Suggestions for a Plan of County
Organization: Charles Dick Lays
the
Groundwork for the Campaign of
1896
Edited by THOMAS E. FELT*
CAMPAIGN "textbooks" for the
party faithful have been
used to inspire electoral success for
close to a hundred years
in this country, and were the document
published below just
another one of this familiar species it
would deserve no par-
ticular notice. But this is a campaign
textbook with a differ-
ence. Where its more conventional brothers are heavy
with
biographical sketches of party saints, excerpts from
the elo-
quence of party spokesmen, and reprints
of party platforms,
this is a manual devoted entirely to
the difficult matter of
local party organization and action.
"Suggestions For Plan of County
Organization" is the
title as printed on the cover; the
Republican national com-
mittee is the sponsor, if not the
author; and 1896 is the date.
Not printed as a pamphlet, it has the
physical appearance of a
legal brief. The present copy, which is
the only one known to
the editor, is from the papers of
Charles Dick in the library
of the Ohio Historical Society. It is
printed in an unusual
fool-the-eye typewriter face, following
advice given in the
text itself. How many copies were
printed is not known.
Readers who may learn of other copies
or of references to
the document can help to clear up the
point. But whether it
was widely distributed or not, this
handbook of vote-getting
* Thomas E. Felt is an instructor in
history at the College of Wooster. Another
political document from the hand of
Charles Dick that he has edited was published
in the January 1958 issue of the Quarterly
(LXVII, pp. 50-62) under the title
"Organizing a National Convention:
A Lesson from Senator Dick."
368
THE OHIO HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
tips has an authoritative ring that
deserves a respectful
hearing.
Its authority derives as much from its
author as from its
sponsorship. Though not signed, it must
be attributed to
Charles Dick himself for a number of
reasons. It was writ-
ten by an Ohioan, for the street names
listed in the text are
clearly taken from Columbus--"West
Gay," "East Broad,"
and others. Dick was not only an Ohioan
but assistant sec-
retary of the national committee, with
his office at its Chicago
headquarters, from where, according to
the letterhead included
on the first page (but omitted below), the document
originated.
Then too, a remarkably similar
document, the same except
for minor additions and adaptations,
may also be found in the
Dick papers. It is dated 1902 and was
issued under the
sponsorship of the Republican state
executive committee, of
which he was chairman that year.
Finally, the work itself
represents precisely the approach to
campaigning that char-
acterized Dick throughout his career.
Only thirty-eight years old in 1896,
Dick was still learning
the political game as it was played on
the national level, but
he had long since mastered the Ohio
style in state and local
politics. Ten years previously he had
been elected auditor of
his native Summit County (Akron), and
in the intervening
time had served in a succession of
party posts leading up to
the chairmanship of the state executive
committee in 1892.
The position he played on the team
headed by William Mc-
Kinley had been defined by then, and it
was a crucial, if not
a colorful, one. McKinley himself was
never adept at organ-
ization work or in self-promotion of
any obvious sort. Legis-
lator, orator, executive, and inspirer
of a devoted following
of friends, he needed the talents of
others to propel his career
toward the presidency. Marcus A. Hanna,
still primarily a
Cleveland businessman in politics,
contributed his genius for
raising funds, persuading and holding
shaky allies, and fitting
together combinations of factions that
might carry the election
at hand. But Hanna was something of an
improviser. How-
A PLAN OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION 369
ever thoroughly he studied men and
interests, he lacked the
patience for detailed, painstaking
organization work. So in
turn he needed Charles Dick. Dick's
flair for just this kind
of assignment was soon recognized and
trained to near per-
fection. This is not to deny that he
had other capabilities.
Later, serving in congress, he showed
himself to good advan-
tage on the stump and in legislative
work. But it was in
recognition of his astute management of
the party machinery
that Dick was promoted to the
secretaryship of the Repub-
lican national committee during
McKinley's first administra-
tion. That he continued to find favor
with McKinley and
Hanna--and he did--suggests that he knew
his business
well.1
Some factors are constant in the
politics of a democracy,
and in its outlines much of Dick's
scheme as given below was
entirely conventional then and is even
yet. More to the
historian's point, however, the
document suggests a good
deal about the nature of the
presidential campaign of 1896.
