Evening journal., 1912-09-04
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Man Who Discovered
the Political Value in
PubliCDOCumentS
By Holland.

The late H. H. Starkweather.
through the sixties and seventies of
the last century Representative dn
Congress from the eastern Connecti-
cut district and q very intimate per-
sonal and political friend Of the
great war governor Of Connecticut.
William A. Buckingham, was, during
his service in Congress. an indefati-
gable collector Of both Senate and
House public documents. His room
at Willard's Hotel in Washington
was wainsootted. so to speak from
floor to ceiling with a collection of
documents.
Mr.. Starkweather told me one
afternoon in the late seventies when
1 was calling upon him. that he had
found that a wise distribution of
documents was, in his district at
least. Of greater value TO him in keep
ing his friends and maintaining the
majority by which he was elected to
Congress than the expenditure Of a
large amount Of cash would have
been.
Il. learned this lesson" said Mr..
Starkweather, from Burlington, who
represented the Cape Cod district of
Massachusetts, in Congress for a
good while
Jim Bufhngton--his name was
James and we always called his Jim
was one of the quaintest and the
most companionable members of the
House. He was always good natured.
He was very witty and his wit was
kindly. His hold upon his district
was secure, and l don't suppose any
political cataclysm could have caused
his defeat.
Burlington once told me that he
discovered the first year he was in
Congress that, for a Congressman
whose constituents lived for the most
part in little country towns, the best
kind of a campaign argument was
furnished by a political document.
"'I discovered said Burlington,
that if a farmer living in seclusion
or a fisherman-and ! have a good
many constituents of that kind
who live lonely lives-gets a
public document addressed to him,
with the name of his member of Con-
gress upon the envelope, he feels
greatly complimented. He says to
himself, MY Congressman knows
me by name and he isn't so busy but
what he thinks of me when he's away
off there in Washington"
"I know of one instance where a
fisherman and his four sons who live
on Cape Cod, walked into the polling
place-iive miles away-for the pur-
pose of voting for me. never
would have got those FIVE votes if l
had not mailed to the fisherman and
his sons documents that contained
information about fishing or the sea-
My name was upon the envelope. It
was, of course, my frank; but these
men did not know the difference.
81 have made it a point to secure
the name of every voter in my dis
trict. Then l am careful to dig out
the public documents which I think
will be likely TO interest these voters.
I put my frank upon the envelope
and the voter looks upon It as a per-
sonal and complimentary letter from
me to him. It does not cost me a red
cent and It gives these poor men who
live far of in the country a great
deal of qualification.
Il soon found out by a little eX-
perimenting in my own district that
Burlington was right, continued Mr..
Starkweather. And other members
OF Congress. following Buffngton's
lead, likewise discovered the political
value that lies in the public document
when sent under frank to ones con-
stituents Indeed / might say that not
until Jim Burlington let us in this
little trick of his was the public doc
ument used systematically by Con-
gressmen TO secure and hold votes.
SO | say Jim Burlington could be
called the real discoverer to the poll
tical value to a Congressman that
lies in a public document sent out by
him under frank and Systematically
10 his constituents"
Copyright, 1912. by p. j. Edwards.
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr Edwards will tell
"A story of the Telegrapher's Begin