The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-10-11


great parties arrayed against each other
with the ever present prohibition issue
and one or two lesser ones on the out
side. gave promise of a battle royal al
the polls in the following November
Through the clever manipulations OF
two of the most astute politicians the
country has ever produced, the old
Greenbaek party begun to sit up and
observe under the titleof "the People s
party with General Benjamin F. But
Ter as its candidate for president and
fusion for its object, says J. Charles
Davis in the San Francisco Call.
Important headquarters were opened
at 10 Union square, New York, and it
was soon evident that an experienced
head was at the helm. Campaign lit
erature began to flood the mails, and
the knowing ones began, to smile when
the name of William A. Fowler, as
chairman of the executive committee,
appeared on the circulars. w. A. Fowler
had been chairman of the executive com
mittee of the Democratic party during
a former campaign, and his ability and
energy had at once been recognized.
Speakers were engaged and sent out
in all directions; money flowed lavish
ly. A sort of underground connection
between No. 10 Union square and the
Fifth Avenue hotel and the interest
shown in the Peoples party by some
prominent politicians soon caused the
report that the campaign was Repub
lican party side show, thinly disguisd.
One morning ! went to the office of
the old Park theater, now Lew Fields 8
Herald Square theater, and was handed
a note, being informed that the mes
senger who left it had called back for
an answer the second time. The note
bore the heading of the People s party,
and requested me to call at the Union
square Office. AS it was signed by w.
A Fowler L at once went to the head
quarters and was soon in consultation
with the keen old manipulation of men
and things
Charley" said he, ''we want to
make a noise that viii be loud and
long; that will begin at once and con-
tinue until the first of November. Meet
me tonight at the Fifth Avenue and
decide if you will undertake a real old.
fashioned circus boom for the Peoples
candidate for president, and if so, on
what terms. This much is important,
you are to begin at once, can have all
the help you want, and will not be
stinted as to money for expenses"
From a room in the Fifth Avenue ho-
tel the work of manufacturing a boom
soon extended to the offices of the Mann
Boudoir Car Company, then to the gen.
eral offices of the New York Central
where bundles of printing, all
packed, were addressed to station
agents along the lines on which con-
tracts had been made for the hauling
of the General Butler Special
These agents, instructed from the op-
Grating offices of the different roads,
summoned the local bill posters, and in
one week IS time the dead walls and
billboards of every city, town and ham
let in the state were covered with great
posters announcing that the hero of
New Orleans, the peoples candidate
for president, would speak either in or
near the town wherein these announce
ments appeared. A score of agents
started through the state (it had, been
decided to eOnfine the campaign to the
then supposed doubtful state of New
York;, organizing reception committees
to work up interest in the speaking
iates, engage bands of music and, in |
fact, insure crowd. Thus, by the |
adoption of circus methods the eandi- |
late of the People s party was eagerly |
all over the state, and the |
sause of the common people began to |
assume important proportions.
The general was billed to speak at |
October Is, at IL clock a. m, |
but where he would arrive from or how |
vas not stated.
One morning a switch engine kicked |
he boudOir ear Etelka Gerster down /
through the yard and into a quiet cor
Ter of the great shed of the old Forty /
.econd street railway station. The |
,laeard "Private displayed on each |
platform kept the traveller away, but |
upply wagons came and went, Henry |
Pickett, porter in charge, with cook
md waiter, checked off the supplies as
neN arrived out IL was not until Ten
raj Butler, with Colonel Albergher, his
eeretary, paid a visit and was enter
aimed at luncheon that the startling
ruth dawned on the political world.
The New York daily newspapers gave
he outfit column description each the /
Iext morning, and, in spite of the usual
,ress agents efforts at secrecy, kept il
Ip. with remarks both humorous and
urid according to the political creed of
he various editors.
The country was then ready for the
ampaign to open in earnest. The
scare headline "For He Is a Work
ng Man. and the full description of
he cost and elegance of the car, the
act that it cost So, 900 and was chart
red at $3.50 a day until election and
he list of supplies for the tour made
he people of the state eager 10 see the
ilded band wagon of the party and
ear the grizzled old warrior speak;
nd the stories flashed over the wires
we're ali used by the upstate press and
cad by the upstate people, often to the
xelusion of more important matter.
The Boston Globe and the New York
un vigorously supported the move
rent.
On the occasion of the general 3 first