Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-26
KING CAUCUS.
Pedigree Of the Potentate
and History in America.
HIS PRESENT PROUD POSITION.
His Power in Directing Party
Measures and Securing Their
Success is Becoming Greater.

or an Individual mas nau sleduy
growth in the United States during
the last fifty years. 1t becomes more
popular and more numerous every
year. Its power in directing party
measures and securing their success
is becoming greater. the United
States Senate sixty years ago was en-
gagged in heated discussion of the
caucus with view to discouraging it
and protecting their dignity by pre-
venting the use Of the word caucus in
the Senate chamber: the majority
side of that body are now engaged in
urging a caucus with the argument
that party loyalty demands it. The
odious reputation of the system which
was due to a want of disinterested-
ness in its objects and impartiality in
it's methods disappeared as as the po-
litical field was enlarged and skill in
the political art developed. 1t is
now a fixed political institu-
ton, recognized, fostered and en-
couraged by all grades of poll
ticans from the ward delegate to the
members of the highest branch Of
the National Legislature. The eau
Gus is Of a variety of kinds-the ma
tionM caucus, the State caucus, the
district caucus, the town caucus, the
ward caucus and caucusses Of '.hon-
ofable, dangerous consequences"
The success of an individual frequent
ly depends on one OF those meetings,
and in such cases as in that of the
last election of United States Sena-
tor from Missouri, the caucus is urged
as a party necessity. 1t is even ar
gued that there is an unwritten party
law which no faithful partisan can
afford to violate by refusing 10 enter
the caucus and abide it's decision.
But the name "caucus" is now ap-
piled to various kinds Of political
meetings, and it does not necessarily
denote secret conference. Webster,
in his "word-book," says the "cau-
Gus" is meeting preliminary to an
election, and as such it is already be-
ginning to bloom for the election to
be held next November. 1t was first
defended on the ground that there
was no need of consultation or eau
cusing to bring support to political
measures which the people favor,
and to prevent self-nominations. Its
use, however, has come to be more
the furthering of the interests of per-
sons than OF measures. 1t is the
most useful instrument of the clever
!. politician.
Political writer's OF the past half
century uniformly recognize the eau
Gus in affairs and John Adams wrote
in defense of the system in his late
years, "Caucuses of politicians, eau
cuses OF plebians, always prevailed at
Rome and in other free countries.
Our revolution was effected by caucus
the Federal Constitution was formed
by caucus and the Federal admins
tration was sustained by it," But the
name by which those meetings are
known was not adopted into the
English language without opposition,
protests and apologies, and some OF
the stormy times through which it
has passed are interesting. Cor
don, in his history publish
ed in 1888, says that "more
than fifty years ago; Samuel Adams
father and twenty others used to-
meet, make caucus and lay their
plan for introducing certain persons
into trust and power" and in his ref
ercnce to "caucus" said: 'It is low
word, less used of late than formerly
and although its origin is not we'll
ascertained, yet is is reputed to have
been first brought into use in Boston." >"
At that time the story was told that
the ropemakers Of Boston formed a
society, at the meetings of which i'll
fiammatory speeches were delivered,
and violent resolutions passed against
the British Government, and the To.
ries in derision called these assemblies
"calkers' meetings." which at length
was corrupted to caucus" But in
the writings of Samuel Adams prior
to the bloody collisions between the
British soldiery and the ropemakers
and calkers OF ''the hub," frequent
mention is made of the caucus"
which, whatever it's origin, first came
into use to denote certain kind of
political meeting.
to the children of Israel, who made
considerable progress in that branch
of the politicians art. When Gideon
died Abimelech wanted the judgeship
which the death of his father made
vacant, and he had no reliance except
the skillful manipulation of the politi.
cal wires to obtain it. He belonged to
the tribe OF Manasseh, aud he resorted
to all of the wiles of the modern dem
agogue to call about him q following
from the Shechemites OF the kinship
of his mother by going to Schechem,
where he "communed," or
smade caucus" with her brethren
and all the family of his mothers
father to induce them to solicit votes
for him in that city. The caucus re-
suited in Abimelech securing a follow
ing, who not only buttonholed the
Shechemite voters, and ''inclined
them unto him." but who also raised
a corruption fund by the assessment
of 800 shekels, with which they paid
the "vain and light persons" the
floating vote-to follow him. He was
elected. But the theory of the caucus
was scarcely more popular then than
when it was carried out in the cleo
tioneering meetings in that district Of
Boston, where the shipbuilding was
carried n in ITO, when it was known
as ''calker's meetings." For more
than a quarter of CEN
tury after that time the word
caucus was regarded with fear and
superstition. The use of it in refined
circles was considered violation of
the proprieties, and many Of the poor
towns people dreaded it as they would
q plague. In the early history of the
Democratic party the caucus was re-
sorted to as means of nominating
candidate for President. Thomas
Jefferson was nominated in that way.
The caucus was attended by the MEM