of holding their own voters in
line, to which so much money and la
Dor have been devoted. may all be
| thrown away by a single error, and To-
cal managers, realizing this, bring to
| bear all their abilities and energies in
order to garner the harvest of votes so
carefully cultivated.
Final Reports and instructions.
1t is customary for the county CON-
mlttee to call in the precinct commit
| teemen and workers in final conference
early in the week preceding the cleo
| ton. Final reports are made, final in
strCctions are given, and all possible
contingencies are provided for. Of
course the student should be present at
| these meetings, and he should try to
remember everything that takes place.
| His work in his own precinct will have
made him acquainted with the DeoDle
and the conditions there, and it Will
| naturally be his field CT duty. For the
purpose of instruction we will suppose
him placed in charge of bis precinct,
for, whether be be in charge or be an
assistant, the suggestions will be
equally applicable.
He should gather around him the
committeeman and workers of his pre-
cinct. and they should so over the poll
Tor the information they require They
should understand that no man is GER
tain to vote, no matter how enthusiast
tic or earnest he may have been dur
ing the campaign. and therefore no
voter should be lost sight of until his
ballot is deposited in the box. The
names Of all the members of the party
should be drawn off in groups and each
group assigned to capable person
pledged, to see that the men whose
names are intrusted to him get to the
polls and cast their ballots.
In order to make the work of the
precinct committee clear it will be well
to take an imaginary precinct existing
under ordinary conditions. We will
suppose the precinct to contain 400
voters. $50 of whom are divided equal
~ between the two principal parties,
the others doubtful or belonging to
| other parties. The student finds that
he has 100 votes for his own party to
handle. The poll shows that two o.
these are sick and unable to get to
the polls without assistance, three are
old and feeble, one is cripple, five
are Indifferent and will not vote unless
conveyed to and from the polls, one
is at work in neighboring town and
cannot afford to come home to vote un-
less transportation is furnished him,
two are students at a distant college
and are in the same condition, and two
are railroad men whose duties prevent
their getting home that day.
Every Vote Counts. =
The sick, the old. the feeble. the
crippled and the Indifferent are as
signed to certain committeeman and
workers, preferably their intimate
friends, If it can be arranged. If the
county committee has done it's duty, the
absent workman and the students have
been provided with transportation. and
arrangements have been made to get
substitutes for the absent trainmen.
Ii this is done, the student should place
himself in touch with the absentees, SO
that there may be no hitch in the ar
rangements. II these matters have not
been attended to, they should be looked
after sat once.
The party voters being provided for,
the doubtful list should be taken up.
| It is frequently possible for some one
man In a community to influence a
certain doubtful voter. The student, ii
he has carried out his instructions, will