The Washington times., 1912-08-12
REIGN OF CAUCUS
OVER ERDEMOCRATS|N
HOUSE NEAR END
Trouble Over Battleship
Question Points Clearly
to Fall Of Regime.

In the troubles of the House Demo-
Gratis over the battleship question,
and more particularly In the determin-
alton of a large number of the Demo-
Gratis in that body not to abide by the
results Of the decision In caucus. there
is forecast the end of the regime OF
the House caucus. according to the
predictions of many Congressmen.
The caucus has come close to being
a thing of the past among the Repub-
licans, both in the House and the
Senate. The rule of King Caucus
among the Republicans went by, the
boards when the Republican insur-
gents, in the days of Cannon. refused
to go into caucus or to- be tied up
by caucus decisions. ... .
The insurgents clearly perceived
that 30 long as the, business at both
eds of the Capitol was run on the
caucus plan, so long as the Republic
an managers Of House and Senate
could get caucuses held and then force
all the Republicans to abide by the
decisions Of the caucus, 1t was possi-
BILE for minority of members Of
House or Senate to control those bod
les and absolutely dictate Legislation.
Forget Fate of Old Bosses.
And the insurgent leaders several
years ago perceived that they had to
get away from the rule of the caucus IL
they wanted to smash the rule, of the
old bosses in the House and Senate.
They took up the plan of dropping out
Of caucus, paying no attention to It.
The inevitable results followed. The
Cannon machine went to pieces, and so
did the Aldrich machine
1t might have been supposed that the
Democratic leaders. when they got con-
troll Of the House, would have remem-
bered the fate of the caucus in the days
of Cannon. and would not have tried to
map out the whole House program in
caucus and then try to compel Demo
| Gratis to live up to 1t.
But they did not remember, or, re-
membering. did not profit by the ex-
perience Of their political opponents.
The result has been, not to keep down
| lines of cleavage among the Democrats
In Congress, but rather to accentuate
| them
| While the House Democrats number
great many conservatives. a great
many men who are really Republican
conservatives at heart, but are Demo.
Gratis in name for sake OF policy, there
! are, on the other hand, many progress.
| I've Democrats. This Is true in the
| Senate as well.
f'- Progressives Restive.
And the symptoms are that the pro,
gressive Democrats are getting restivt
| under the plan that makes II possible
for the conservatives and reactiona rie.
to tie them up In caucus to something
they do not want, and drive then
along to reluctant votes under the whiI
Of party policy. The progressive Re
publicans would not stand this, and tn,
indications are the progressive Demo
Gratis will not 1t is only recently tina
| the Senate Democrats have been givinJ
much attention to the caucus. The Re
publican Senators have almost who'll!
abandoned 1t. And the probabilities ar
the Senate Democrats Will find the,
cannot stand under the yoke of tn
caucus for any length OF time.
Party Ties Weakened.
The truth is. the growing dispositio
I to independence and nop1partisanshi
. which is manifest the country over /
! showing itself strongly in the Hous
! and Senate. Members are more an
D more disposed to vote their conviction
and not stay hitched by party ties o
pleas of party demands.
The real crisis for the caucus in tn
, House, among the Democrats of tha
body. is likely to come early in tn
next Administration, providing tn
Democrats control the House by
larger majority than now. as they ea
pect to do. :
Then, with a powerful body of pre-
gressive Democrats in the House men
bership, there Is little doubt of RI
volt against the caucus and a repetiuo
l of the insurgent split that proved s
disastrous to the rule of the caucr
and of Cannonism among sthe Hou:
Republicans.