The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-12-20
THE CAUCUS.
To the Editor OF the Comet :

= DeIOre eIiectIuS peILnalleilI Organic
q ton: whether OR not its officers sha
+ be elected in caucus; and after organ
v ization, the question becomes mol
important, in the election of Unite
o States Senator, and State Printe
This matter should command tn
earnest attention of every member
each one should thoroughly convinC
himself as to his duty in the premises
, for, perhaps, no law will be enacted
no business come before that angus
, body, so pregnant with results fo
good or evil, or will affect the publ
interests of Mississippi so MATERIAL.
as the action of the Legislature in thi
matter. ..-.....
Did the question merely involve til
selection of officers of the Legislativ
Assembly, no great results could fol
low, nor would it particularly concerl
the public at large; but when it il
proposed to elect Public Printer, ant
especially II United States Senator, il
caucus, the subject assumes proper
tons which attracts the attention o
every thinking mind, and the people
and press of the State should freely
discuss it.
The term Democracy signifies {
government by the people, and an act
proposed or done looking to the pre-
vention of free expression by the
people is not Democratic: caucus is
emphatically not Democratic institu-
ton, and deliberative bodies squared
by the Democratic rule should resort
to so dangerous departure only in
extreme cases-in cases where not to
do so, would result disastrously to the
public veal. On this occasion there
can be no such necessity. The Legis-
lature is composed of but one party
the Conservative Democratic party ;
the opposition is not sufficiently strong
to be dignified even with a name. A
list of the members before us, shows
Democratic, 1919; Greenbackers, Is {;
Republicans, 6; and vacancies-a
clear Democratic majority of over 100
members, which is n sufficient guar
anty that none other than Demo-
crat can by any possible means be
elected to a position. Then why the
necessity of caucus? Do 1919 Demo-
Gratis fear to enter Il contest with an
opposition of but q anti-Democrats
Can it be, by-any combination of cir
cumstances, possible for a Republican,
or Greenbacker, or Independent, to
defeat pronounced Democrat before
such body? the bare suggestion of
such u possibility is an absurdity.
Whoever is selected, and for whatever
position, it is very clear, must be in
full accord and sympathy with the
Democratic party. No anti-Democrat
need apply. .s...
1T is urged that party lines must be
drawn; that the clearest line of de-
markation should be established that
the party should be kept intact, and
as II means to this eIid, a caucus is
necessary. In other words, to pre-
serve strict organization coercion
and arbitrary rule must be put into
operation. Our knowledge of the
average white American citizen leads
us to seriously doubt such Il policy.
Harsh measures can never win back
the erring. 1t was the warm, genial
rays of the sun that caused the labor
err to lay aside his coat, after the
wind, clustering, severe and cold,
had spent itself in vain endeavor to
accomplish the same result. 1t is the
policy of the party to conciliate and
not drive. Many of the
gentlemen elected on the Independent
ticket are not hostile to the Demo-
cratic party; local causes chiefly in
1ueed their opposition to the regular
and in all else they are
good and true, and in a
contest would stand shoulder
to shoulder with the best Of Demo-
Gratis, and do noble service against the
common enemy. We cannot believe
that caucus is necessary simply for
the purpose Of excluding those gentle
men who defeated the nominees from
in the important selec-
ions to be made by the Legislature.
We do not believe it is the part of
wisdom to introduce 50 unnecessary
merely to punish Il few
,rring brethren. The principles of
he Democratic party are to compre-
lensive, too noble, too lofty, for its
members to descend to such petty
evenge. Besides, there looms up in
he near future an event of the most
characteristic election of
he Chief Executive of the Nation.
NE issues involved in that election
re of national character, and the
ifferent elements of the Democratic
'arty, whatever there local differences
nay be, can and must adhere in that
Ontest. II is, therefore, the part of
wisdom to conciliate, rather than
rive from the party our mistaken
rethren. But gentlemen say, we
lust keep the party intact. What is
arty? Party is a means to am end,
ut peace, harmony, good government
nd unity is the end itself, and to Sc
IRE it, to enlarge it, should be the {
lain object of all social arrangements {
nd political cOntrivances. We admit [
Il that has been said about the ncces- ,
ty of keeping the party intact. We !
elicye strongly in the tenents of the s
but we do not believe |
Ich engines of political ostracism as |
he caucus is the best means to pro- i
Iote harmony, and good will, and a
,lidify the divergent elements of the a
arty. ~ 8
Mr.. MANNING, of this State, has
bill to re-organize the Uni :