The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-01-07
The Caucus System Necessity o
Preserving the Democratic Or
ganizatiOn.

Preserving the OGmOcfdLlC IT.
ganizatlOn.
/ Port Gibson Reveille
Our exchanges, or some of them, are be
quilting themselves with the idea that the
! Democrats in the Legislature must ignore
/ the caucus, and that there is no danger in
/ 50 doing. The safest thing is safety The
/ twenty-seven mongrel votes will do mischief
enough, if not check-mated by the caucus,
TO break up the Democratic organization.
The caucus is in the interest of no single
man-but simply consul tation for the
good Of the party and there never was a
time when the closest and most careful eau
Gus deliberation was so essential, As now
Twenty avowed enemies should not
be permitted to determine for the Demo
cratic party who shall be the Democratic
Senator, and without a caucus, that result
will occur, and the greatest generalization
will follow, for these twenty-seven ''un-
timely births" will employ their strength in
determining, in like manner, who shall be
Superintendent of the Pententiary, and so
on with all other Offices to be filled by the
Legislature. The idea that a caucus is to
be held in the interest Of one man, is non
| sense, and is only suggested to inaugurate
mischief and to injure one man.
The design of the twenty-seven mongrels
is to antagonize the friends of different Sen
atorial aspirants and produce discord, and
then to utilize their little squad by offering
it to the faction that will compromise on
the basis Of something for something-an
Office for an Office.
Hold your grip on the party system, no
matter who gains or loses. Thirty odd
years ago a Democratic Legislature got
fooled out of Roger Barton, the strongest
man in the party for United States Senator
by getting Jesse Speight, whom they didn't
want.
Another dangerous feature in underta-
king to elect a Senator, or Public Printer,
or Superintendent of the Asylums, or Pen
itentiary, without the caucus, is the intro
ducton of geographical jealousy, a thing
which the twenty-seven recusant marplots
would encourage, and, if we'll managed, split
the party
In the party caucus party interest is first
consulted, and it is not unlikely to occur
that in comparing claims, and adjusting
sectional preferences, the last may be first
and the first may be last and hence the
man without ''boom" may be the success
full man in the caucus. At all events a
caucus is family gathering, and a house
hold deliberation, for the good of the house
hold, and never fails of good results.
A caucus meanr organization, and is a
check against demoraiization-it is the
only safe plan; without a caucus means an
unorganized scramble, and then the little
squad of twenty-seven marplots will hold
the balance of power, and they will use it
dexterously, and mischievously, not only to
the detriment of our party now, but so
damage us that we shall have an irreconci-
liable split for 1880.
IF the Democrats in the Legislature pro
pose to be true 20 the party, they have ques-
tions of serious import to discuss, which
should only be talked over in caucus, and
in spirit of honest friendship, and one of
these questions Is, shall both Senators be
from the same geographical locality? Sup
pose this question is not of caucus delibera-
ton, and is thrust pell-mell into the Legis-
lature-can any one fail to see the power
for mischief which the twenty-seven mar
plots would have in manipulating sectional
or local jealousy, and tanning such a flame
into an inextinguishable fire? In a caucus,
this question or any other, however delicate
could he determined without risking pres
ent or future harmony. Whatever a caucus
may do, causes no party shock-what may
be done without such deliberation, partici-
pated in by disguised enemies, may rend
the party assunder, AND WILL DO IT.
Don't throw away any chance to win, but
hold a tight grip on party system. Keep
solid and compact, make no entangling al
liances with Independents, or Dolly Ward
ems, or Greenbackers, or Radicals, and with
united, harmonious party, we win now
and always. But you may depend on it, if
you abandon the caucus plan, at this juno
ture you lay the foundation of strong OPP
position party for 1SS0-made up of disin-
tegrated elements and open enemies.
Forty odd years of experience in party
management and discipline, has taught us
to keep in ne-solid-intact and compact,
and the best to do that is by private consul
tation and profound retioenoe-the caucus.
We must not adopt the precedent of Civ
ing up the caucus system. IF we abandon
it now We shall find it very hard to regain
it, in future, and without the caucus no par
ty can have a well understood policy, nor a
compact organization. Beware before YOU
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