Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-05-22
The Constitution Against the
Empire.
RUSTY MACHINES.


AS soon as the choice of presidents
came to be the subject Of a contest
between parties, which was at the
termination of Washington's second
term of Office, the congressional
caucus was the method adopted for
designating the candidates of the
respective parties. The congress
men of the two parties respectively
met in caucus, and one caucus des-
ignated the federal candidate, the
other the republican candidate. For
awhile this worked well enough,
chiefly because there was very little
to do in the way of nomination.
Adams, for instance, for the fede-
rails, and jefferson for the republic
cans, were so obviously the repre-
sentative men of their respective
parties that caucus or the people
had nothing more to do than to
recognize the patent facts in the
case and go in and fight out the
claims of the two till the winner
was elected. ..-
Soon, however, there csFne to be
a multiplicity of candidates, and
there was need for some method Of
reducing the number to two, repre-
senting the opposite sides of the
great questions at issue, lest the
presidential election should become
a mere competition for personal
popularity without any principle al
stake. AS soon as the congressional
caucus went into real practical ope-
ration, it began to be seen that it
might be used for purposes widely
opposite to those for which it was
instituted. Congressman were sup
posed to know best the predictions
of their constituents, and through
their comparing notes it was sup
posed that the will of the people
could be successfully laseertained.
But this hope presupposed that the
wishes of their constituents were
the first object with congressman;
but human nature was very much
then what it is now; corruption was
not so barefaced, selfishness was not
so frankly avOwed, but every man
in the caucus was for his own inter-
est. and the caucus itself became a
vast intelligence Office, in which
every man sought what he wanted
and intrigued with his brother con-
gressmen on the principle, you help
me and I'll help you, and gradually
the people found out that hecaucus
was used as a machinery for shut
ting them out altogether and set
Ting matters between the politicians
for their own convenience.
The alleged intrigues between
Messrs. John Q. Adams and Henry
Clay for the succession of the latter
to the presidency completed the
dissatisfaction of the nation with
the system. Gen. Jackson declared
he would no longer be bound by it,
but would appeal direct to the peo-
pie; in short, King Caucus died a
natural death, because he had failed
to realize his mission. He was ere
ated to realize the will of the people,
he set himself Systematically to de-
feat it, and falling to do so, gave up
the ghost and was buried. Good
men did not shed many tears on his
grave.
International convention succeeded
the congressional caucus; that is,
the national convention, with all its
auxiliary apparatus of district mass
meetings and county and state con-
ventions; and i'm theory we have the
apparatus complete for bringing the
will of the whole people to bear
upon the nominations and the plat
forms of parties. In theory the dis
trict mass-meeting sends delegates
to the county convention, which
undertakes to carry out the will of
the people so represented, and sends
delegates to the state convention in
structed to do so, the state conven-
ton receiving its instructions and
that of other counties and sending
them with boom to the national
convention, thus presenting the inn
posing spectacle of continent rills of
public opinion uniting in streams
and rivers till they carry the force
of the public will into the great
ocean represented by the national
convention. And a very imposing
spectacle il is, when viewed from a
sufficient distance; but to one who
has been behind the scenes, how
little remains Of the sublime vision.
In the first place, the district mass
meeting does not take place at all,
but half a dozen fence-corner pOliti-
clans get together and appoint one
another, and generally "fiX things"
to subserve the aspirations of one to
he constable, another as magistrate,
etc, and go up to the county con-
Vention so "fixed' to see what will
come of it. Indeed, in great many
instances the district meeting does
not take place at all, but few poll
ticians 60 up from some districts
and none from others, those who go
not pretending to be delegates but
merely citizens at large, ready to
meet with their fellow-citizens at
the cOunty-seat, in whose hands the
county convention becomes mass
meeting. AT first sight it does not
appear that anyone is prepared with
any proposition, but soon glimpSes
are caught of a "slate," a chairman
Is elected, or rather nominated, by
come one with whom the choice has
been previously arranged; he APP
points a committee to report a list
Of delegates to Inc state convention,
chat committed having been previ-
ousIv slated; they have the slate be
fore them and copy its list OF dele
II.