The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20

Tho author has been able TO secure only frag
mentary information in regard TO the mode OF
nominating candidates for elective Office in tho
British colonies of North America Tho fact Is
that in all except tho charter colonies Massa-
chusotts Rhode Island and Connecticut the num-
Dor of elective Offices very small, being con
fined 70 members of the Lower House of the Colon
ial Legislature and few local functionarics.
From the meagre sources of knowledge at Mr..
Dangers disposal he finds that in the South,
candidates. were. a rule. self announced, after
the traditional English custom, and this method
Of self nomination often supplemented as in the
mother country, by an agreement among the lead
Ing planters continued to DO the prevailing mode
Of nomination for district officers in the Southern
and Southwestern States down 10 the Civil War.
Even at the present time, II is no uncommon occur
renoo in tho South and also in tho West for per
sons 10 announce themselves candidates for a
particular elective office; but In such cases the
actual choice Of candidate Is almost always left
10 tho party voters in their primaries and conven
tons Tho causes of the general disuse Of self
nomination arc TO be found in its unpopularity In
democratic communities, and its incompatibiity
with the unified action which is essential TO party
government In New England and the Middle
Colonies, also. nominations were IN some cases.
self proclaimed; but more frequently, they
made at private conferences, or what would now
be called "parlor caucuses" of those especially in
terested In public affairs There seems to have
been occasionally agreement extending
through the different towns corresponding TO the
modern State Convention Thus, in Massachu-
SETS at the election in May, 1885. Haynes was
elected Governor over Ludlow, who as one Of the
Assistants, felt that he entitled TO the posi-
ton. According TO Governor Winthrop, Ludlow,
curiously enough, protested against the election
OF Governor void, for that the deputies OF the
had a. bat.
they came" In addition to scltnominations and
"paror caucusce" there existed species of official
nomination which seems 10 have been distinctly
American invention. In New Jersey, for instance
there was at one time a system under which in
zach county twenty five nomnators chos en-
by lot whose duty II was to select candidates for
the colonial Legislature. to be voted upon at the
regular election. An even more elaborate system
OF official nomination is disclosed in the records
OF tho Connecticut colony. by the fundamental
orders of l6SS33 a court election" was held an
nually for he choice of governor and sixmags-
trates at which no person could he voted forunless
he had been previously nominated. The deputies
from each town empowered TO add so many
moro nominees rs they judged requisite" From
the list OF candidates thus nominated the Governor
and magistrates were then elected by the free
men of tho colony. The system ultimately estab
lished in Connecticut was follows The frecmen
OF the several towns voted for twenty persons be
nominated for Assistants, that Is members of the
Council or Upper House of the Legislature. The
result of the vote OF each town was then sent 10
Hartford, where the vote of the colony was counted
in tho presence OF both houses of the Legislature
A list Of the names of twenty persons receiving
the highest number of votes sent to each town;
from this list OF officially nominated candidates
each freeman voted for twelve at the regular cleo
ton. This system which existed also for time
in Massachusetts, survived in Connecticut down
70 the adoption of the present State Constitution
in 1918; from 1850 10 the last named year. the
Connecticut members of the Federal House of Rep
resentatves were chosen by the same method
Tho derivation of the word caucus" which first
appeared about 1924. in Massachusetts,. is doubt
full. However derived, the word applied in
Massachusetts TO the clubs formed by the friends
OF colonial sclf-govemment which clubs not only
kept alive the agitation which ultimately resulted
In American independence. but also in many
localities nominated tho Wing candidates for the
various elective Offices. Gordon in his history
OF the Revolution, thus describes the procedure o.
the carly caucuses more than nifty years ago
Mr. Samuel Adams's father and twenty othersf
including one or two from the north end OF the
town, where all the ship business is carried on
used 10 meet make a caucus and lay plans for
introducing certain persons into places OF trust
and power, When they had settled it, they scpa-
rated and used each his particular influence within
his own circle, lie and his friends would furnish
themselves with ballots bearing the names al the
parties fixed upon which they distributed on the
day OF election BY acting in concert they gen
orally carried the elections to their own mind" II
was in this way that Samuel Adams first became
representative in the General Court for Boston
To the North End caucus is due famous hstori-
cal event. the Boston Tea Party, At meeting
OF this body II was voted that the tea shipped by
tho East India Company shall not he landed" In
addition TO the North End caucus there were other
organizations Of a similar kind Of which the most
important were the Merchants Club, the South
End Caucus and the Middle District Caucus All
Of these associations secret societies or clubs
rather than public meetings. OF the voters but they
performed exactly the same functions as do our
oAucuscs and primaries to-day