The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-07
THE CITIZEN AND THE CAUCUS.
An Interesting Consideration of an Important Matter by $. F. Tbrasher.


 meant to be is best expressed by the fa-
 mous phrase of Abraham Lincoln;
 Government of the people, by the 'peo-
 pie. for the people," These words are
 but the best reshaping of a phrase old
 as the United States which sets forth
 three great facts, namely, that the peo-
 pie, not monarchs, aristocrats or juntos,
 are the source of government; that they
 are the wielders of government by their
 freely chosen agents, and that the pop
 ular welfare is the object for which
 government exists. In order to realize
 and preserve their conception of govern
 ment, Americans have framed a politi- cal system, the main features of which are written in their great charter of lib- critics, the constitution. But in addi- tion to these, certain institutions have | grown up for the Mobilization of public | business, which have reached an impor- tance rivaling constitutional provisions in their power to work benefit or dam age, to favor or thwart according to 1 their use or abuse, the noble conception of government of, by and for the peo- pie. And since abuse of institutions 1 usually comes from the neglect of our PCOPiC " SCC lllAI lllOSt illSLltullOIlS cil S respected, and since the purpose of this paper is to show how popular neglect leads to the perversion of a particular institution, let us read in this connec- ton, as sort of text, a pregnant sen tence by ex-President Harrison: God has never endowed any statesman or philosopher or any body of them with wisdom enough to form system of government that everybody could go off and leave"
 The caucus, or primary, as every one must know, is a local meeting of party adherents. It has two duties. One is to nominate candidates for the local off, ces of the township or ward, the other is is chose delegates to the various con veptiOns. The scheme of the caucus is simple enough, and it is capable, if managed rightly, of facilitating the peoples choice of representatives. It's importance is fundamental. The author of the American Citizens Manual" w. c. Ford, has well stated this:
 Simple as is this procedure, it forms the very basis of our political system The citizen here exercises his highest prerogative. !. It is here. more over, that the individual citizen can ex- ert the greatest pressure" Or, as great orator, George William Curtis, has expressed it:
 In popular government an election is an appeal to the people. In this country, under our complicated sys- tenn, it is a series of events of which tho first is the action of the primary meeting, and that first action is deci- sive. Our government begins at the primary and whoever or whatever controls that controls the government. That is the fountain, and fit is taint- ed the whole stream will be poisoned' X Carrying in mind the fact that the \ very key-fortress of government which really is of, by and for the peo- pie, is found in the caucus, let us turn back and glance to the beginnings of that institution Perhaps we shall recognize in the infant some character 1stics since grown familiar to the American people.
 ORIGIN OF THE CAUCUS.
 The first caucus recorded in history , is described in the ninth chapter of Judges, where Abimelech, desiring to be king, went to Shechem and con with his mothers brethren, with the result that they button-holed all the rest of the tribe in his favor, and moreover raised a corruption fund for bribing the "foaters." But the first authentic traces of the caucus in American history is to be found in the History of the American Revolution" as early as 1725 MT Samuel Adams | father and twenty others used | to meet, make caucus, and lay their plans for introducing certain persons Into places of trust and power. When they had settled it they separated, and each used their particular influence within his own circle"
 John Adams wrote in his diary in 1763 that the Caucus Club" was in the habit of meeting in Tom Dawes garret, where "seectmen, assessors, wardens, fire-wards and representatives are regularly chosen before they are chosen in the town meeting Captain, Cunningham says they have often solicited him to go to those caueuses, they have as- sured him benefits in his business" The last sentence savors of modern The cloven hoof was per- ,eived by Adams himself. when, in later years, he wrote:
 'They have invented balance to all balances in their caucuses. We have caucuses state caucuses ,ity caucuses, district caucuses, town parish caucuses and Sunday at church doors, and in hese aristocratic caucuses elections Ire decided.
 ''Do you not tremble MT. Taylor, with fear that another balance to all hese balances, an over balance of all moral liberty and to every moral and feeling may soon be in rented and introduced-I mean the balance of corrupton?"
 EARLY PERvERSIONS OF THE
 CAUCUS.
 The balance of corruption had al- eady been invented when John Ad- ms wrote The caucus idea was in ull use to rob the people of their right o choose their own servants. Adams new this well, and thus expressed limself in another place: , "Alexander Hamilton was the great st organist who ever played upon this instrument He made all the use he ould of those bodies of Cincinnati and thers to prevent MT. Adams being