The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-19
IS THE CONVENTION DooaIEDs

cratlc party rose up ana put an end u
what had come to be known in politics
as King Caucus That was simply the
designation which was given to the prac-
tice which prevailed of the policy and
nominees Of the party being dictated
by a few leading men Of the party at
Washington. The congressional caucus
was the means whereby was determined
in those days who should be nominated
by the party for presidential Office. It
fulfilled the office which is now assumed
by the national party convention. 1t was
suppressed because it was abused and
because 1t came to be universally recog-
nized that 1t was nothing whatever save
a machine through which to register the
will Of a few leading spirits of the
party.
The question is now presenting itself
to many minds whether or not the ma
tional convention is not destined to meet
the fate which befeI the congressional
caucus of the first quarter of this GEN.
fury. No intelligent person who read the
proceedings of the Philadelphia conven-
ton, no matter how good a Republican
he may be. can truthfully deny the state
ment that that body was conducted and
controlled throughout It's entire session
by Senator Hanna of Ohio and the few
1t was in no sense and to no degree
whatever a deliberative body. Indeed 1t
did not pretend to be anything of the
kind. The nominee of the party was al
ready decided upon. The platform on
which that candidate now stands was
brought into the convention with the o.
*. Of Mr.. Hanna placed upon it. It was
adopted. Even If 1t was thought advis-
able by a few little marplots who had
their own miserable schemes to advance
to suppress portions of that platform, its
adoption by the platform committee and
by the convention itself was none the
less mere prefunctfonary performance,
gone through with as a part of the ma
chine operation.
ed as by clockwork The PAPER mache
elephant had been ordered and built some
weeks before the holding of the conven-
ton, with an immediate view to the ex-
act use to which it was actually applied
during the convention. Most of the work
of the convention. as well as most of the
enthusiasm displayed, was produced au-
tomatically. Everything was arranged to
the small details. and the scene shifting
was done as plainly with the knowledge
of the audience as it is done in any thea
ter in the land tonight.
In Kansas City the same control by
few men was apparent. Mr.. Bryan's bust
was made use of something after the
fashion Of the Republican papier mache
elephant. The nominees will was the
supreme law, and the convention was lit
tie more than the mere agency through
which that will was registered. There
was genuine enthusiasm there; and the
proceedings of the convention proved the
tremendous earnestness of the great body
Of the delegates. There was a degree
of genuineness and spontaniety in Kan
sas City. of which there was not even
the appearance in Philadelphia. As In
the two great conventions, so it was In
the two minor bodies of Free Silver Re-
publicans and Populists.
Within few days the district court
Of Hennepin county decided that a nomi-
mating convention was not an essential
part of party political machinery and that
the primary law now In operation in Min
neapolis was none the less valid because
it did away with the nominating conven-
ton. In trade and social and fraternal
organizations, the principle of choosing
executive officers through medium of the
referendum system is coming into general
vogue. The nominating convention is ey-
cry day being taken less seriously, even
by the mass Of people on whom it is ex-
pected to successfully impose the belief
that it is their will and preference which
Is being recorded and that each delegate Is
free-thinking and free-acting entity
within the body.
How soon the nominating convention
will pass into the lumber room of politics
into which the Democratic party sent
King Caucus" in the days of our great
grandfathers it is not possible to saw but
it is quite apparent that the two last great
national political conventions will operate
to produce that result much sooner than
any one had reason to expect It
EUROPE AND AMERICA In CHINA.
Out of the mass of conflicting reports
which come from China there remains
apparent as the great fact of a. strangely
tragic situation, that the nations of En-
rope, which have assumed the grave re-
sponsibility Of seeking control of Chinese
territory, have proven themselves totauv
unprepared for and utterly unworthy Of
the vast obligations which they assumed
for their own purposes with reference to
the future Of the Chinese nation. They
have been criminally derelict Nothing
that they can do in the future will re-
store them to the good opinion of any
student of the great problem of the
East which within fauv n oxrC I,os TO-.