The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1900-03-14
CAUCUS ESSENTIAL
TO PARTY SUCCESS
President Mckinley Sets an Ex.
ample to Pennsylvania
Republicans.
BLACK EYE FOR BOLTERS.
Even Lebanon, Where Insurgents
Thought They Were Strong, Insists
Upon Party Loyalty From Republi-
can Nominees for the Congress and
the State Legislature.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence.)
Harrisburg. March 13.-There has
been considerable discussion of the
question of the propriety of the Repub-
lican organizations of the several
counties of the state insisting upon
candidates for nomination for con-
gress. the state senate and the as
sembly pledging themselves If elected
to abide by the action of Republican
caucuses. 1t is manifest that those
who oppose such action have an ul-
terror purpose in so doing. Through
out the entire state there has not been
a single Republican county committee
which has declined to adopt such a
resolution whenever it has been Of
fered. The latest county to act in this
respect was Lebanon, which on Sat
urday last, through the Republican
county committee, decided to make
every aspirant for congressional or
state legislative nominations append
his signature TO a pledge to abide by
the action of all Republican caucuses.
The offering Of motion of this char
acter was quite a surprise to the local
insurgent Republicans. They did not
expect anything of the kind in Leb-
anon, where they thought they were
in control of affairs political. Their
success in a previous contest in the
county made them imagine that they
would have everything their own way.
They have discovered that there has
been a great change in sentiment and
that the Republicans of Lebanon do
not propose to indorse the action of
men who, while elected as Repub-
licans, refuse to abide by the rules and
traditions of their party. They recog-
nize that a caucus is a prime necessity
of any political organization. The
American republic is founded upon the
principle of majority rule. With this
principle ignored all would be discord
and anarchy.
CAUCUSES IN NATIONAL POLITICS.
To preserve the integrity of the Re-
publican organization of the United
States and to sustain the Mckinley ad-
ministration it was necessary to call
a caucus of the Republican members of
the house of representatives at Wash
ington last week, when the Puerto
Rican bill was under consideration.
1t was believed to be absolutely neces'
sary, if the policies of the Republican
party were to be carried out, to have
| the Republicans of the house vote as a
unit. There was difference of opin-
| ion, even between the president and
| the ways and means committee, as to
| the best method of treatment of the
! question of tariff for Puerto Rico.
There was a very serious division in
the house and enough Republicans
were ready to join with the Democrats
to defeat the very ends which the Nc
Kinley administration sought to OBJ
tain. Under these circumstances a
| Republican caucus was called, and a
conclusion was reached by which
every Republican in the house voted in
accordance with the action of the
caucus. This was not an unusual ac-
tiOn, but a time honored practice.
When General Henderson was pro-
posed for the present speakership OF
the house Of representatives at Wash
ington, there was a big field of as
pirants for that honor. But when he
secured majority or the Republican
caucus all the other candidates grace
fully abided by the action of the ma
jority and he was elected without
trouble. Had the friends of the rivaI
candidates for the speakership followed
the example of the Flinn-Martin in.
surgents in Pennsylvania politics they
would have bolted the Republican
caucus and joined forces with the Bry'
ante Democrats. Then il they coult
not get one of their own number in the
Bpeakership they would have elected {
Democrat to that important place.
Caucuses in congress and every
other legislative body in the United
States are considered essential, ant
they are invariably called in the in
terest of either the Republican ol
Democratic party, as the case may be
The caBcus is a recognized institu
tion in American politics and mel
who take pride in the success of po
liical organization to which they be