Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-26
THE CAUCUS FARCE.

The story goes that the State Central
Committee of the Republican party Will
in all probability, direct that the delegates
to the State Convention be chosen at
Porter primaries. This occasions the San
Francisco Bulletin to remark:
If this step be taken the rule should extend
20 the whole State, as it is supposed 1t will.
There Is some boSsism scattered over the int
rior The practice is too general of the selection
Of delegates to nominating conventions by
County Committees or the small cliques which
run them. Such proceeding on the part of the
state central Committee as that indicated will
be the first intelligent effort to vitalize the Re
publican party of California. So far it cannot
be said ID local matters to exhibit any of the
traits OF 3 real party organism. 1t has been run
by bosses OF all sorts, little and big As con-
sequence, 1t has been made to do a great deal of
dirty work.
The Bulletin errs in saying no other
effort has been made to "vitaIizen the
party. Its indignation runs away with its
Judgment. 1t is right concerning bossism.
only there is not some bossism scattered
over the Interior" but great deal of it.
In this city, for instance, the Republican
voters have of late had about as much to do
with choosing delegates as the man in the
moon. The caucus throttles the primary.
The primary, under the Porter law. is a
farce, with the caucus system in force.
This Is how the work is done: "a" 'B.n
and &C" determine how they "want
things" Alter the primary is ordered,
these uncrowned kings fix upon Cd" to
preside at caucus, E." to be its Secre-
tary, and "F," "G." and "H." to consti-
tute committee to report delegates already
liked upon. 81" is chosen to make the
initial motion to call Cd" to the Chair.
n. Is to second it, and the "boys" are
to be on hand to do the vociferous voting.
a caucus Is then called in room capabIe
OF holding hundred, sometimes not twenty
men, in wards where 400-a 500 Republi-
can votes are usually cast. The evening
arriyes-and 1t is usually the night before
the primary, thus precluding protesting
organization-the programme is carried
out to the letter, the committee {" f )" &c"
and III" name the delegates chosen by
bosses "a" "B." and &C" ar moves
the adoption of the report, and it
goes through booming" If there is fear
that Republican voters may do their duty
and attend, and manifest some interest
an the proceedings, sufficient servitors
are imported from wards where there
Is no such danger. SO the crank is turned
and the machine grinds out the grist pre-
pared for it. A ticket thus made is the
regular Any who venture to propose a
different one are denounced as "bolters.p
and political boycott" heretofore known
by the less euphoneous title of "cinch.n
IS declared against the discontinued, and
they are spotted" for future political
crueifixion. OF course, under such a sys-
tenn, the primary becomes farce. Voters
remain away from the polls because the
caucus has done all the work. and there is
no need for them to attend. The caucus
Is fungus growth upon the primary. 1t
never had place in the conception of the
originators of the Porter primary system.
1t is the whip-cord that works thugism
upon the primary, and strangles even the
semblance of representative system out
OF 1t. The candidates know this, and con-
Germ themselves far more with pre-caucus
arrangements than with an honest contest
at the polls and submission to the will of
the majority. This is how bossism works
IN the interior. In San Francisco the club
system takes Its place, and is still worse. OF
thls latter the San Francisco press is loud
IN denunciation at this time, for war of
bosses there within the party, is fast oblit-
Grating what respect remains for Az
organization The Ssate Central Com
mittee meets tomorrow; the fate of the
party in California is at stake. If the Marty
consents to programme trucking to the
terrorism of a lot of extremists who hone
to load prosecuting boycotting upon it. it
will simply commit political suicide. The
party always has been equal to any emery
gency II is yet. Its principles are sound.
Its declarations regarding human rights,
and the infamy of Unrestricted Chinese
immigration, have always been and are
Gear and unmistakable. Workers and en-
p'oyers alike know it to be the party of
fair play, intelligence, the rights of men,
of law, order, reform, progress and Ameri-
can civilization. 1t has no occasion to
depart from its standards or to modify its
principles. Let the official heads of the
party stand by its old oolors secure to the