The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-31

Lincoln IS first nomination for Presi-
dent, including the cost of headquar-
tiers, kilograms, music, fares of dele
gates and incidentals, did not exceed
800. 1t cost the Republican national
committee less to elect Lincoln in 1860
than it does to conduct many State
canvass of the present time.
"sThat committee said Mr. SWEET,
"spent a sum that would now seem
contemplate, but it did its work as
thoroughly and successfully as any
committee the party has had since. In
1864, at the most critical hour in the
history of the nation, the sum of $780,
600 was all that was spent to secure
the reelection of Lincoln" says the
Pittsburg Dispatch.
It is far cry from 1864 to 1908, and
it will cost more than $5,000,000 to
elect President this year. This sum
will be spent by the national commit
tees of the two great parties, and does
not include the funds collected and
disbursed by the several State commit
tees and other smaller agencies. The
use of large sums of money in politics,
as has been inferred, is growth of the
last forty years. Previous to that
time political campaigning was large
ly matter of hurrah and sentiment,
-
alert, shrewd, and fond of system and
order began to take the management
of politics into their hands and won
derful change in methods and mea-
sures was speedily effected.
To Samuel j. Tilden, more than to
any other man, is due the credit of
perfecting the system of campaigning
now in vogue. He had a gift for the
management of men on large scale
that amounted to genius. He saw that
great issues which arouse the enthus-
iasm of the masses, though most es-
sential, are not in themselves sufficient
to insure success in a campaign, but
that much of the work to be effective
must be done in secret and that it was
of the first Importance that every voter
should be brought into direct personal
contact with the campaign manage
ment
Time stamped Tilden 8 methods with
the seal of success, and they have
taken the place of those formerly en-
ployed In 1876 more than 100000
was collected and spent by the cam
paign managers of the two great par
ties. Four years later they had at
and in 1884 the campaign disburse-
ments were half as much again. In 1883
the Harrison-Cleveland campaign cost
not less than $1,S00,000; and in the
campaign of 1892 the expenditures of
the two national committees were quite
So 100000. Finally, in 1896, more than
$4,000 900, and in 1900 an even larger
amount passed through the hands of
Chairman Hanna and Chairman Jones
and their associates. In 1908 at least
5000, 600 will be expended. But the
charge that the greater part OF these
vast sums is used to corrupt voters
and purchase votes is a false and silly
one. Nearly, if not all, of the moneys
collected are anticipated by the legi-
innate expenses of the campaign. These
| cover a wide range, and their volume
swells with every succeeding cam
paign.
The first work of a national commit.
tee is to prepare campaign literature.
| These documents not only inform the
people, but give to orators and writers
mass of facts and arguments. They
are in the main speeches of leading
Senators and congressman, but often
brief and trenchant cards and clrcu-
lars, which pierce with a single shaft
the armor of the enemy, are employed
with telling effect.
In 1884 the famous "Rum, Roman
ism and Rebellion utterance of DR..
Burchard was printed on small cards
and distributed before the doors of all
the Catholic churches the Sunday be-
fore election. Its effect was most dis
astrous. and as there was little or no
time in which to counteract It 1t had
much to do in determining the result
of the election. This year the two ma
tional committees will probably spend
fully 100000 in the preparation, pub
LEGATION and circulation of documents.
| This represents a mass of printed mat
fer large enough to fill small freight
train, and it is an open question
whether or not too much money IS
spent in this way. Still, so shrewd a
nolitieian as ex-senator Hill is of the
opinion that this plan of appeal has
more influence on the wavering and
doubtful than any other.
| Each of the national committees also
maintains throughout the campaign a
news bureau, which. under the direction
of experienced political writers, supplies
partisan news and arguments to the
smaller newspapers. A good many news
papers are subsidized-newspapers in
| foreign tongues, and certain class jour
mails. There are hundreds of these kinds
| in the larger cities and towns, nearly
! every one of whose editors is ready to