The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-18
The Caucus.
How to Reform the Great American In
stitution.

the pen of Judge Tourgee, calling especial at
tention to an element of the present political
campaign in the State of New York, which
seems, although of the highest Importance, to
have attracted very little notice elsewhere:
There is enc section of the platform adopted
by the recent Republican Convention of the
State of New York SO singular in its character
as at least to challenge attention, if not to
awaken wonder. A party platform is a very
strictly guarded domain. Rarely indeed, does
an idea find entrance there which has not al
ready been canyassed until the great body of
intelligent thinkers have decided upon its mer-
its and taken sides for or against its adoption
or continuance as an element of public policy.
Platitudes are the stock-in-trade of the plat
form-maker, not because he is devoid of new
ideas, but because it is his purpose, in that ca
pacity, not to formulate new doctrines, but to
declare such as previous discussion shall have
shown to be entertained by the great bulk of
the party which is expected to support it. A
platform not only is, bat in the main should
always be, a statement of doctrines about
which men have long agreed to disagree. 1t is
a reorganization Of the differences which exist
between those great natural classes into which
self-governing community must always sbe
divided, New issues, of course, arise from
time to time-questions of policy based upon
recent events, or the action of representatives
of the respective parties, in regard to which
declarations of approval or disapproval must
be formulated. Ideas which have been afioat
upon the sea of political thought until the tenn
per Of the public mind may be safely guessed
at, are, of course, seized upon by the
experienced politician and woven into the warp
and wool OF his party's bid for popular favor.
1t is in seiZing these questions at the right
moment, in proper appreciation of their in
herent strength and value, and stalking the
failure or success of his party upon their sup
port, that the sagacity of the politician is most
strikingly apparent.
What is new is always bad in such an instru-
ment, unless it has rare merit of appealing to
a popular sentiment as yet undeveloped, but
which, when stirred to action, is certain to add
TO the strength of the party having the temeri-
ty to put it forth. 0nce in score of year, per-
haps, we have an instance in which such ven
ture has proved of incalculable advantage to
the party making it. Every now and then we
find similar artifce attempted by the unskil-
full or unwary, and resulting in defeat and con-
fusion, or remaining unnoted and unconsidered
through the heated struggles that are waged,
between the opposing forces on other grounds
A party platform is like church catechism,
not to be added to or taken from as regards
any of its distinctive elements. except with the
most profound elaboration. Especially is this
true when the party making the appeal for
popular support is already apparently in the
majority. As rule, people will vote to-mor-
NOW as they voted yesterday. What MAORI
ty of the people approved last year we have
right to expect that they will approve this
year. To hold what it has is the great object
of every dominant party. What man has
once asserted by his vote to be his political
opinion he is more likely to adhere to thereaf.
ter. No man likes to confess himself in the
wrong or even to admit that he has been
in bad company. The ais inertia of human
nature-the disinclination to examine again
the logical foundation Of political theorems we
have once uttered, is force that no party
which is in the ascendant can afford to despse.
For these reasons it is that new ideas almost
invariably come from the minority. Indeed. it
seems to be the province of political dissenters
to nourish political discovery and to formulate
new methods to meet the varying contiDgen-
cies of government Such a minority may
spring up within party; may constitute fac
ton, and by its eagerness, sincerity and deter
mination may, and often does, compel major
ity to accede to its views, to take a step for
ward, to add a new plank to the party plat
;n H..
It is the chrysalid out of which finally bursts
the fully developed political thought.
That the Republicans of New York should
make declaration more or less explicit upon
the question of Civil Service Reform was Just
as much to De expected as that they should
meet In convention to nominate candidates.
That they should make some sort of utterance
in regard to free canals, or should have some
thing to say touching corporate monopolies in
their platform, was just as natural as that they
should glorify the past of the Republican par
ty, congratulate themselves upon it's present,
and indulge in prophetic glorifcaton Of its fu-
ture. These questions have already assumed
definite form and shape in the public mind A
considerable portion of the voters OF the party
have already proclaimed themselves, with
moro or less positiveness, in regard to beth
these questions The public press has teemed
with discussions concerning them. Public
opinion may be said, in great measure, to
have cryStalzed In regard to Them.
No such reason can be assigned, however
for the following:
"ReSogCed That stringent legislation should be en-
acted to secure the purity and honesty of primary
elections and that all possible safeguards should be
thrown about these sources of the political action
of the people,"
What does it mean? Whence did it come?
Who stood sponsor for this new article of 20
litical faith? Is it significant figure in the
problem submitted to the people for solution
this year? Is it graphing hook thrown out
from balloon to catch some substantial thing
that shall mean safety? Is it mere feeler of
the public pulse, or a pledge intended to be
carried into effect?
These are questions well worthy of the con-
sideration, not only OF the voter of the State of
New York but of every citizen of every State
in the Union Ii it be sincere declaration of
an established purpose, it is promise of infin-
ite good. If it is mere feeer thrown out to
test the public conscience, it is still significant
as showing the drift of public sentiment in the
Empire State and the effect of that sentiment
upon those who control and formulate the ut
terances of great party. 1t is a singularly
clear and lucid statement of one of those doc
trines which are ordinarily declared to be out
side the range of party politics, until, by wide
soread adoption by the people, they force
themselves within the verge of party action
Carefully analysed, it will be found to contain
the following propositions, either expressly or
by unavoidable implication.
First Some change of party organi cation is
imperatively demanded.
Second: The rights of individual members
of all parties need to be secured and protected.
Third: These rights should be secured and
protected By legislation.
The first and secord OF these propositions
will, no doubt, be conceded by every honest OBJ
server of our political history There are few
if any who do not believe that gosernment by
parties, as at present exemplifed in our Re
public, is subject to serious drawbacks and i'm
PROJECTIONS. So strong is this conviction that
there are not wanting among us earnest and
honest political thinkers who do not hesitate to
declare that the only method of political saliva
ton is destruction of the party machinery
and return to the fundamental principle of
the individual preference of the voter. 1t is a
matter of everyday remark among all classes
of intelligent citizens that the days of party
domination are at an end. With quaint sim
plicity. we are told by political philosophers of
various grade that the people will no longer
submit to the dictation of individuals or the
control of caucuses and conventions. This SEN
timent has found popular expression in two
grotesque terms, which, from being a few
months ago the veriest slang, have now become
the accepted abbreviated form of expressing an
almost universal Observation-Disclosures" and
"Bossism." All that these terms can be said
to mean in the mouths of most of these who
use them is simply that something is wrong
with the system of party organization, or the
plan of government by parties, which now pre-
walls. Within the past twelvemonth there has
been more than one notable attempt to devise
a substitute for this system. Individuals and
factions WI COY w in fhiq Z i1p-apTpad 0iae0n-