Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-03-01
I'll, Caucus and its Legitimate Sphere

sphere Of the political caucus; and
in what relation does one who
takes part in il stand as an indie
pendent citizen, responsible for full
filling the duty Of suffrage in that
manner which will best subscrvc
the moral interest of the body po-
litic? l say moral, because patri-
otism which has 10 higher aim than
the pcrpctuity of party power, is
unworthy the name Of patriotism.
much less that Of moral intcg-
rity. ea .g
That honest difference Of opinion
may exist in minds Of the purest
moral and political instincts, few
will care to deny; and still less, but
what the best interests of society
are the safest, where the political
parties are SO nearly balanced in
popular numbers, as to render it
necessary for the majority to excr--
else the greatest care to adapt their
measures to the popular wants and
to avoid all unnecessary expcndi-
lures. Politics in our country has
become too much an automatic
game, in which the oflice-seckers
work the wires and the honest
hearted, stag at-home citizens arc
the ones worked upon.
The caucus, when confined to its
legitimate sphere, is well calculated
to bring forward for places Of hon
or and trust the best men, and on
the other hand, when dcbased from
that sphere oflcgitimacy, it becomes
subservicnt to the bascst political
degradation. The only safe corner
stone of any republic is the virtue
of its citizens, and as the rulers
chosen directly from and response
bic to them reflect their virtue Or
immortality, it becomes of the ut
most Importance that they should
be men of i'reproachable chor-
actcr. F.-t#
Now does the caucus, as at pres
cnt instituted; or rather does the
rule that it is endcavoring to en-
force as to its binding character on
thosawho take part in it, serve to
secure high-minded, modest and cir
hAous citizens as candidates, and
consequently the recipients Of office =;
or does it act rs u medium for. the
one who will descend to the lowest
of scalfonly acts, and pander the
most to the baser passions Of hui
man nature to secure nomination,
relying upon the crack Of the party
whip to keep the electors in the
traces. | have spoken of the lcgiti
mate use of the caucus. What is
it? 1t is for the citizens of any or
ganization, township, city, or lar
ger territory, to meet and in any
prescribed way that gives an equal
voice to those who participate in it,
to express their wish who shall be
their official representatives in ma
king and enforcing the laws neces-
sary for protecting their interests.
1t is useful, because it economies
time by concentrating public opin-
ion, and If left there it would be
shorn of most the abuses land they
are many that now attend it. And
that brings me to speak OF its
abuses. And what are they? &
Had the spirits OF darkness and
the spirits Of corrupt politicians
combined to invent system topro
mote the designs Of the latter, they
could not have concoctcd one more
favorable than is the caucus, with
the inscription in flaming letters
over the door: "You surrender the
sacred privilege of freedom of tho
ballot when you enter here" You
place yourself in the power of the
demagogue who will descend to tho
lowest intrigue and deception on
the strect-to the lowest sinks OF
pollution in the cellar. 1t is not
for me to say that these views have
any special application to this city
or that. What l would say is, that
every citizen who enters the caucus
room should feel, and is, just as
much at liberty to vote rs his CON
science dictates the interests of
morality and good government de-
mand; as though he had not been
there. More: | say that every good
citizen is bound by every motive OF
a pure patriotism and morality, to
thus vote.
No better complication Of the
dissertation Of the legitimate sphere
Of the caucus can be given than the
municipal government of the city Of
New York.
Under the corrupting influence of
the principle that. it's action was
binding on all those who partici-
pated in it, the Twccds and the
'Connellys, by their money and by
pandering to the lowest drcgs of
society in that corrupt city, have
held the ascendency until by their
frauds and their stcalings they had
become stencil so demorali=iny
that the PURE of their own party
could endure it no longer, and have
swept them from their places as
with the Bosom Of destruction.
When the political caucus is
looked upon as only iuitiotory, and
that those who engage in it are free
to follow out their conscientious
convictions, then, and not till then,
will rings and other dcbasing intlu-
cnces to secure Il nomination to Of
flee be ut a discount; for then, and
not till then will parties place IN
nomination men who by their vir.
tues and by their ability will com
mand the respect OF the intelli
gent.
There is not SO potent II word to
excite the feeling of II crowd rs that
Of "5ing." l have lived through
many crises in township and city
elections, and have heard "the
ring" rung in all its changes, but
my observation has uniformly been,
that those who cry it first, last and
the loudest, arc those who wish to
form one on which they can be
rolled to an elevation, the fitness
for which their fellow citizens have
failed to appreciate. Mr.. Greeley,
l. -, HI.:I...,