Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-04-22
GFrom the Washington Capital.]
The Curse of Party Absoluteism
A sKETCH OF THE IMPEACHMENT.

l. e.. ?, - -
There is finc mechanical genius in this
land which is disposed to 60 to the me
chanism, of all movements, however stu
pendious. The ingenius De Tocqueville
who made by far the best book ever writ
ten upon America, traced out the politica
PHILOSOPHERS underlying our system, ani
observed from every scholarly stand poiu
the genius of our institution. 1t comes
more easy for the American to look at the
material management of things. Thus
when Humboldt discovered that the gull
stream was tropical current passing up
the west coast of the Atlantic, aud giving
warmth to the northern parts of Europe,
hundred ingenius Yankees set to work
to change the course of that stream, and
so freeze up the British Islands. In like
manner the machinery of the two great
parties which like rival winds, turn the
arms of our Government, has been nicely
taken apart, analyzed, initiated by our polit-
ical inventors. The nominal principle of
our Government is, that the majority must
rule. In the two parties this principle
has been refined to mean that the largest
half of a majority must rule. Take for
example the dominant majority at Wash.
ington. 1t represents the majority-half of
the State legislatures. But majority of
this half majority is able to control the
other three-fourths by contrivance called
caucus. The Republican caucus is a
sort of Council of Ten under the Council
of Thirty-an irresponsible and unrecog-
nizcd master by the Senate. 1t meets, by
private and written notifications, in the
marble-room, or in the reception, in the
rear of the President of the Senate, and
determines upon the policy which the
party shall pursue upon any measure.
Whoever goes into caucus must abide by
its verdict or be dshonored, like the man
who CANDLES and then must pay up,
though it be plucking bread from the
mouths of his wife and children. He must
obey the party behest conscience or no con-
sience. q And hence, oh. poor patriot who
dwellest afar, and once in lifetime comes
to Washington city aud listens to the whole
Of debate, supposing, in all thy simplicity
that the senators listen to the argument
and vote as they are affected. Go to
The debate is nothing; the caucus has
often fixed it all beforehand. This it is to
havo exclusive party government.
Through our State legislatures and in
the House of Representatives the caucus
system is maintained, generally on party
occasions, but liable to abuse. The South
ern Republicans or carpet baggers have
gone into separate caucus as sectional
wing of party, thing which the South.
ern secession Democrats never did before
the war, and in this way they defeated
Judge Hoar for Attorney General last fall.
Caucus of this kind is nothing but con-
spiracy to manipulate the Legislature and
the state.
Suppose member or senator bolts
caucus; what are the consequences ? He
forfeits his right to meet in the private
sessions of his party again, and one might
as we'll be in limbo nowadays as in no
party. A senator from Missouri few
weeks ago urged amnesty aud Republican
government in that State; the immediate
faction which controlled the executive
determined against him; he persisted, and
the Offices filled by his friends were all va
Gated; he returned to the capitol; the
magistrate who was willing to receive
| courteously folks of the Democratic party
would not admit his fellow.soldier and CO.
partisan; his colleagues in Congress who
had acted with him were also cut from the
list of the faithful and their brothers in
law disturbed 10 their snug post-offices.
Thus it happens that party detection to the
majority makes one more homeless than to
be in the minority.
The party-power is terrible mystery
in this Democratic country, and none feel
it but those in public life. 1t has nation
al committee with presiding secretary sit
ting in the capitol cdifce. Thence assess
ments are ordered for election purposes
apon all the Office. holders at will, ten per
cent. being no unusual levy. The New
York custom house alone yields for party
purposes in this way annual money to
control elections in far-off States. A late
member of the cabinet rebuked this system,
and he was remitted to private life.
I witnessed the whole of one grand
movement Of great party upon reirac.
tory chieftain in the impeachment and trial
of President johnson, and it was more
terrible scene than tho trial of Judas
Iscariot might be before the College of
Cardinals. A master furnishing his slave
could have proceeded with no more delib-
crate and conscientious zeal. Not one
person of the opposite party countenanced
this movement. 1t was purely within the
political organization which had nomina-
ted the offender, and while the opposite
party opposed it on party grounds, even
they appeared to think it defensable
measure.
t, had generally been a Republican,
thaagh protesting one in cases where
citizens rights were unnecessarily invaded /;
and as it had appeared to me that Presi-
dent; johnson was barrier against the
settlement of the Southern question, | be-
lieved that, on the whole, he ought to be