Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-06-17
Facts About National Conventions.

Very few people ever give thought
to the cost Of holding National Con-
ventions of the great parties. As the
Republicans meet IN Chicago, next
week, to sanction the we'll putup job OF
the oilice-hoders OF ratifying the claim
OF the big and oftentimes unscrupu.
lous boss, for retention OF his hold on
the high office of President OF the
United States, it may be interesting
and proper to refer to some OF the de-
tails OF such important gatherings.
The Republicans will spend consider
ably over million dollars to perform
this, under the circumstances, perfect
ly perfunctory duty of placing can.
didate who has successfully bent every
resource to foist himself on to the
ticket, and to name a running-mate
for the second place, which nobody
aspires to or wants to fill. As much
money will be spent in the three or
four days OF the Democratic Conven-
ton, at st. Louis, beginning on July
9th. Only that party will have some.
thing for the money spent, if vigor-
GUS contest affords an honest asset for
a satisfactory termination. There will
be no walk-over for any candidate in
the Democratic Convention, for the
dividing line between the legitimate
claim of the regulars, and the recon-
struction policy urged by those re-
sponsible for the last two defeats of the
party, is too broad and deep for com.
promise and too important TO be set
tied without sanguinsry battle.
The number of men and women re.
qulred to manage the details of either
convention approximates 1000 or s..
OoO people, divided into five general
classes, OF which the delegates are the
most important, numerically and as
arbiters of the policies to be presented
and adopted. The Republican Con.
vention will have 972 delegates from
the States and an average of four each
from the six Territories of Alaska, Ar.
izona, Hawaii, New Mexico, Okla.
homa and Porto Rico, or 1896 in all,
and an equal number of alternates
(,hough all of these do not ALWAYS at.
tendi, but nevertheless the number
present will press the grand total we'll
on to possible 1000.
The convention STAFF will number
nearly thousand more. 1t represents
the Sergeant.at.Arms, who is practi.
cally the business manager, his 200
deputies, 200 ushers, 200 pages, 200
messengers and 100 doorkeepers-9OO
sure, and there may be more. Then
come the newspaper correspondents
and reporters, about a thousand in all,
half Of whom occupy seats OH the floor
of the hall. and the remainder will
"tak' notes" elsewhere, at the hotels
and in the committee rooms. The
larger papers make special detail gen.
orally for specific duty. Then come
the National Committeeman, As in
number, one from each State, their
private secretaries, stenographers and
clerks, and the working force of the
Sergeant.at-Arms, as distinguished
from his convention staff, and the EN-.
ployes OF the various candidates. head.
quarters. These would swell the mum.
bers of the miscellaneous class TO At
least 800. especially at the Democratic
Convention, which is likely To have =
PLETHORA OF candidates. These CLASH.
fications make grand total of AGO.
likely to increase to the even five thou.
sand.
The direct expenses of Nat onal
Conventions are usually paid by the
cities in which they are held. The
bids of eligible cities for the honor
land profit, be it remembered.) of en-.
pertaining these big assemblages. gen.
orally range from $4,000 to $4,000,
which is ordinarily ample for the pur-
pose. Generally the railroads inter.
ested "chip in" for . selection that
may favor their traffic.
Sometimes convention halls have to
be constructed for the purpose, but
this year both will be held in buildings
used for similar purposes. In 1900,
Kansas City built hall for the Dem.
ocratic Convention, but it took fire
before completion and was totally
destroyed, and the committee had
much difficulty in raising sufficient
funds TO complete the second hall on
time. Even the fitting up of a hall
involves considerable expense in max.
ing changes, and additions and re.
pairs, and reinstatement OF furnishings
that become inadequate from long pc.
RODS Of disuse. These things are all
looked after by the Sergeant-at.Arms,
and his duties are numerous and siren.
uous in proportion to tho near ap.
proach of the day for assemblage.
The average visiting attendance has
been estimated by experts at from &c..
600 to $1,000 people. This is probably
high number. A conservative opin
ion would probably place the surplus
population Of the city on convention.
day At from 10000 to $4,000. EST.
mating the hotel and other expenses
Of say $4,000 people At $40 per day 70,
three days. would give . revenue to
that branch Of trade of $4,000, and
the local railroads would pick up