Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-16

IcpuOIICdu IeducTS Oh InQldIld.
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In 1892 William c. Whitney captained
lack of funds
No Lack of Cash on that side.
in 1892 Campaign. nc m ~, s,,S ep a1so
! much money was spent. but nothing
could turn the tide that had set away
from the republicans after the passage
of the Mckinley tariff. After the fight
was over Cornelius ~ Bliss. who had
charge OF the republican campaign
finances. went one day to the offices of
the American Protective Tariff League.
He found 5000 in its treasury. and is
said to have exclaimed that 1t was the
only solvent thing in the republican party
at that time.
About the campaign of 1896 there is
wide divergence of opinion. except that
the republicans had what was probably
the largest campaign fund in the his
tory Of politics. Bourke Cochran once
declared that Mr.. Hanna had $15.OOO.OOO
to spend. Another writer. who knew
Mark Hanna rather intimately declared
he had it on good authority that his fund
totaled S6.UD,CO. and that the largest
individual contributor was an insurance
company which planked down S2OO.OOO
for the cause of Mr.. Mckinley. One rail-
road put up 100000. 1t is asserted by
another authority that in October. when
the drift seemed to be toward Mr.. Bryan,
certain corporations were assessed one
fourth Of l per cent on their capital stock
with which to stem the tide. The repub-
lican printing bill of that year is esti-
mated at a million dollars. with a post
age bill of half that amount. The state
ment also has been made that Mr.. Hanna
contributed more than million dollars
to the Palmer and Buckner campaign.
On the democratic side OF that cam
paign there were some big contributions
from the owners OF silver mines. And
yet 1t is said that If the people had not
responded literally to the call Of Chair
man Jones for dollar subscriptions the
committee must have gone bankrupt.
In 1860 the republicans again had plenty
of funds. while the democrats had an al
most empty treasury In 1904 it was thought
at the outset that Parker would get the
bulk of the big contributions but it did
not work out that way.
Mr.. Cortelyou has stated that the re-
publican fund in 1904 was $1.9OO.OO0. and
puts it as about half as
Figures Vary large as the funds which
e.. 1ona We're behind Cleveland in
1895. He recently testified before SEN
ate committee that he never knew II at.
the insurance companies had contributed
TO the fund of that year until the fact
was brought out in the New York in
surance investigation. While he places
the republican fund of 1904 at $780, coo.
certain New York newspapers assert hat
itamounted to Sill 100000
OF nf
expenditures throws an interesting light
upon the cost Of the different activi.i,s
financed by national committee. First
Of ALL Of the $1,9OO.O0O he says was re-
ceived some 100000 was contributed to
the various state committees. For liter
airy work and advertising the expenditure
Appropriated half a million dollars. while
the speakers bureau cost $4,000. For
Autographs and other work Of that kind
$1OO,U0O was required, and for headquar-
ters S1JOOOn The committee had sur
plus Of approximately 100000 at the end
Of the campaign. On the democratic SIDE
August Belmont has placed the eXpendi-
lures at about 100000 of which he con-
tributed $4,000. William T.. Sheehan
puts the total at about million.
AS a matter OF fact, no living mortal
knows. within millions. probably, Wat
was spent in any campaign of recent
years prior to 1905 Poll ical managers
have always made it a point not to know
too much about such things. Records
were destroyed, and evidences of full war
chests covered up as much as possible.