Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-09
Written for The Evening Star by Osborn spen

No doubt Mr. Cortelyou for the republi-
cen and whoever may be chosen executive
chairman for the democrats this year, will
begin the active campaign with due respec,
for the task which is before them. Nc
doubt, too, each will acquire increased re-
spect for his job in the months that will
intervene between now and election day.
There are many old and wise politicians
who believe much less really depends upon
the work of the executive committee and Its
chairman than is popularity supposed; that
the election is really carried by sort OF
psycho-political undertow. SO to speak, and
that unless the voting public il very deli
cately balanced at the beginning Of the
campaign, the committees efforts are real
ly not of much consequence.
But even these men admit that two OF
three technical blunders, half a dozen Ill
advised speeches--or even one, for that
matter-are sufficient to turn an almost GER
tain victory into a disastrous defeat, az
Blaine was defeated in 1884 by Burchard'f
famous three R" outbreak. Beyond per-
adventure the executive chairman whose
campaign is not crowned with victory this
year will find his subsequent political ca
reer thorny one. He will be almost as
much of a permanent has BEEN as ex-
Presidents are popularity supposed to be.
1t does not follow. however. that the
winner Will marCn on 10 great pOlltlCdl
p1 eferment. William F. Harrity of Penn
sylvania was the last democratic executive
chairman to win a campaign, by electing
Cleveland in 1892, but he has never cut SO
much of figure in political life since as
he did that year. Mr.. Cleveland rewarded
him with nothing, the overwhelmingly re-
publican sentiment of Pennsylvania pre-
cluded his getting anything direct from the
people. and the world at large has heard
little of him in the last dozen years.
Carter's Reward.
Thomas H. Carter of Montana, his OPP
ponent, on the other hand, who was the
last executive chairman to lead the re-
publican forces to defeat while never hold
ing cabinet place, or other position of
national Importance, has served his state
a good part of the time in the Senate at
Washington, and has stood much higher
In the councils of his party than Mr.. Har-
rity has in the councils of his. Mr.. Hanna s
career after the executive Craftsmanship of
two successful campaigns was more salts
factory, perhaps, than that of any man
who has ever filled the place. William P.
ST John, who led the Bryan campaign in
1895, died of grief and disappointment, and
James K. Jones of Arkansas, who conducted
the Bryan campaign in 1900, has not had
much power in public affairs in the last
four years.
There has been a good deal of change In
practical campaigning in presidential years
since 1884. The executive committees work
is more extensive than formerly, Its en-
ployes are more numerous, and 1t has to
spend several times much money as 1t
used to. There is widespread notion that
a large proportion of the average campaign
committees expenditures are along lines
that may not be discussed In print, but
this is certain-the legitimate expenses of
every executive committee, nowadays, are
quite large enough to tax severely any fund
the loyal members Of Its party are likely
to advance.
Mr.. Hanna had q good deal to do with
the raising of the funds for the two cam
paigns which he conducted, but 1t Is prob
able that Mr.. Cortelyou Will conNne hlmselr
more strictly to the executive side or the
work Cornelius n. Bliss, who Will be treas
urer as he has been for three campaigns,
will have direct charge of the money get
ting. but Mr.. Cortelyou will have the abb
sorbng task of deciding how to spend it
This is bound to be puzzllng as well as ap-
sorbing.
Selecting Agencies.
AS far back as 1892 the committee funds
were so big in mere bulk that the putting
of them where they would do the most good
involved business acumen of the highest or
der and the selection of a lot of lieutenants
each of whom was an expert in some prac-
teal line. Ever since that year the evolp-
ton of the executive committees work has
been advancing in the same direction. En-
tirely aside from the subtletes or political
MANAGEMENT, Mr.. Cortelyou and his demo-
cratic opponent will this year have 10 Or
eautze and conduct the following depart
ments:
Bureau Of printing, for the production of
the millions of pieces" of documents
with which they will have to flood the
country.
Bureau of distribution, for the circula-
ton of these documents
bureau of translation. to put into Polish,
Hungarian, Yiddish, Scandinavian, Finnish
and n dozen other of the unknown
tongues the political gospel with which
the foreign-speaking voters of the country
should be made familiar.
Fureau of oratory, to train and general
the army of "speilbinders which each com,
mittee will deem IL necessary " seHu ou
over the land.
Bureau of information. to gather inside
political news from the pivotal states
Bureau of publicity, to furnish the news.
papers with all the favorable news tna'
ca n be gathered, and 10 keep from the pub
lie all the news of the other sort that car
possibly be suppressed.
Bureau of general supplies-banners. por'
traits campaign songs. badges, torchhghts
| and all sorts of political gimcracks, &c
which executive committees, whether wise
| ly or otherwise, always give much atten
| ton.
Wanted: Experts.
The proper way to do this work Is, o.
| course, to place each bureau or depart
| ment in the hands of an expert, and 1t VII
| be an early duty of each executive chalr
man to find and fix upon the men to act al
| such experts This alone will be good dea
| of a task, since the applications for places
| on the committee staff are always mucf
| more numerous than the places, and al
| the applicants are pretty well packed ps
men who are influential in the party's
| councils. The mere selection of committee
| employees Is almost always made a matter
of notifies Sometimes this adds materially
| to the chairmans perplexities.
II isn't likely. as a matter of fact, tina
| all departments mentioned will be formally
| organized In the manner indicated, but al
| the sorts of work named and many more
| will have to be done. and the closer ths
| organization the more definite the dividing
j dena RI InantS the upocf