Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-08
BY REX COLLIER.

IT costs money 10 elect Presidents
In two decades the American PEG
II pie have spent more than twenty.
j two millions of dollars III presideil
tial campaigns. and the forthcom
Ing political cruSadeS will boost thu
total TO well over the SIS 100000 mark
Just how far over cannot readily b.
predicted. Both the Republican ana
Democratic party leaders are claiming
they are going to pare campaign eX'
penses 10 the bone this year-as cam.
paign pairing goes.
Both Of the presidential nominee:
have indicated their desire that the
purse strings of their respective cam
paign treasures be held in judiciouS
restraint.
Smaller Budgets Planned.
It is certain that the budget in eacf,
camp viii fall far short Of the record
breaking total set by the Republicans
during the Harding drive in 1920, when
more than five millions Of dollars were
expended in behalf of their nominee
Indeed it is doubtful If the combined
expenses OF both campaigns this year
will equal the Harding figures
Or Hubert Work. chairman OF the
Republican national committee and
commander n-chief Of the Hoover
Curtis forces, has indicated that the
Republicans will seek 20 raise a fund
smaller than that garnered for Calvin
Coolidge IN 1924 by million and a
half dollars The Coolidge campaign
ers secured about four and half mil
zion dollars. but spent only three MIL
lions Of that amount. The remainder
was returned TO the States.
Using the Coolidge finances as a
basis for estimating current needs. the
Hoover chieftairls have arrived at a
100000 goal for the campaign fund.
What the Democratic goal will be
remains undecided. The Democratic
national committee will meet shortly
10 decide this and other important mat
tiers confronting the SmithiteS. Friends
Of the New York governor have declared
however. that the Democratic nominee
frowns on large campaign expenditures.
snd it is likely that his wishes in the
matter viii be respected. A glance in
retrospect at campaign expenditures of
The past should prove interesting.
Thirty-two years ago William Nc
Kinley and William J. Bryan waged
their famous race for the presidency
and when the smoke of battle had
cleared Mckinley was in the White
House. and more than $4,000, 900 had
gone out of the campaign Golfers of the
opposing parties. McKinley's forces
spent $4,000. 900 and Bryan's followers
got rid Of $675, 900.
Roosevelt Parker Battle.
Four years later the two clashed again,
and Mckinley was reelected at cost
of S2500.o00 The Democrats spent
$425.o00 trying TO defeat him and TO
put over Bryan.
The Roosevelt Parker battle in 1904
cost only $4,000. 900 altogether. Col
RocSevelt's cohorts expended 81 SOC, 900
while Parker used up ST00, 900.
Bryan tried comeback in 1908
against Taft. and spent nearly as much
doing it as he had IN both of his pre-
vious races combined. His $500. 600 was
wasted. and Taft was swept into the
White House on a Roosevelt platform
at a cost OF Si.655y512.
In 1912 the Republican party was
split by the Bull Moosers, with the re-
suit that Woodrow wilson's campaign
cost eclipsed that Of either Taft or
Roosevelt. Wilson spent si,130, 600,
Taft expended 81 ,070. 900 and was over
whelmingly defeated. and Roosevelt,
running on an independent ticket IN
opposition to his old friend Taft, piled
ND bills totaling s670. 900.
Wilson came back In 1915 and waged