Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-16
DEMOCRATS TALK
CAMPAIGN PLANS
Special AdvIsory-Finance Sec
ton of National Committee
Holds Session.
CONFERS WITH PRESIDENT
WILSON AT WHITE HOUSE
Ways and Means for Raising Funds
for Congressional Contests Given
Much Consideration.

With permanent headquarters estab-
iished in this city, with a finance and
advisory committee in session today, with
conferences planned with President Will
son and leaders in Congress to extend
over two DAYS. the democratic national
committee today formally opened the
congressional campaign for 1914 and the
presidential campaign for 1916.
The meeting of the special ffnance-ad-
visory committee began at II O'Clock
this morning in the permanent headquar
ters of the national committee in the
Hibbs building. which have been placed
In charge of Thomas j. Pence. who Will
conduct the publicity campaign for the
national committee. The members of the
special committee present were Repre-
sentative A. Mitchell Palmer of Pennsyl-
yania. Fred Lynch of Minnesota, Clark
Howell of Georgia. Cato Sells of Texas
and Homer Cummings Of Connecticut
Senator Reed of Missouri. who was in
charge OF senatorial contests In the last
campaign, also attended. and Mr.. Pence
participated in the conference.
Later the special committee met and
conferred with Representative Lloyd of
Missouri, chairman of the democrat tic
congressional campaign committee, and
Secretary Page of that committee. At 3
O'Clock the committee met President Will
son at the White House.
Ii was decided to officially designate
the committee which met today as the
executive campaign committee of the
democratic national committee Mr.
Iaimer was elected chairman and Rolla
NeilS or ST. Louis. treasurer of the ma
uonaI committee. was chosen treasurer
OF the campaign committee.
Scope Covers Two Features.
The scope of the committees work to-
day and to be continued tomorrow COW
cred two features: first. discussion of
ways and means for raising money to
conduct the preliminary campaign: sec
ond, attention to the beginning of the
congressional campaign. and incidentally
the enlarged participation of senators in
the work of the congressional committee.
me democratic leaders are convinced
or the importance of paying close atten-
ton to the congressional campaign.
Wnlch, indeed. VIII be preliminary to the
greater battle to come. The election Of a
democratic House Of Representatives for
the next Congress-, 1t is felt, is essential
TO democratic success and work to that
end must be commenced. The national
committee takes keen interest in this
branch of general democratic campaign
work and will lend it's hearty co-opera-
ton.
The organization of a. publicity bureau
10 conduct a campaign of education and
keep the voters posted through the demo-
cratic press upon all public questions has
been effected Thomas J. Pence. whose
year is familiar to democratic politicians
all over the country. was selected to
carry on this line of political endeavor.
Lack of Finances Former Bar.
The democratic party has never main
tained permanent national headquar-
ters. confining its organized and directed
activities in the building up of ma jority
party by appeal to the voters to few
months in campaign years In this re-
spect the democrats have differed from
their rivals. who have conducted alIthe-
year-around work. with particular refer
"nce 10 the dissemination of literature
and publicity in support of the protective
tariff
Those who have led the fights of the
national democracy in past campaign
years have not been Indifferent 10 the
Importance of this phase of political cam
palgnlng. but il has been case of in
AFFINITY TO finance such an undertaking.
Inc democratic national committee il
IS SAID. would have established an all
the-year-round workshop four years ago.
but the democracy has been a minority
party so long that Chairman Mack and
otner leaders. who had the matter at
heart did not receive the encoura cement
that naturally came to the party with
n" sweeping victory last November.
McCombs' Plan Ratified.
William F. McCombs. the chairman of
the democratic national committee made
up his mind when he was elected to the
position 10 keep in operation a con-
tinuous militant organization. He main
tained that if II was worth while 10
spend million dollars in a campaign
OF less than four months duration once
every four years, 1t was worth still
more TO spend as much as one-tenth of
That sum throughout four years
So when the campaign of 1912 was
over he announced that permanent head
quarters would be maintained in Wash
ington, with Thomas J. Pence in charge.
This action was ratified al the meeting
OF the national committee in Washington
the week of the Inauguration and q
finapce committee appointed to raise
funds with which 10 carry on the work
The work of the headquarters will b,
largely educational The papers that dc
not have Washington correspondents will
be supplied with letters and articles tell
ing Of what the administration is accom-
pills The dominating idea of tn
undertaking is 10 acquaint the voter
through the press and otherwise. witt
what is actually going on in Washing