Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-10-05
Democrats Canvass
Grass Roots 10 Get
S. Gifts for Campaign

Democratic money-raiSerS yes
ferday revealed details of their
plan for tapping several hundred
thousand" individuals at the grass
roots level for IS contributions
each to help finance the party's
presidential campaign.
Beardsley Ruml, Democratic f.
nance chairman, said the drive
would be waged on a decentralized
basis through the State and local
party organizations.
Out Of every S. raised, So must
be forwarded to the campaign of
Gov. Stevenson and Senator
Sparkman.
Certificate of Thanks.
In return for the contribution,
each individual will receive a nice
~ printed certificate showing he
or she has given S. for the Dem
ocratic ticket.
On the reverse side of the GER
tificate is a reproduction Of a
hand-written thank you note from
Gov. Stevenson saying:
May I express my appreciation
for your cooperation. The DEM
ocratic Party is the party of all the
people. It is fitting that the ex-
pense OF a national election should
be borne by all the people who
believe In the party and its can
didates."
Mr.. Ruml said 100000 books
containing five certificates each,
or a total of 4 million certificates
have been printed. They were sent
out last Wednesday for distribu-
ton through the State organiza-
tons to the local level.
Initial response to the novel
method of raising campaign funds,
Mr.. Ruml added, has been very
good" He acknowledged, how
ever. that " it is unpredictable how
successful this will be-
Broadcast to Train Workers.
He said October 8 to IS has
been set as the period for the in
tenSive drive. He will go on the
air tonight in a Nationwide
broadcast designed as a training
period for workers in the drive.
Mr.. Ruml remained indefinite
about the goal after some talk in
Democratic circles about a figure
OF at least one million contribu-
tors. He finally came up with the
goal Of several hundred thou
sand" which allows a lot of lee
way in measuring the success of
the experiment.
Earlier he had expressed the
opinion that it you'd be very sue
cessful" If it reached 100000 to
100000 contributors and, added:
II think we will do better than
that"
AS for the printing of million
certificates, Mr.. Ruml, former
official of the r. H. Macy Co.,
explained:
Its cheaper to print them than
1t Is to run out of merchandise"
"Two-Rail Campaign.
Mr.. Ruml described this I'M
dertaking as one of "a two-rail
campaign" to raise money for the
Democratic party. The other is
the large contributor and this
drive, it was explained, does not
exclude that source.
He said money raised from big
contributors this year totals well
over 81 million" Back in Septem-
Der Mr.. Ruml told a news confer
ence that well under 81 million
had been raised this year.
Mr.. Ruml evolved the grass-roots
campaign for funds after accept
ing Gov. Stevenson's imitation to
head the party's finance commit
tee. He decided on asking IS from
each contributor as a $40 figure
would be too high and a 81 con-
tribution "too frivilous."
He expressed the opinion the
plan would work and serve as a
model for financing future politi-
cal campaigns in a more orderly
and systematic way.
The organizational plan for the
drive, as worked out by Mr.. Ruml,
calls for progressive decentraliza-
ton down through regions. divi-