Studies in American History 
375 
Detailed analysis of the returns shows that rarely was any 
money spent except in case of a contest. As there were few 
contests in the Democratic primaries, little money was spent 
by Democratic candidates. The table above shows that the 
Republican candidates for the state senate expended more than 
any of the other classes of candidates. The returns show, 
however, that the major portion of the expenditures of such 
candidates occurred in Cumberland, Kennebec, and Penobscot 
counties where the positions were more vigorously contested. 
Among the county candidates the major portion of the aggre- 
gate amount spent was expended by the candidates for the 
offices of sheriff and county commissioners. 
It is interesting to note that among the several classes of 
expenditures, the return of which was required by law, news- 
paper advertising and printing comprised over five-sevenths 
of the aggregate. 
It is probably true that the candidates running for a state- 
wide office (governor, auditor, and United States senators) 
spent more money on the personal traveling expenses, express, 
postage, and stationery than on the items which under the 
law were listed on the returns to the secretary of state. The 
exempted items form a much smaller proportion of the total 
in the case of candidates for county offices and the legislature. 
The advantage to a candidate of meeting the voter per- 
sonally in the primary campaign is obvious, and the wealthy 
candidate has an opportunity to spend a large amount for 
personal traveling expenses. It is doubtful, however, 
whether candidates for governor under the direct primary 
have spent any more for traveling over the state than was 
spent by Governors Burleigh and Fernald in their thoro-going 
canvass of the state under the convention system.^® A con- 
test between factions for the control of the state organization 
under the convention system, occasionally, led to the expendi- 
ture of large sums for securing pledged delegates. It is 
probably true that more money is spent by the average candi- 
date and less by the party organization under the direct pri- 
mary than under the convention system. 
The added cost to the candidate under the direct primary 
has undoubtedly deterred, in a few instances, excellent men 
of limited means from announcing their chfididacies for such 
™ See Sam E. Connor’s account of Governor Fernald’s tKoro-going canvass of the 
state, in the Letviston Evening Journal, June 13, 1908. 
