River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-02-09
ABOUT CAUCUS RULE.
What 1t Is and How ITS Decisions
Are Enforced.
rhe senator or Representative who
Colts from Party Determina-
ton Clouds His Politi-
cal Future.


When YOU read in the newspapers
about caucus, and understand what ii
means, il may be well TO remember that
there are very many people who do not
know what il means; and that space is
well used in a newspaper 10 explain the
subject.
There were two school-teachers here
recently from Chicago, and they are
ladies of superior ability and attain
ments. 1t was the good fortune of the
writer to have an opportunity TO ac-
company them TO the capitol building
and show them portion of that mag
nificept edifce before they secured the
services of professional guide.
While we were walking about the
gallery corridors of the senate a po-
Lceman came up and reminded us that
It is against the rules of the capitol
for anyone 10 carry camera in the
building; and the lady carrying the
camera, being from Illinois, took the
little picture-maker TO the committee
room of Senator Cullom, of Illinois, and
left it there for a couple of hours.
Meantime we saw many of the won
derful things there, and the ladies
wrote down the inscription upon the
pedestal of the statue of John Hancock,
the first signer of the Declaration of In
dependence; nm inscription which
everyone ought to have In memory or
in scrapbook. 1t is: He wrote his
name where all nations should behold
1t; and where all time should not eff
face it,"
But to return to our caucus. While
we were seeing the senate wing of the
capitol we came to a door over which
we saw the gilded words: conference
room" 1t was explained TO the ladies
that the word conference" is, in po-
1 litical language, a synonym for the
word caucus" Ii was further eN-
! planned that in the senate there is al
ways majority and minority party.
When the republicans have ma iority
| they hold their caucuses in the senate
marble room; and when the democrats
are in a majority they hold their eau
cuses in he marble room. When either
party is in the minority, they use this
conference room" for their caucuses.
| The marble room is large and beaut
| full corridor, capable of comfortably
seating 60 or more senator's; and there
never happens TO be more than SIS or go
members of the majority party, The
Conference room" will not comfort
! ably accommodate more than 35 or 40
senators, and the minority never is
composed of more than that number.
! What are caucuses for? As the po-
/ litical parties developed in this repub-
| lie, and grew in cohesive strength, it
became imperative that each party
/ should act harmoniously in all matters
of legislation. Consequently the Gus
tom of holding party conferences grad
ually grew. The members of political
party would gather together in secret
meetings, and the majority present
would decide upon certain lines of ac-
4 ton. Thereafter all of the memb ers of
the party would vote together, even
| though some of the members of the
party did not wholly coincide with the
policy determined upon. 1t became
necessary to do this in order to secure
united party action in all matters.
lndlIy, WneH IL became ettleu par
| ty policy to do things in this manner,
the conferences were termed caucuses;
and that name will probably continue
for an indefinite period. Caucuses ulti-
mately extended from the national cap
ital to the state capitals, and now all
political actions are predetermined in
eaucuses.
For example: In the state of Vir-
ginia all of the democratic members of
the Legislature, in caucus assembled.
decided to vote for the reelection of
John w. Daniel to the United States
senate. Then, when the legislature