The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-13
ANOTHER BRYAN QUESTION.

The Catcchism recently sent to the
Democratic candidates for Presiuent
having attracted practically no atten-
tion-only Governor Marshall, OF IN
diana, having attempted to answer the
uuestions-The Commoner now asks IN
black type on the first page of Its cur
rent number. why the Secret Caucus?'
This is followed by the oracular state
ment that III the Democratic members
OF the House did not submit to secrei
caucuses on public affairs there would
be no doubt concerning any of their
Bryan would not have misrepresented
Mr.. Underwood and caused that dis
tinguished gentleman to denounce him
in the House of Representatives as
deliberate falsificr. The Commoner
continues in the sort OF type Clark
Howell always uses when he wants to
be emphatic in his editorial utterances.
why should any Democratic member
submit TO the secret caucus? Why
should not the public business which
these men have to do be transacted in
the open. that their constituents
may be able TO FIX responsibility for all
that they do and for all that they fail
to do?
The secret caucus is one of the worst
foes of popular government. If you
are opposed to 1t. write your member
OF Congress and urge him TO protest
against It,"
The caucus has been "a well rccog-
,,Iya.j a,,d ,,.idaI hIi.bod fantura of
the American political system" since
Foundation of our Government. and
it is in the very nature OF things a
necessary factor in successful party
machinery. To say that the secrecy or
the caucus should be abandoned is to
argue that the caucus itself should be
destroyed, and that in the determine
tlon OF all questions OF party policy
the Individual members OF the party
should so 1t blind, and by exposing
their own defeat. Every time Mr..
Bryan goes to Washington. and
wherever he goes, ana hts friends and
intimates get together, there is always
a caucus about the state OF the coun-
try and how our liberties can be con-
served by the adoption OF the plans he
is continually eNuding for the good OF
the party and the preservation OF the
rights of the Peepul. What he talks
TO them about and what they say TO
and yet the public is not taken into
their councils or their confidence. Wei
do not object to their method OF dis |
cussing public Issues and selecting pub
them OF the privilege of debating in |
their secret caucuses whatever para
mount issues they may have in stock.
What Il dishonest thing it is for MIR. |
Bryan TO object now to the secret eau
cusing OF the Democrats In Washing
ton on the questions OF legislation and
Democratic policy with which they
must deal, and what stupid thing il |
would be for them TO hold their eau
cuses in public. Instead of admitting
that he grossly misaepresented the |
leader OF the Democratic majority in !
the House, the present demand of MIR. |
Bryan that he would not have done so
ii the caucus had not been secret is
wholly discreditable to him and his
sense Of fair play. TO advise the Dem
ocratic voters OF the country to write
TO their representatives, in Congress
protesting against tho secret party
oh
OF mischief has not been exhausted.
II would be far more to the point and
distinctly to the advantage OF the party
If they should advise their representa-
-tives 20 keep Nj. Bryan on the outside,
ii having been demonstrated at the
present session Of Congress that the
only way for the Democrats to accom-
plish any substantial work is by re-
fusing his leadership