Here was Hanna's "campaign of
education" at the graduate
level. If the "Suggestions"
was sent out in quantity--some-
thing not yet proved--it represents an
unusually frank com-
munication from the national to the
county levels of the party.
To the extent that they were adopted --
and they are too
obviously counsels of perfection for
universal application--
they help to clarify such questions
regarding the campaign
as how the largest campaign fund in
history to that time was
spent (on postage!), why the voter
turnout was the largest
known, and how, in a time of rapidly
shifting sentiments, the
Republican headquarters' forecasts
proved as accurate as they
did:
1 The foregoing sketch of the
McKinley-Hanna-Dick relationship draws upon
the Dick papers and upon Thomas E. Felt,
"The Rise of Mark Hanna" (un-
published Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State
University, 1960), especially pp.
252-253, and Margaret Leech, In the Days of McKinley
(New York, 1959), pp.
68-69. See also Francis B. Gessner, "The New
Senator From Ohio," Munsey's
Magazine, XXXI (1904).
370 THE OHIO HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
The following suggestions as to plans
for County Organization are
issued by the Republican National
Committee for the information and
benefit of County Chairmen and their
subordinate committeemen:
COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
1st.--A County Central Committee.
Members.
The County Central Committee shall be
composed of one member
from each voting precinct, chosen in
such manner as the Republicans
of each county may prescribe.
Officers.
The officers of the County Central
Committee shall be a Chairman
and a Secretary.
Duties.
As soon as the County Central Committee
is organized, the full
names, occupations and P. O. addresses
of its members, with the pre-
cinct of which each has charge, shall be
reported, either direct or
through the Chairman of the County
Executive Committee, to the
Chairman of the State Executive
Committee.
The County Central Committee shall
choose a County Executive
Committee and the officers thereof,
unless some other method of select-
ing said Executive Committee shall be
deemed advisable. When chosen,
the name, occupation and P. O. address
of each officer and member
of the County Executive Committee shall
be reported to the Chairman
of the State Executive Committee without
delay.
Each member of the County Central
Committee shall appoint a Pre-
cinct Committeeman for each Sub-District
in his precinct, and immedi-
ately report the full name and P. O.
address of each Precinct Commit-
teeman so appointed to the chairman of
the County Executive Com-
mittee on the blank provided for that
purpose.
The Central Committeeman shall, under
the direction of the County
Executive Committee, have full charge
and management of the canvass
in his precinct. He shall distribute
Poll Books and other supplies to his
Precinct Committeemen, and properly
circulate all campaign literature
placed in his hands. He shall see that a
Rallying Committee for each
Sub-District in his precinct is
appointed, and that the names and P. O.
A PLAN OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION 371
addresses of the members of such
Sub-District Rallying Committee are
reported to the Chairman of the County
Executive Committee. He
shall see that Challengers and
Inspectors of Election are provided
according to law. He shall hold frequent
meetings with his Precinct
and Rallying Committeemen, supervise the
polling in each sub-district,
and see that each Precinct and Rallying
Committeeman is instructed
as to his duties.
He shall copy alphabetically the names
of the voters returned to him
by his Precinct Committeemen into the
Canvass Books provided for
that purpose, returning one to the
Chairman of the County Executive
Committee, and keeping one for use at
the polls on election day. He
shall carefully revise his Canvass Book
about ten days prior to election,
striking off the names of all voters who
have died or who have removed
from the precinct, and adding the names
of all those who have become
residents of the precinct since, as well
as those, if any, whose names
were omitted in the first canvass. He
shall forward a list of the changes
and corrections to the Chairman of the
County Executive Committee,
giving the names and present addresses
of those who have removed
from the precinct, and also the names
and addresses of those who have
moved into the precinct. He shall also
notify the Chairman of the
County Executive Committee of any voters
who may be temporarily
absent, so that steps may be taken to
bring them home to vote.
2nd.--A County Executive Committee.
Members.
The County Executive Committee shall be
composed of not fewer
than five members.
Officers.
The officers of the County Executive
Committee shall be a Chairman,
a Secretary and Treasurer.
Duties.
