The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-10

tell you that the use of exceptionally
large sums by the national commit
tees began in 1858, when Grant defeat
ed Greeley SO overwhelmingly, and that
the sums then raised have been in
| creased enormously with every presi-
dental campaign since then I'm
QOubIedIy, q good deal more was spent
| by the Republicans In those two cam
| patgns than by the Democrats. In
1876, when Hayes was declared elected
over Tildens a lot of money was spent
on both sides.
Ever since then, as well as before,
both sides have raised as much as they
were able to and the collecting of the
campaign fund once in four years has
become fine art.
How the Money Is Raised.
Presidential candidates themselves
have rarely been relied upon to fur
| nish any amount of the campaign
money, for the good and sufficient rea-
son that they have seldom been men
/ of large means. But there are said to
[ have been two exceptions.
Samuel J. Tilden, whose campaign
fund in 1876 was probably a record
| breaker down to that time, is said to
/ have given half a million dollars to
1 help persuade the voters to vote for
/ him, and James C. Blaine is under
stood to have advanced 500, 600 near
/ the end of his campaign, eight years
! later, with the understanding that the
Z
/ later. Neither of these candidates sat
/ in the presidential chair.
There have been instances of men
well known in business and social life,
not lifelong politicians, contributing
heavily to the campaign fund with the
reported understanding that high Of
fee was to be the reward for financial
! liberality.
Every one who is wen informed as
/ to the political gossip of Harrison's
/ first campaign remembers the oft-pub-
I lished story that a contribution of
/ 100000 from a Well-knOwn business
man was rewarded by a cabinet Of
fee.
Many no doubt, remember the story
that a man of great social prominence
and much wealth, not specially quail
fed to be a diplomat gave heavily to
! the Cleveland campaign fund in 1892
! diplomatic service. This man was ac-
tually appointed minister to Italy and
| confirmed by the senate, but owing to
/ the adverse comment he declined to
serve in a fit of modification and
rage.
Corporations as Contributors.
Undoubtedly the big corporations
often contributed to presidential cam
paign funds, but, while the commit
tees have not hesitated from time to
time, to publish the names of indi-
vidual givers, they have rarely or
never exploited the gifts Of corpora
tiOns.
It has even been asserted. and with
out much show of contradiction, that
certain corporations have contributed
equally to both parties in certain cam
paigns, and that the campaign man
ayers on both sides have known all
about it. This assertion viii hardly be
verified unless testimony thereon is
forced from some reluctant corpora
ton officials. In view of the excite
ment caused by the frank testimony
Ice sv,e -
doubtful whether such duplex contri-
buttons, if ever made, are likely ever
to be acknowledged.
That some corporations interested in
local franchises have made it a prac-
tice to contribute freely to local cam
paigns has been admitted pretty freely
now and then by men connected with
the corporations. These contributions
have almost always been made to the
party in power, and likely to remain
so, whichever it might be, because it
alone could give rewards for the con-
ltributions.
: Contributions from the Masses.
The bulk of the contributions are
probably made in big lump sums but
every old campaign manager could
tell many interesting stories of small
contributions made by persons of mod
crate, often slender, means.
There was an extraordinary mum ber
of such contributions in 1896 and 1900
on both sides This was because there
were more wage earners and men do
ing business in a small way than usual,
both Republicans and Democrats, who
felt that their individual future we'll
being depended upon the result of the
election.
; There were plenty Of free silver
/ voters who thought ruin would come
3 to them and theirs If the hated gold
bugs" should prevail. There were
hard money working men and 9TH
eTs in numbers who saw only disaster
ahead if the sixteen to one ratio
should prevail.
Some Of the letters accompanying
campaign gifts sent by contributors OF
these classes to both political head
quarters we're human documents OF
the greatest interest one such letter
e Iinclosing $40 bill, sent by a widow
4 told how she had economical to save
T the money, which she said she believed
2 IL her bounden duty to contribute
p Had she been a man, she explained
e she would have been satisfied that her
duty would be performed by voting; as
I / she couldn't vote she felt she musi