Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-03

est those who needed convincing so that
they would stay and hear the pol teal Cos
| pei.
This addition to the program made 1t
! practically invincible: the meetings were
| attended by exceptionally big crowds and
everybody began to talk about the combina-
| ton. Naturally, the fame thereof reached
| the ears of divers theatrical managers
| promptly. and before election day the illus
| tration of sentimental songs with stereopti-
| con pictures was the novel fea ture of half
| a dozen theaters.
| Joshua Ramsdell was the campaign singer
| who did the pioneer work in this sort Of
electioneering His experiences were many
| and varied though of the same sort, prob
| ably. that dozens who have done campaign
| singing could relate. Once in the stock
| yards district of Chicago he came near be-
| ing mobbed because he had the portrait of
| an unpopular man thrown upon the screen;
half dozen times when he appeared at a
hall ready to show the pictures and sing
the songs that were to accompany the lee
ture the lecturer did not put m an appear
ance. Then Mr.. Ramsdell had either to do
some sort of a lecture himself or hunt up
a local political celebrity who could act as
substitute lecturer.
The campaign singer sometimes finds
himself in pretty good company" said
Mr.. Ramsdell, in reminiscent mood, a day
or two ago. Il remember going to a hall
to sing one evening and being confronted
by vast poster on the outer walls which
| Thomas Bracket Reed and the singing by
| Josh Ramsdell, and my name was printed
| In letters quite big and black and
staring as Mr.. Reeds.
Turn-Coat Politicians.
Perhaps the campaign singer should not
be classified among the camp followers of
the campaign: certainly not if the term
camp follower is used in the disparaging
sense only. Next to the man who wants
| 10
| headquarters, from those of the national
| committee down, are haunted by motley
| throng of has been" and turn coat poll
| ticians. National headquarters are I'M
| of this sort of characters than are to be
| found anywhere else In the world.
! Naturally, the committee chairman is
+, about the busiest man in the word-if you
| don't believe 1t just make an effort to see
either Mr.. Taggart or Mr. COrtelyou with
out a letter of introduction any day before
| election-and the "has-beens' and turn
coats who insist upon seeing him have TO
| wait many long and weary hours before
being able to get by the doorkeeper. Over
and over again they will suffer repulse only
to return to the assault later in the day,
| the next day or the next week. ! have
| heard of one old chap who haunted the ma
| tional headquarters one year for nearly
! two weeks in an effort to see the chairman
| in one of the reception-room chairs while
/, awaiting audience. Finally on the thir-
| teenth day he was let in.
| His scheme to play the spy. He haG
| been lifelong member OF the opposition
| party. he said, and had the entree Of the
| opposition headquarters. Often, he declared
| he heard scraps OF conversations which
showed what were the plans of the oppo-
| sition and how they were working out. For
a consideration he would make notes Of all
| he heard and report once day.
Worked Both Ways.
The chairman was a new man to his job
that year, but he had already had his eye
| teeth cut. He pretended to acquiesce
| and then had the old man Investigated.
| Next day 1t was learned that he had made
| q similar arrangement with the opposition
| committee chairman. and that his plan was
to loaf about both headquarters play
both ends against the middle and draw
| money from both political camps. OF
| course, he would have found 1t difficult to
carry any information Of much value to
| either camp. but the very natural order In
the circumstances, that no idlers were
| thenceforth to be allowed to occupy the
] chairs in either headquarters reception
rooms was promptly issued by both chair
men.
| 1t is generally supposed that both par
| ties have a good deal of spy work done
| during every presidential campaign, and
| undoubtedly both parties try to carry out
the Idea, but in the nature of things little
| is really accomplished. The most impor-
1 tant reason for this is the brevity Of the
| campaign Political sleuthing Is the most
| difficult detective work in the world. and
| 1t would take year to organize a political
| secret service that would be effective.
| The most persistent campaign followers
| are the strikers" who form alleged clubs
| whose members will vote right" II the
| committee equips the club with uniforms
| or in other ways contributes to the clubs
| welfare. Then there are the men with
| polling lists, and other strings of names
| who before now have been known to dc
| committee chairmen out OF hundreds OF
| thousands of dollars, strange as it may
SEEM
A Figure Juggler.
The only strictly unique campaign caml
follower l ever heard of posed as a stats
tician-he pronounced 1t "statician"-anG
he actually worried the chairman into Civ
ing him a three months job at 500 week
His function was to make all sorts Of
| combinations out of ancient election re.
turns all Of which he managed to present
| SO as to foreshadow triumph In November
| The favorable foreshadowing was not jus
| tilted by the event however, and when the
| next four years rolled around the "stati.
| clan" could not get a job, though he ap.
| piled at the headquarters of both parties.
| Reverting to the spy system for a mo.
| ment, there were once two chairmen who
had each other Swallowed on the Sunda,
| before election. One shadow reported his
man as down in the dumps. complaining
| loudly that he was convinced of impending
| crushing defeat. The other shadow re.
ported his man as confident optimistic
sure of victory. The reports Of both shad.
ows were misleading. The Respondent
chairman's party won, and the cocksure
chairman's party was showed under "a