The County Executive Committee shall
have entire control of the
campaign; provide ways and means for
conducting the canvass; dis-
tribute all supplies received from the
State Executive Committee in
accordance with instructions; forward
the lists of Precinct Committee-
men to the Chairman of the State
Executive Committee as soon as
they are reported by the County Central
Committeemen; report the
372 THE
OHIO HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
result of the poll of the county, as
soon as completed, to the Chairman
of the State Executive Committee; meet
with the Committeemen in
every precinct and see that they are
instructed as to their duties, super-
vise the polling and other campaign work
therein, and arrange the
times and places of all political
meetings in the county.
PRECINCT ORGANIZATION.2
lst.--A Precinct Committee.
Members.
The Precinct Committee shall be composed
of one member for each
school district in township precincts,
and one for each street, block or
other subdivision in city and village
precincts, to be appointed by the
County Central Committeeman of each
precinct.
Officers.
The County Central Committeeman of each
precinct shall be Chair-
man of the Precinct Committee.
Duties.
Each Precinct Committeeman, under the
direction of his County
Central Committeeman, shall have control
of the canvass in his Sub-
District. It shall be his duty to
appoint a Sub-District Rallying Com-
mittee, consisting of one member for
every six Republicans and doubt-
ful voters in his Sub-District, and give
to each member of such Rallying
Committee the names of the voters he is
expected to look after, as
follows:
For City Precinct:
"Mr. John Doe, Rallying
Committeeman, Sub-District No. ........,
Precinct ............,...........Ward,
City of..............."
The following named voters are assigned
to your especial charge
to see that each understands how to
properly mark and fold his ballot,
and to make sure that each goes to the
polls on election day and votes
the straight Republican ticket:
John Baker, No. 100 West Gay St.
2 This
scheme leaves the precinct organization as the only link between the county
and the door-to-door workers, although
in the cities there was always an interven-
ing level organized by wards. In such
cases the "ward heeler" was given the main
supervisory responsibilities, and
precinct committee heads were correspondingly
less important in the hierarchy.
A
PLAN OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION
373
Christopher
Dodge, No. 48
East Broad St.
Frank
Gilmore, No.
10 West Broad St.
Henry
Jenkins, No.
15 No. High St.
Jacob
Kilgore, No.
10 No. Front St.
Lewis
Metzger, No.
40 No. Front St.
For
Township Precinct:
"Mr.
Richard Roe, Rallying Committeeman, School District No ...."
The
following named voters, etc. (Same as for city,)
Abner
Benson, P.
O. address.
Chas.
Daily, " "
Elmer
Ferris, " "
George
Holmes, " "
Ira
Jackson, " "
Karl
Lampson, " "
It
shall also be the duty of the Precinct Committeeman to report the
names
and addresses of the members of such Sub-District Rallying
Committee
to his County Central Committeeman; to see that his Rally-
ing
Committeemen are instructed as to their duties; to make a poll of
the
voters in his Sub-District, and ascertain the sentiment of each in
reference
to the candidates; to make two copies of his poll in the books
provided
for that purpose, retaining one for revision and correction,
and
sending the other to his County Central Committeeman, with sug-
gestions
as to the best means of securing the support of doubtful voters;
to
report to his County Central Committeeman all absent voters, with
their
present addresses, if known, and also all unnaturalized persons,
with
Republican tendencies, who are entitled to citizenship.
2nd.--A
Sub-District Rallying Committee.
Members.
The
Sub-District Rallying Committee shall be composed of one mem-
ber
for every six Republican and doubtful voters in each Sub-District.
Officers.
The
Precinct Committeeman of each Sub-District shall be Chairman
of
the Sub-District Rallying Committee.
Duties.
It
shall be the duty of each Sub-District Rallying Committeeman to
consult
personally every voter assigned to him and see that each under-
374
THE OHIO HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
stands how to properly mark and fold his
ballot; to ascertain and report
if any conveyance will be necessary to
get the voters in his charge to
the polls; to make inquiry and report to
his Precinct Committeeman
what conveyances in his vicinity will be
available for use in getting out
the Republican vote on election day; to
transmit all the information he
can that will aid his Precinct
Committeeman in making the canvass of
his Sub-District; to use his influence
with doubtful voters, and do all
he can to secure a full Republican vote.
IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS.
Immediately upon its organization the
County Executive Committee
should appoint the following standing
Committees, viz:
A COMMITTEE ON ORGANIZATION, whose duty shall
be to
see that every precinct in the county is
thoroughly organized and polled,
and to report any weak places to the
County Chairman, with suggestions
as to the best means of strengthening
the same.
A COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, whose duty shall
be to devise
means of raising a Campaign Fund,
disburse the same and audit the
books of the Committee.
A COMMITTEE ON SPEAKERS, whose duty
shall be to super-
vise the Speaking Canvass, ascertain
what speakers will be acceptable
to each community, and arrange the dates
and places of holding
meetings.
A COMMITTEE ON DOUBTFUL VOTERS, whose
duty it shall
be to receive the Canvass Books from the
County Central Committee-
men, ascertain who are the doubtful
voters in each precinct, and the
best means of securing their support.
A COMMITTEE ON REGISTRATION, (where
registration is
required), whose duty shall be to see
that all Republicans are properly
registered.
A COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION, whose
duty shall be
to see that all foreign-born persons
with Republican tendencies, who
are entitled to become citizens, are
properly naturalized.
A COMMITTEE ON MESSENGERS, whose duty
shall be to pro-
vide bicyclists as messengers and
general campaign workers; enlist the
services of wheelmen to distribute
campaign literature, organize cross-
roads meetings, do quiet electioneering
in the country districts, act as
scouts on registration days and on
election day, and perform such other
work as they can accomplish more easily
and quickly than others.
A COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, whose
duty shall
A PLAN OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION 375
be to provide carriages to convey to the
polls on election day such Re-
publicans as require conveyances.
The Chairman of the County Executive
Committee should write a
better to all Committteemen as their
names are reported, defining the
duties of the Committee to which each
belongs, as herein set forth, and
?? County Central and Precinct
Committeemen he should state the
importance of early organization and the
appointment of good, active
Republicans to the work of the canvass
in their respective precincts and
sub-districts.
As soon as the County Central and
Executive Committees have or-
ganized and the report of the full name,
occupation and P. O. address
of each member has been received, the
State Executive Committee will
then furnish the Precinct Committee
Blanks and Canvass and Poll
Books.
As soon as these supplies are received
from the State Executive Com-
mittee, the Chairman of the County
Executive Committee will send to
each County Central Committeeman one of
the blanks for the report of
his Precinct Committee, two large
Canvass Books and enough of the
small Poll Books to supply two copies to
each of his Precinct
Committeemen.
With these supplies a letter should be
sent by the Chairman of the
County Executive Committee, urging an
early, thorough canvass of each
precinct, the result to be carefully
recorded in the Canvass Books,
according to the instructions printed
thereon.
All letters to Committeemen should be
marked "Personal and con-
idential."
As soon as the Committees are reported,
the Chairman of the County
Executive Committee should write a
confidential letter to each and every
Committeeman, calling attention to the
necessity for immediate canvass-
ing among the voters in the precincts
and ascertaining their political
Feelings. In this letter to Committeemen
always be sure to include two
points that are essential: First,--
Invite each Committeeman to write
you frequently about the condition of
affairs in his precinct and sub-
district. This causes him to take a
personal interest in the matter, and
he feels complimented by being
recognized as an influential man. Sec-
ond,--Always specify the number of votes
you want his precinct to
poll, for instance:
"Your precinct polled 200 votes for
(Here insert name of head of
ticket at last election), but we are
satisfied, with your influence and
active support, you can poll 240. We
must have 225 votes in your pre-
376
THE OHIO HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
cinct. Do not leave a stone unturned.
See every Republican in your
precinct, and get him to pledge you his
word that he will come out and
vote the Republican ticket. Stir up your
neighbors and get them to help
you, and will you kindly write us
frequently, and let us know how things
are going in your precinct."
Communications of a confidential nature
sent to the various Commit-
teemen by local candidates have an
excellent effect. A communication
addressed to every voter by the
candidates will also bring good results.
