Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-11-08
THE CAUCUS SYSTEM.
rnm the sL.lmauLec sennnoi.

! " y NAAl 1fOA a. GO " III lilOoG W nv re
gard the caucus as the fountain heaC
OF corruption, and think by the sub
stitutiou Il something else TO ellmin
ate the ian from our political system
! The root of the evil strikes through
the caucus, down into the heart Of
the people Not that the people are
positively corrupt, but that they
look upon corruption with too much
| Indifference
4 caucus - its proper sense i,
simply It laeetng Of tho members Of
q poIiucal party to consult about
mcu and measures. Such meeting
IS not only innocent in itself, but, in
aomo form or other, absolutely indis-
I pou-able to,party life. Without con
sa.tation there can be no agreement,
10 conccr. Of action, nothing but
tccbieuesa and uncertainty, or dis
cord and dissolution. The end OF
consultation is the end Of existence.
Since We must have the caucus,
the only question is, what kind OF
cuucus i best? How can conflicting
views best he ascertaincd and har-
monIzcd
So far ~ we are aware, but two
methods have been employed. One
is 20 assemble pursuant - call, eX-
change opinions, and vote III the
manner determined upon by the
meeting This is The ordinary eau
Gus The other is 4 Keep open polls,
as az elections, for d lay or more,
and let the members of the party
vote their preferences This is
known AS the Crawford county sys-
TEN.
Each OF these methods has its adj
vantage and its disadvantages. The
principal advantage Of The Crawford
county system is that il affords an
opportunity for more general cx-
preston, end SO may render the use
Of corrupt appliances more difficult.
Many who cannot conveniently at
tend - STAGED meeting can, especial
~ IS lheE may choose their own
time, spare the few minutes required
to 90 to the polling place and vote.
This is at most the only advantage,
and il is, in our opinion, more than
counterbalanced by a number Of Sc
rious disadvantages. In the first
place, the system must be practically
limited TO nominations. Public con-
sultation about measures, often
times highly important rs safe
guard against corruption, is out OF
the question In the next place.
plurality must nominate. There
can be no Limitation Of the
number Of candidates without pre-
vious caupusing and il there has
been previous caucusing the quasi
election is simply trial Of strength
between caucuscs. The only escape
is 10 hold two elections, the second
TO be confined to the two who stood
highest for any given Office at the
first election. The people would
hardly tolerate so announcement and
clumsy a system. Under the plural
ty rule, It is easy TO see how pOliti-
cal caucasing and corruption could
hold high carnival. 1t would only
be necessary fol an adrot scoundrel
10 divide the honest vote among half
dozen or more candidates, and con-
ccntratc his own, in ORDER to carry
the day. To tour-hfths Of his party
he might be far the most unaccepta-
bic candidate, and yet he would be
their candidate, and party discipline
would force them to support him at
Che cleo lion. Whether in conse-
quenco OF these inherent defects or
for some other reason we will not
pretend to say, but certainly the ex-
pertinent Of the Crawford county
system. made by the Democracy Of
Milwaukee a few days ago, has re-
suited in ignominious failure,
On tho other hand, the common
caucus is more like deliberative
body. 1t affords opportunity for q
full interchange Of opinions--lor the
discussion of men and measures
Nearly every man who can 90 to the
polls cap 20 10 the caucus if he is so
disposed. The voting in caucus usu-
ally is and always may be, so con-
Quoted as to obtain q fair expression
from those present. 1t is impossible
there for q small minority TO nomin-
ate man who is unacceptable 70 the
majority.
For the reasons thus briefly stated,
we prefer Che caucus TO the Craw-
ford county system. There is no
defect in the caucus itself. It's not
only innocent, but may be made in
strumental beyond any other means
with which we are acquainted, as
we'll in preventing corruption as in
promoting party success
That abuses have crept in Is to be
admitted and depored. But the
system is not to blame. The fault is
all with the people, who stay away
| from the caucuses and stigmatize
those who attend and the persons
they put in nomination rs scoundrels
or party hacks. Those who want
pure ard able men put mp for office
| must attend TO the business them
selves. They must give up the no
ton that it is disreputable to attend
a primary meeting They must be-
come convinced themselves and seek
TO convince others that it is the pat
riotic duty of every honest and in
telIigent voter to attend all primary
meetings, and personally see to i
that the right men are nominated
When the people perform their duty
in thisl matter we shall hear TO more
about caucus corruption, except II
those few localities where the major
ity ot the people are themselves cor
rupt.
asa There is some reason in the as
sertiun that our system of dlrectin.
: letters Is wrong, and that we ough
e to reverse the order. putting the stat,