El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-10-26
CAMPAIGN BEING
MADE BY LETTER
Congressmen and Senators
Load Down Mails With
Their Appeals.
BY SIDNEY ESPEY.

Washington. D. C, Oct 26.-Uncle
Sans mail bag is taking the place Of
the stump speaker in the present con-
gressiOnal campaign Wnlcn viii come
TO an end early in November Inc eA-
traordinarily long session OF congress,
which kept members tied down. 70 Ihelr
Jobs in Washington, has made the cam
paign one of letter writing instead OF
stump speech and the public VIII await
with interest the result as shown by inc
complexion OF the next senate and
Both parties have formed the let
ter writing habit and there are several
hundred legislators who have devel-
oped to a high degree ready letter
writing ability. Where a candidate ior-
merly delivered a speech IN Iulsome
praise of himself and party that candl-
date now dictates rapidly TO
stenographer and Monograph ma
chine turns out long letters along the
lines of the speech the candidate would
have made had he been given me
chance.
Mails Loaded Down.
For three months past the mails out
of Washington have been loaded down
with campaign documents. Botn the
Democratic and Republican congress
sional campaign headquarters are 10
Gated here and they keep at WOrk a
force Of anywhere from 20 10 90 men
and women Senators and members OF
the house Of representatives,, VINO are
A1tE4-lE AaE4 E4ECLAD4A Tam pa --s7H a.
adding to the bulk Of the mail by send
ing home thousands Of speeches and
letters Of appeal a senator seeking
reelection. must canvass his entire state
by mail, a Aember Of the house writes
letter TO practically rybody IN ms
district and not a few members OF the
house have mailing lists OF 5urtvJ 10
$4,000 names
a speech delivered by a member Of
either house is presumed to be prop
erly frankable material as il is Ia
beled Part Of Congressional Record.
Personal letters Of candidates to their
constituents. however, must be mailed
with q ? cent stamp on them and the
postage bill Of many statesmen IS
heavy
One Spends $1,000 for Postage.
During the primary campaigns one
member Of the house who represents
a big district. confessed several weeks
before his election that he had spent
for postage stamps alone more than
$500 and he estimated that his entire
postage blk would run about SzJuO-
There is added the additional expense
OF clerk hire. addressing envelopes and
printing and the average candidate
spends about as much while remaining
In washington as he would If permit
ted TO so home and make a tour Of his
district.
The campaign letters sent out Ct
Washington by the tens Of thousands
are all along the same line The can
didate expresses regret that a con-
Iinued session Of congress has kept him
at the national capital and that he can
not get home to meet the voter face 10
face.
Il feel that I should stay here at my
post of duty and know that YOU would
NOT have me leave Washington now
that legislation Of vital Importance to
all of US is pending" writes the candi-
date.
Appeal for Support.
7 am writing to know If I may again
count upon your valued support and
advice in my campaign for reelection,
and I rest under the assurance thar you
viii appreciate my position ard fidel-
ity TO duty and pardon the absence Of
a personal visit. however, much /