The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-19
THE PARTY CAUCUS.
Reasons why 1t Should he Made
Effective in the Legislature.

To the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal:
No Legislature for many years was ever
under so little party control as that which
met in January. 1899. The Republican par
ty had sufficient majority to elect a United
States senator. but there the party control
seemed to end No full caucus was held
after that nominating the senator, and
legislation wabbled along or swamped for
lack of party direction. Leadership was at
zero point. The reform bills were cut and
twisted, and came perilously near defeat
because the caucus whipstock had no lash.
The majority party cannot fight a militant
well-guided minority, such as was always
in evidence under the leadership of Mr..
Eichhorn, without party discipline such S
a stanchly maintained caucus provides.
The forthcoming Legislature should learn
the lesson of the last one. 1t need not have
happened that second appropriation of
100000 for expenses was necessary in the
session of 1899 If the party caucus had not
been weak. discredited and impotent- Par
ticularly was this true since the junketing
expenses which used to eat into the sos 900
appropriated as usual on the first day of the
session were no longer encountered. The
Roots bill had provided for more intelligent
and less costly review and report on the
needs of the state institutions AS one Re-
publican / hope a better party morale will
in the next session hold extravaganza in
check and give the caucus what the law
knows as a good fence to-wit, horse-high
bull-StrOng and pig-tight. / do not believe
i'm a party assuming responsibility for legis-
lation unless it maintains control of legis-
latiOn by means or the caucus. Where
would the national House land any party
without caucus control2 Ii is greatly to
be hoped that every Republican member
should be made 10 feel that TO bolt the
caucus decision, made after elaboration
and full hearing. means political death and
legislative ostracism. The bolter ought TO
become a marked man for stringent retri-
button. The speakership should go to the
man who has a sense of public responsible
ity to his party and who knows how TO
carry out policies adopted by the caucus.
The man selected TO represent the people
of MS district should not forget that he
is only a representative and not a sover-
eign function. His course on party mat
tiers should yield to the judgment of the
majority. If. as was the case in the ses-
sion of 1895 when certain unwise leaders
tried TO carry the party into the spoils
camp. the caucus should make a mistake
the reconsideration should be held in the
privacy of an executive session of the
caucus. The floor Is not the place for Re-
publican division and discord on party
matters. better party spirit and team
play must characterize the legislative Re-
publican caucus of 1901 or the reform bills
will again be imperiled, the primary cleo
ton bill will never pass, the machine vot-
ing reform will suffer defeat or be manipu-
lated by the lobby and decentralization in
stead of wisdom will be the distinglIis hing
mark of this session. / believe the coroi-
larry of these truths is this: In the meas
ure that the party caucus loses power
and efficiency the lobby gains it. thus re-
quirng all legislation to bear the stamp
OF the third house Hobbies are usually
employed TO gain private ends. Caucuses
are necessary guides of party enactments
In two years more the Legislature must
elect a successor 10 Senator Fairbanks
n behooves the party leaders In this ses-
sion TO keep firm hand upon all transac-
tions OF House and Senate i'm order that
the record shall he free from that which
operates against the chance OF placing tho
session of 1908 again under Republican con-
troll. The only way is TO rehabiiitate the
caucus and put sting In the lash. Let us
not again have the experience of members
elected in representative capacity ignoring
or forgetting their party responsibility and
party fealty. REPUBLICAN.
Fort Wayne. Nov. IL