The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-21

Of c yy%IeLence' for discussion !, sals
M pa ~ and the exc Ss 2. q 'As ns'1
i nu, "a some OF the States y I'm
ID tne cities. the caucus End sspe.sj
grown too large to affors y Drinl, Il
ulscussien and is simnls opporiurlly ,
inc election OF delegates 4 I meeting N
conventions and of partv ~ vac nonla,,i'l
various committees. This members d, N
,ne real selection OF csa ~ soufie, IT,
PACK INTO the clubs or comm,s ua'ts furSI
LOT caucuses," WHOSE rn.,. wees Of WI
less secret and irresponsI,sy,.lA ls nor
,,.s The First conventi.,. /
Under the constitution ths s ~
local nomination continued d y ,s. sg'
til, with the increase o, noa',, p's'aa !
necessary notifications apu.s,ss sn ~
aafes for national, s,a,s V's'
who were elected bv ai.,r,., y l'sll
rea li,announced, Or were selected " Y
re. OF the party voters i y na}
tlon area These mass mest,ns. ns Ell
700 lssge and unwieldy for ,ss,. Eosa
sIsouaily became GATHERINGS !, ,I pcip n
SCH -selected at first, to act H. J. s.ss1iia|
put altef time regularly anno,a. ss pi'lI
Ders OF a nominating convsn,,aa Tn
state convention seems 10 bssvl'
method first employed for tha oee1
OF state elective officers al, suullnl
TONS mad been the medium ~ ~ c,lls,I
state constitutions and for 'ss'alg 4
hcation of the Federal cons,, we az
were familiar to the citizens NJ u
State nominating conventions i. sii \
e ,a,lar. ior governor and lI,p,.,.'
governor though often irregulsrI ,,, sssaa
tuteo, We're in some instance, ,.s ~
called and were made up =, aJ
chosen by the party voters in ~ s.sa 4
ties In others they were cornn e. ~ \,
small number Of party leaders s ~.
ierent parts of the State. The s,s s1
convention which can be callas 49, y
seems 10 have been that hsld il s IN.
burg, Pa. in 1888. = na''f
The Legislative Caucu.
But the difficulties snd svn,.
travel were perhaps the chief Gauss !. \
gradual change in the management 4, III
State and national party politics MI
was the substitution Of the lsyi,l,-.
caucus for the State convention snS Y,
adoption of the congressional caurus
making presidential nominations i IN
beth convenient and economical IA l., n
to the legislators already assembIss NJ
the capitals the business OF making psril
nations along with their other ntniI,|
duties. BY the beginning OF the cssrS|
the practice OF nominating the State vi
tive officers through the Joint c.u,ss I.
party members OF the two braochs, \
the State legislature had. become reuss|
and was the prevailing system until N
year 1S24-the last year Of the nstIoDl|
congressional caucus-while It dd Dd|
finally yield to the convention system n,
til 1885. Even as late as 1913, sc,ons|
to Niles Register, Legislative nonin.sl
Ing caucus was held in Maine
The system WAS all the time subject b
severe criticism and strong opposition u
aristocratic. uufair, contrary to the d,r.|
cratic tendencies of the age, Those al
tricts in the state which sent Feiens|
representative to the assembly were sls|
ly unrepresented In the republican caux|
as were republican districts In the FIJI
eral caucus, UNTIL to meet that ot!eshi|
the caucus membership was in some rlls|
expanded to include delegates sspectif|
sent up from unrepresentsi portiors II
the State. The Legislators were naturig|
disposed 30 cling tenaciously to The wEa|
which had fallen into their hands, n
the popular discomfort was widespread ~
continued to gather force, while The VI
Of the nominating convention lev 10 Fl
vor, and was adopted in many ssiss "a
She selection e candidates for the say
elective offices before II was accepted n
presidential nomS ations.
The State legislative caucus did not II
WAYS contine itself to the nominatitS
State officers: II occasionally, even 10 81
early years OF the republic, reconnlraa|
candidates for the presidency, and l'cz|
the year 1924 that practice prevailed csaa|
widely throughout the stage Of trlnsfs|
from the congressional caucus to TIE ri
tional nominating convention, In S,i|
eases these nominations were made py la|
State legislature in its official capa.
In 1907 many of the States thus put 'a,|
ward the name of Jefferson for see''|
term.
Development of the Nominating 'or1
yention.
The progressive consolidation o. paq|
machinery, resulting in the compsu !,
tendency of the convention system !.
place more rapidly in some states I III
o+hers. Permanent party orsapil
with regular, published calls lor 'ne ~. =.
GUS county and State conventions, seJ|
to have been achieved IN fenns!''t, T.
very early in the present censu, %, III
Irregularities there were az nrs' ~
psrtien Tor. at least. the democraue WI
ty) soon adopted definite, orderly allss y
ments for delegate conventionstn lle Z.
eral election areas. Massae nuse,,s T.
yiously the leader in polltical aeyev 1,s.si|
followed more slowly than fena ~, ~
the path of PARTY organization, pu' XII
and county convehso4 M
begun TO be held there as can n,,or All
and in 1908 the call for conV ,al.ss,ss 81
nitely stated the number OF nistr.s
which each town was entllleu ..a.iss n.
for nominating cSua s,s' NM
the State senate, to which deiesass s, nj
chosen by primaries In the c'As ha
towns of the district, began 70 mi
In New York about 1911, anu la .s.i (,
state nominating convention was ~ ~,
1S1T while 4he last State legisau'e IA,
Gus in that State was as late as AZ x. d e.
year marks the final yielding y Wv r. Nh
ocratie members OF the New In b.
Of the power to n'"i n oihs
party candidate for governor n a d.
states a similar adjustment o. g.r vi
to the convention y rsryii
effected in course Of peEloos y 4, aid b
length, and the year 1883 may ., y
mark the domination of the ss s,,ons F,s
The first calls" for eonyen,s.S,ss I'D
,tten anonymous, but ihey - tosu co...
signed by Officers OF district OF '0 usual d
mitiees It also soon became .o S,1
publish the proceedings Of 'o s.;rmab y
with the signatures OF the cs - ala ~
secretary. In general II may adopted =
he proce lure which had eeen i, Mi ISIS 81
district ana State conventions, , y today
SUBSTANTIALLY that which pressa,s 4 ba-.'
Although the State conyen .s,Osrs entirely
mating body for state on' ss,,,us MI
,nppianied the Legislative osueus nsls.
han half a century ago, the caSf or az
theless survives as an asss stlll narl
necessary rarity business. Waited ssis
mates candidates for the v 1.-TWO hersa
,r,,,to a,,a sor the Offices oil w iiss .