In sending out circular letters do not
have them printed in old style
type. If they must be printed, have such
work done in imitation of type-
writing on good paper. The effect is
much better.
The signature of the County Chairman or
candidate can be printed
in fac-simile. By this means you can
conduct a large correspondence
with little labor or expense.
About ten days prior to election have a
personal letter from a lead-
ing candidate sent to each and every man
who ever voted the Republican
ticket, and also to all indifferent and
doubtful voters, stating to each
that he is known as an influential man,
and asking his most active sup-
port. If you hear of any Republicans who
are going to scratch the Re-
publican ticket, get letters to them
from leading Republicans.
Be careful in sending out documents and
literary matter. It is not
wise to send out cartoons or literary
matter if it contains any sugges-
tion of race, creed or nationality to an
offensive degree. Pictures should
always portray the elevation of American
workingmen through Protec-
tion, their degradation through Free
Trade, etc.3
Horses and wagons should be provided
without stint. This is very
important if the weather is bad. Write
to each County Central Com-
mitteeman to send you a list of ten or
twelve good Republicans in his
precinct who own horses and wagons. When
election day is near write
a good, strong, "confidential"
letter to each something like this:
"We can surely win if we have a few
horses and wagons in your pre-
cinct to help us get out the vote. As a
good Republican, we want you
to help us in this fight by allowing the
use of at least one of your teams
on election day. Don't say no. We know
you will not, but that you will
3 Although the best remembered issue of
the 1896 campaign was that of the
gold standard versus unrestricted silver
coinage, McKinley's pre-nomination record
was made largely as an advocate of high
protective tariffs. Religion was a minor
issue from time to time throughout McKinley's political
career, for though a
Methodist himself, he was considered in
some quarters to have been insufficiently
anti-Catholic. See Leech, McKinley, 11,
38-40, 76, 77, 106, 107.
A PLAN OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION 377
cheerfully contribute this much to the
triumph of the principles of the
Republican party."
If you can arouse a feeling among owners
of teams to such an extent
that they will volunteer them for use on
election day, the probability is
that they will also volunteer their
personal services, and this once
obtained, you have another effective
organization.
Frequent meetings of the County
Executive Committee during the
campaign will aid materially in
maintaining the interest of the members,
and for this reason such meetings should
be held as often as practicable.
The County Central Committee should meet
at the Headquarters of
the County Executive Committee at least
once a month during the cam-
paign for a full report and discussion
of the outlook in the county, and
the progress of the canvass in the
various precincts.
Frequently send committees consisting of
candidates, members of
[the] County Executive Committee and
other prominent Republicans to
the townships to confer and advise with
the local Committees as to the
progress and condition of the work. City
Committeemen should be in-
vited to frequent conferences with the
County Executive Committee at
headquarters.
When holding public meetings never let
anything occur to affect the
regularity of the proceedings. Start on
time, have your speakers ready,
and keep your best speakers for the
close, except in cases of emergency.
No speaker should be assigned without
the consent of the Chairman of
the County Executive Committee.
A good method of conducting a local
speaking campaign is the
following:
Send about four speakers, accompanied by
a vocal quartette, into the
townships as often as necessary. Have
the speakers make fifteen-minute
speeches, each upon a different
political subject, interspersed with cam-
paign songs. This method is found to be
more agreeable than long
speeches by a single speaker. Send
circular letters to good Republicans
in the neighborhood of proposed
meetings, urging them to attend, and
to take their friends and neighbors of
all parties. This has a good
effect.
Early organization of all Committees is
urged as important to complete
success. All Committeemen shall serve
until their successors are
elected, thus keeping the organization
active and intact.
The organization of Campaign and
permanent Clubs, where practical,
is strongly recommended as an efficient
aid in arousing enthusiasm
378
THE OHIO HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
among the voters, distributing
documents and instructing voters in
marking and folding the ballot.
There is no more effective campaign
document than the reliable party
newspaper. The County paper deserves
the support of the Party, should
go into the home of every voter, and
during the campaign at least, the
County Executive Committee should see
that every Republican and
doubtful voter who is not a subscriber
for, is supplied with a Republican
paper. The investment will bring good
results, and at the same time aid
in the support of the Party organ.