The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-09-21
CAMPAIGN TOURS ARE
TIMES OF TORTURE
NOMINEES EN- TOUR DODGE
BANQUETS, HANDSHAKES
AND OFFICE SEEKERS.
THE Y'RE. NOT Joy RIDES

Contributors to Campaign Funds All
Seek Favors. Cost of "Spellbind-
ing" This Country Will Be Very
Heavy This Year.
Campaign tours of the country
have become expensive propositions.
More than 100000 has been esti-
mated as the cost of the train SER
vice alone for Gov. Cox's campaign
ing during the coming six weeks.
Senator Harding will not travel so
much, but it is estimated that his
proposed speaking tours in October
will cost about $4,000. In fact,
campaign managers this year have
discovered that "spellbinding" tours
are an expensive inconvenience-an
inconvenience because those who
have participated in such trips soon
learn that they are not golden hours
of pleasure.
A presidential candidate who
starts on a jaunt over the country is
laying up much physical discomfort
for himself. During the first day or
two everything is usually exceeding
ly pleasant. The candidate makes
lengthy speeches at every town
where the train stops.
Voice the First to Go.
After the second or third day the
candidate finds that his voice has
deserted him. Especially the mex
perienced candidate always makes
the mistake of doing a lot of talking
uf ha of tha f1sIFN h11t hn
is soon compelled to simply appear
on the rear platform and say to the
waiting crowds GLOW happy l am to
see you, friends; goodbye"
But the loss of his voice isn't the
only inconvenience the seeker of the
white house job has to contend with.
States invaded by the private train
usually make up the money to carry
the candidate through their territory,
and the largest contributors usually
seek to get their money back in rid
/ ing. The initial stop inside state
line is always the signal for rush
of local candidates, local celebrities
; and local contributors They maui
the hapless candidate around, force
him to make promises which he never
could keep and make life a misery
for him until they depart. their
places to be taken by fresh group
of contributors.
One Banquet After Another.
One of the greatest handicaps to a
campaigning tour is the number OF
banquets a candidate must be able
to consume Attending banquets,
looking at local sights and shaking
hands with lot of unknowns is
candidates worst test. Old time
campaigners have learned to dodge
the banquet hall, but the 1920 cam
paigners will be wiser after election
dav. insofar as banquets are con-
cerned.
The Swings around the circle
are irving. not only to the physical
constitution of the candidate. but to
his mentality as well. He is expected
to make speeches, and while IN years
gone by he could make one speech
do for the entire trip newspapers
today, and the public as well, de-
mand fresh speeches at every stop.
Before the trip begins a schedule
is made out at national headquar
tiers for the candidate and he is as
sured that this is his final routing;
After the train leaves the national
committee and every member of the
partly throughout the land start IN
to revise the itinerary. with the re-
snIt that his mail and his laundry is
being forwarded to him months al
ter he has won or lost the election