The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-05-13
EVOLUTION IN POLITICS.

There is one characteristic of
the last Congress of the United
States, which is matter of interest
to all interested in the develop
ment of constitutional government.
The right of the majority to rule
has been an established principle
in all Iaw-making assemblies. But
under Speaker Reeds ruling this
principle has been pressed into the
service of a party policy, which
involves tendencies that seem
frought with danger to the very
existence of responsible govern
ment. DIR. Lieber says, in his
work on Civil Liberty and Self
government, Sin free countries,
political matters relate to the peo-
pie, and therefore ought to be
public. Publicity informs of public
matters; it teaches and educates,
and it binds together. There is no
patriotism without publicity, and
though publicity cannot always
prevent mischief, it is at all events
an alarm-bell, which calls public
attention to the spot of danger. In
former times, secrecy was consid-
cred indispensable in public mat
tiers: it is still so considered where
Cabinet policy is preserved, or
monarchical absolution sways."
But never before to any such
extent has caucus rule dominated
in the national councils as during
the last winter in Washington. 1t
has come to be conceded point
with political partisans. that the
vote of caucus is as binding as
the enactment of a law. But this
is substituting in place of conclu-
sions arrived at by free and peril
nent discussions, the arbitrary de-
cree of a certain number of votes.
Instead of being an opportunity for
informal discussions of certain
measures, or certain line of po-
Icy, the caucus, as now conducted,
has become an opportunity for
dragooning and tyrannizlng the
adherents of political party into
the support of measures which a
caucus within the caucus has de-
termined to carry through. Be-
tween the representative and his
constituents, in whose behalf he
has accepted the trust of public
office, is thrust this dlctation of an
irresponsible, unknown, dominant
clique. The forms of popular
representative government are thus
made subversive of the very idea Of
popular representative government
An absolutism, and despotism
worse than that of some known indi
vidual, because it is the decree of 6
secret tribunal, acting under forms
of law, yet unknown to the law
and outside of 1t.
The venality and corruption
which have been charged upor
various state legislatures may b.
traced, in part at least, to thii
secret legislation as one of it,
sources. When what concerns tht
public is made a public matter
there is an element of safety in THU
publicity. When public business
is controlled in the interest of {,
Clique, whose methods are con
cealed, and whose policy is secrecy
we may look for such revelation
as have lately been made of bribery
and rascality. The caucus has it
legitimate uses; but when it ceases
to be an assembly for informal con
ference and comes to be simply
machine for coercing party dis
cipline in the interests of clique
it ceases to be a method of polltica
action which honorable men Ca
endorse or employ. We need some
thing in this community like tn
caucus for the informal discussion
of matters and measures of publ
interest, but we do not want, an
hope we never shall have, caucu
legislation.