The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-16
TAFT'S CAMPAIGN
HAS COST $4,000
Most Expensive Bit Of Booming
for Presidential Nomination
in Country's History.
HALFBRoTHER HIS CANCEL"
------------------
Virtually Every Penny Being Put
Up by Cincinnati News
paper Proprietor.
.HALF-BRoTHER HIS angel"


WASHINGTON. D. c., March 15.--If
William Taft is inaugurated next
March It is expected to BIO as the re-
suit OF the most expensive campaign
ever waged for presidential candi-
date. Practically every cent of tho
money spent comes out OF the pocket
OF bewhiskered citizen of Cincinnati,
who looks like Methodist deacon. and
IS, In fact, dead game sport"-Chas.
y. TAFT. owner OF the Cincinnati
Times Star and half brother of William
II.
The expenses of the Tai. campaign
are now asserted to have reached on
December list last the limit estab-
lislled by Mark Hanna In 1896, 100000.
Hanna broke the record when he start
ed to spend money to nominate and
elect Mckinley. According to Hanna's
own admissions in private the entire
amount OF his expenditure from the
day he started in to boom Mckinley
to the date of the presidential cleo
ton was 100000. In tho case of Taft,
this limit 10 said to have been reached
before single delegate had been
elected outside OF Alaska.
Since that date, three months ago.
an additional quarter OF million has
probably been spent The total eX-
penditure to date. therefore. would be
s750.0O0. and the monthly expense is
increasing In geometrical ratio. Each
month sees, not alone the expense OF
the month before. but new ways OF
spending. Frank II. Hitchcock and his
large and expensive stan boosted the
expenditure away beyond what II was
month before
Charles +. M Ideul Brother.
Charles P. Taft Is an ideal brother,
the kind you would pick out for your
self He Is said to have paid william
II. Taft his salary every year the lat
ter has been in Washington until the
present year. The salary of the Cabi
net officer used to be $4,000 a year,
enough to keep him in cigars and car-
fare. 1t does not begin to pay for the
dinners and receptions Charles P. was
determined that William II. should
make decent showing. and he dupli-
Gated his brothers. salary every year.
Not until Congress had nerve enough
to raise the Cabinet salary to $4,000
did Charles P. drop this habit.
There Is Taft organization in every
State in the Union. The cash was pour
ed out like water In MISSOURI. Okla
hona and Kansas, where the Taft
crowd had enough Of a fight to make
the thing look two-sided. More money
has been spent in these three States
than in all the rest OF the Union, out
side OF Ohio.
In Ohio the expenditure tops all else
where. The reason for that is that 1T
was figured out early that until TAFT
could get Ohio unanimously he would
have little chance of nomination. In
consequence 1t became impossible to
walk out in Ohio without stubbirs,
your toe over a So bill. One of the best
known men in the Senate when told
that the $4,000 estimates had been
/ disputed as too low, replied:
1T Is undoubtedly correct II Ohio is
left out. If Ohio Is included yo., ocght
to double it."
Brother Henry Working, Too.
Missouri is the limit. outside OF
Ohio, In Taft expenditures. The ex-
penses of all country delegates to dis
trict conventions in that State have
been openly paid by the Taft crowd.
This includes railroad fare and hotel
bills.
In the South the Taft money is being
spent in floods. The reports on this
come In chiefly from Democratic Con-
luge of money has ever been turned
loose In their States. particularly in
Georgia and Florida.
In New England the Tafters do not
seem to be using as much money as
elsewhere. They have bureau and
travelling agents there, but there Is no;
so much open display of cash. Still,
there is not an acre in New England
that is not being covered by Tai;
emissaries.
Henry W. Taft, who is Tafts own
brother, Charles p, being only half
brother, is credited with having charge
In quiet way OF what IS being done
in New York. Henry W.. however
does not seem to be spending any
work Is understood to be the concilia
| ton of Wall Street and the anti
Roosevelt interest generally by the
quiet passing around of the word tina,
| William III. Is all right