The Price of Victory

In his successful bid to upset Pennsylvania's Democratic machine in the May 17 primary, Gubernatorial Candidate Milton Shapp, 54, spent more money than any other candidate in the state's history. A self-made electronics millionaire, Shapp had lavishly ladled out $1.4 million by election day -- all but $5,111 from his own pocket. Last week Shapp went before a Harrisburg court to explain in public audit just where some of the money went.

Shapp made extraordinary efforts to win the support of Philadelphia's huge Negro community. The Shapp campaign treasury paid $250 to a Baptist ministers conference, something like $1,000 apiece to two Baptist ministers who agreed to work for the candidate. Three Negro athletes also received several hundred dollars apiece for posing for promotional pictures: Timmy Brown, a halfback for the Philadelphia Eagles; Wilt ("The Stilt") Chamberlain, a center for the 76ers basketball team; and Ira Davis, an Olympic track star. In his own defense, Shapp testified that the players had volunteered, and that he was surprised when he was asked to pay them.

Lieutenant Governor Raymond Shafer, the Republican candidate, spent only $239,000, chiefly because, as the choice of Governor William Scranton, he never had opposition serious enough to warrant the expenditure of really large funds. Though Shapp set a primary spending record that will probably stand for some time, big campaign expenditures are not uncommon in Pennsylvania--or, for that matter, in other parts of the U.S. Increasingly, they pose a disquieting problem for the candidate who lacks a massive bankroll.

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