The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-10
ORGANIZATION
Of PRIMARIES.
Mr.. Henry v. A. Joslin's interest
ing and Valuable Paper
Read Before the Franklin Society at Last
Ev, ning's Session.

Inst evening Mt the rooms OF the Frank
lin Society at 81 North Main street. Mr..
Henry V. A. Joslin read paper on
Primary Meeti0gs, their Organization
and Purpose.
(. He said i'm substance as follows !:
These meetings are the outgrowtb OF q
necessity To determine the persons who
shall be placed in nom iuation by existing
political parties However IL should be
understood that under the present law it
Is possible To place men In nomination
by what ara called nomination papers,
and also each individual elector can still
express his individual preference by
voting for whom he pleases irrespective
OF party or Of independent nominations.
Referring To the word caucus it
originated in Boston i'm l770, resulting
from meetings OF citizens (ropemaKers
and calkers) after riots in which there
were conflicts with tho Kings soldiers.
These meetings were called calkers meet
ings ana the term was at length cor
rupted to caucuses. Preliminary meet
ings for political nominations have come
TO be called both primary meetings and
caucuses while In legislative bodies
caucuses are informal meetings for the
discussion OF subjects or for the selection
OF candidates Tor Offices within the gilt OF
the legislative body.
Mr. Joslin outlined the whole course Of
pro, eedIngs in primary meetings, includ-
ing the forms for calls ana the orgaDiLa-
tion of city aod state central committees
and also the holding OF conventions. he
incluued the reading Of the state election
laws, ard gave many other details such
as the forms for certificates OF noniDn-
tions, etc. He concluded by saying there
can be no better primary school than the
caucus, IL IL is properly conducted, Tor
~. us.,1. Of nl
action. | an, however. aware that cau'
Gus can De conducted, so far n parlla-
meDtAry forms arc concerned, and still
not os a proper caucus, for the exposition
of correct principles OF political ct on. IL
Il the caucus packed with unpIinciplcd
men at the dittation OF party bJsses"
and conducted with a total disregard OF
the will of the political party they claim
10 represent, that brings discrsdit 10 that
party" Mr.. Joslin held To the opinion
that all good men should make their in
fiuence felt at the primary elections,
otherwise, though casting their votes on
election day. they but In part only full
tilled their uuty.
The reading of the paper was followed
by few remarks from the president OF
the society, who also read a paragraph
from tho Boston Evening Transcript Of
Nov. 92hoaded "For Pure Primaries
announcing that the National Conference
OF citizens from all parts OF the country
for the organization of movement 20
revolutionizo the election laws Of each
state, ard To place the primaries under
the full jurisdiction of the law. was 10 te
held in New York city the first and sec
opd weeks in December.
Mr.. Morris followed by saying that he
was naturalized American Of but n few
yeais' staudirg, thar he had diligently
attended the primaries.in this country ns
bad been his custom in England, but TO
his astunishment he had found that moo
rule prevailed I'm our caucuses and that
good men could not make their influence
felt, that they were yelled down. Now.
he said. such state of things could not
exist in England, where any eieetor who
did not get perfectly fair play" coulu
appeal Ia a board of governors whose de-
cision could upset any unfair or informal
proceedings in primary meeting He
asked, han we any such tribunal in this
free" country.
The society presented hearty vote OF
thanks To MIR. .Ioslin for his clear and
comprehensive paper. and then adjourned
for two weeks, when Mr. Reuben :. Bcmis
will read payer on plumbing aud
Drainage"