Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-08-14
END or CAUCUS SYSTEM FORE
SEEN IN REBELLION AGAINST
INSTRUCTIONS.
REPUBLIcANe
FIRST TO START REBELLION
Now Democrats Refuse TO Be Bound
BY Caucus Agreements and Party
Has Troublss-Rsfussd to Profit By
Experiences Of Opposition in Days Of
Cannonism
Especial Correspondence.l


bles of the house democrats over the
question of battleships, and more par
ticularly in the determination OF
large number of the democrats In that
body not to abide by the results of the
decision in caucus. there is forecasted
the end Of the regime Of the house
caucus. according to the predictions OF
many members of that body.
The caucus has come close to being
q thing Of the past among the repub-
licans. both in the house and the SEN
ate. The rule of King Caucus among
the republicans went by the boards
when the republican insurgents, in the
days Of Cannon, refused to go into
caucus or to be tied up by caucus de-
cisions In the same way, the progress
sive republicans in the senate, in the
days OF Aldrich, refused to go into eau
Gus or to be tied up by caucus decis-
IONS
Insurgents Rebel.
The insurgents clearly perceived that
SO long as the business at both ends of
the capitol was run on the caucus plan
so long as the republican managers of
held and then force all the republicans
to abide by the decisions Of the caucus.
it was possible for minority Of mem
bers of house or senate to control those
bodies and absolutely to dictate legis-
laticn
And the insurgent leaders several
years ago perceived that they had to
get away from the rule of the caucus
haI nj fn cS, he r,,lo 81 <hn
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.
Democrats Did Not Remember.
It might have been supposed that the
democratic leaders when they got
control Of the house would have re-
membered 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
compe: democrats to live up to 1t. But
they did not remember. or, remember
ing. did not profit by the experience
OF their political opponents. The re-
suit has been. not to keep down lines
| OF cleavage among the democrats in
congress but rather to accentuate
them.
| While the house democrats number
| 4 great many conservatives q great
many men who are really republican
conservatives at heart but are demo-
Gratis in name for sake Of policy, there
are or the other hand many progress
sive democrats. This is true in the
senate as well. And the symptoms are
that the progressive democrats are
getting FESTIVE under the plan that
makes 1t possible for the conservatives
and reactonaries to tie them up in
caucus to something they do not want
| and drive them along to reluctant votes
under the whip Of party policy. The
progressive republicans would not
stand this and the indications are the
progressive democrats will not. It is
only recently that the senate demo-
| Gratis have been giving much attention
to the caucus. The republican sena-
tors have almost wholly abandoned It.
And the probabilities are the senate
democrats will find they can not stand
under the yoke Of the caucus for any
length Of time.
Won't Stay Hitehsd.
The truth is the growing disposition
to independence and -partisanshiI
which is manifest the country over Is
showing itself strongly in the house
and senate. Members are more and
more disposed to vote their convictions
and not stay hitched by party ties OF
pleas Of party demands.
The real crisis for the caucus in thu
house among the democrats Of thai
body, is likely to come early in thu
next administration. providing thu
democrats control the house by {
larger majority than now as they ex.
pect to do. Then. with powerful
body of progressive democrats in thu
house membership. there is little doub
of a revolt against the caucus and {
eretition Of the insurgent split tina
proved so disastrous to the rule of tn
caucus and of Cannonism among tn
house republicans.