The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-01-22
SECTION ONE
The Political Caucus.


readers. especially the younger ones.
have never seen or had the least
experience with a political caucus.
This being true, and great inter-
est at this time being centered in
the senatorial caucus now organized
in Jackson, a few elemental facts
will be apropos at this time.
The rules which usually govern a
caucus are very closely akin to those
that obtain in an old-fashioned
political convention, except that
the voting in a caucus is sometimes
by secret ballot. as is the case with
the jackson senatorial caucus;
whereas, in political conventions it
is viva voce, the chairmen of the
respective delegations or factions
casting the vote in a convention
openly.
The chief justification for a
caucus is, that when there are
two or more parties repre-
sented in a legislative body, it
performs the function of enabl-
ing. by pre-arranged agreement
in caucus, to secure concert
of party action in the regular leg
islative body or convention. For
illustration, at Washington the
Democrats of the House and the
Republicans of the House have
their respective caucus organiza-
tions to discuss and agree upon
party policy and action before cer-
tain questions are decided by a vote
of the whole body in the House.
Likewise, the Democrats and Re-
publicans Of the United States Sen
ate and legislative bodies in the
respective States where there are
two or more organized political
parties.
In Mississippi, Fin times past, be-
fore the primary election law was
adopted. and in other States still
where the old convention system
prevails, the friends and supporters
ofleading candidates seeking nomi-
nation before such bodies, have
been accustomed to organize eau
cuses and agree upon plans to be
pursued in convention as whole.
In one important feature, the
senatorial caucus now holding daily
sessions i'm Jackson to name sue
cessor to the late Senator Nc
Laurin, is different from any SINH
lar organization ever before known
in Mississippi, viz: Its membership
includes all of the members of
the Mississippi Legislature and
every single one of these Legislators
was elected as a Democrat. 1t is,
therefore, a State legislature of
Democrats transformed, by resolu-
tion, into legislative caucus of
Democrats to nominate Democrat
for the United States Senate.
The ostensible excuse for the or
ganization Of this caucus. when the
legislature met. was that it would
be saving of time to the members
of the legislature by enabling them
to nominate candidate for senator
and get this distracting and time
consuming question off Of hand be-
fore the date fixed by law for the
regular election of the u. S. Sena-
tor by the legislature, which was
Jan. IS. The secret ballot was
adopted into its rules over the pro-
test of large number Of its mem
bers, who thought the legislators.
as representative Of their consti-
tuencies in a Democratic body.
should vote openly. 1t may be
stated in all truth by one who has
had good opportunity to observe its
workings. that this Democratic
Senatorial caucus at jackson is
characterized by all Of the features
and objections to an old State nomi-
hating convention. plus the secret
ballot.
But. as we have already intimat-
ed. there are such things as caucus
es within caucuses; and the sena-
torial specimen at jackson is any
thing but an anomaly in this par
ticular
There is the big or general eau.
Gus, composed Of all the members
Of the legislature; then. there il
the Vardaman caucus, the Alexan
der caucus, the Percy caucus, ths
Byrd caucus, the Kyle caucus, th'
Anderson. caucus, the Critz caucus
and the Dark Horse caucus. @
course, the Vardaman caucus is, b.
far. the biggest sub-organizatiol
and it has always taken a goot
deal Of space to accommodate
49,. ~ +Io Wn,kdnrnats lnrssr