Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-02-15
From the Free Press.
THE Caucus sysTEw--TnE PEOPLES
TYRANT.

/ e<iN~eNASf tOHGf~& SJSA VI 0Sttut ~
may be. fall insot the hands OF she anprincipled
demagogues Of party, and it's attributes arc
speedily transformed-is becomes curse in
stead Of blessing. From the yers nature
Of the Caucus system, ii is more liable to be-
GENE perverted and abused than any other
known to our Democrats Institutions. That
it has already reached q dangerous position
and compassed dangerous power. as potent
and alarming as an Athenian ostracism is ap-
parent to every candid and intelligent mind.
The honest cad truly patriotic Of all parties
are becoming convinced that tits too frequent
ly prostitused to base and dishonest purposes
heGce, the difficulty to get the masses out at
the State, county and precinct caueuses.
These gatherings are left to the control 81
the few and are repugnant to every sentiment
ofa truly free, enlightened Democratic people.
King Caucus with its tyranny should be tram
pied beneath the heel Of Progress, and the
people should be more watchful of their own
interests, and refuse to wear the yoke Of
bondage as mere servants to the demagogues
and the moneid interest Of Party Press -
The wonder is that they have so long borne
with the evil. The Caucus system is direct
ly sntsgonistic to the first principles of q
Democratic Government.
~ Democracy is form Of Government
In arhich the superior powsr is lodgediashc
hands of the people collectively"
Now, how are the people. collectively con-
sidered, to meet in public caucus, and there
select the persons other choice. 70 make and
execute rule, of conduct which istermed la,r
This would be Democratic. provided such
servants we're there to be elected but such
is not the case. The very object Of the eau
Gus system is to seleot fer individuals who
shall represent the masses thus creating an
intermediate channel through which the voice
Of the many reach the second representative,
who, in many instances, as 10 the election Of
Senatorial and Executive officers, again re-
ceirc secondary Judgment Of the peoples
wishes, thus creating, 10 fact an oligarchy for
the American people. Theorize it. write it
outin Beautiful sentences and eloquent tropes,
and make 1t appear harmonious aud self reg
Mating; yet when the Caucus system is re-
duced to practice, : hundred points Of friction,
at every start of locomotion. stamp forever
the wretched mechanism as worse than use
less. This is practical aud not theoreti
cal age. The American is proverbially uil.
itarian-not only in the arts and sciences,
but in the model Of bis government, conceived
aud moulded from the age of experience, By
hands that were cunning in Workmanship, and
by haads that appreciated the wants of blu.
manity aud tie true ethics Of governmental
principles as applied to man.
We bad no Caucus System left Us by the
men who framed our Magma Charta, the
Constitution. Our earlier Presidents were
not elected through this corrup,ing channel.
A Washington aud Jefferson sprsng again
and again from the warm hearts of the peo-
pie. and required no hot.bed Of polite ii
nursing to retain their places in the public
mind nor no mel. work Of ,oire pullers tc
preserve untarnished those great national out
! lines Of Executive action, which has reared
for the one monument to the very heavens
and for the other watch FIRE Of freedom on
every bill top Of earth. No! This wretch.
ed system is the contemporary of Martin Van
Buren, and is the legitimate off spring Of hi,
corrupting alnbitiou--a modern pandora O
mischief it is truly worthy of its origin. II
him. has it been productive Of his "seper
principles" "the fpe loaues and tlpo fishes,
and who has more truly verified the scriptu.
raj adagc. ard been "all things to all men
more than this most singular. yet successful
politician To all such men, who seek fo,
place rather than principle. the caucus sys.
TEN most successfully commends Itself fol
in it are all the true elements which ar,
swelled by faction, las:, appetite aud corrup.
ton; without reference to patriotism. virtue
honor or posterity.
We will descend little from generalitie.
aud examine the workings of the Caucus sys.
tenn as daily prsctised in our midst, aad learn
five can, how much the people have reall,
to do with our own legislation.
The time for an election approaches and /
central committee. ie you please, gives notice
that convention ofsuch party, viii convene
at given time and place, for the nomination
of State or county officers, and recommend:
that caucuses be held in the different precincts
to choose delegates to the proposed conven-
ton The time approaches. and some pres
eat or promised official starts on the very
delicate duty of visiting the various towns
and parts Of the country. to let The dear peo-
pile knop, that is. those with whom he or his