The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1913-05-01
DEMOCRATS PROPOSE HEREAFT-
Err TO DISCUSS LEGISLATION
IN THE OPEN.
Never Until Present Congress Has
There Been an Open Caucus Of
Any Party in the House Of Repre-
sentatiVes-
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

e0t session OF congress comes 10 al
end the Democrats OF the house will
be holding open caucuses: This may
not seem at first blush to be a very
startling statement, but it is full OF
significance of the change which has
come over the minds of the leaders
Of the parties ON the subject Of taking
the public into their confidence when
they are caucusing on matters of leg
tslation or upon the question OF what
men shall be given the chief Offices
in the house Of representatives.
Never in the history Of congress
until the present session has there
been an open caucus of any party in
the house of representatives On any
vital matter Already this year there
have been two open caucuses, one OF
the Progressives and another of the
Republicans, the members OF the lat
ter party having elected to open their
second caucus of the session to the
public.
The Democratic tariff caucus was
held behind closed doors, but the
doors were not ordered to be kept
shut until several of the Democratic
leaders had urged vehemently that
they should be open, and the press
and public should be admitted in order
that there could be NO misunderstand-
ing of the minds of the Democratic
members towards the great subject of
tariff reform. If the tariff bill, which
the Democrats had under considera-
ton in caucus for about two weeks,
had been one affecting any legislation
except the customs the chances are,
it is said, the doors would have been
thrown wide open. The insistent de-
mand by many Democrats that eau
cuses hereafter shall be public 1t
seems almost unquestionably will re-
suit in wide-open proceedings when
the next caucus of this session comes.
but if the leaven does not work as
quickly as that it probably will work
with sufficient strength to force open
caucuses at the next session.
Reasons for Secrecy
There are particular reasons why
the Democrats wanted their tariff con-
ference kept secret. 1t must be re-
membered that the tariff is a local
must be remembered In order to ap-
preciate the reasons given for Demo
cratic secrecy in conferences at this
stage of the legislative game. In re
cent years members OF congress have
come to realize that the country
thinks a senator and representative
have duties to perform outside the
domain of legislation affecting only
the states and districts which they
represent.
In the Democratic caucus local de-
mands that the tariff must be main
tanned on this thing or that thing
have been urged insistently-
1t is possible, even probable, that
there are other reasons why the
Democratic tariff caucus has been Sc
cret, and this reason will hold true
for all past secret caucuses of other
parties. Members OF congress Go not
like to have it said of them that they
are the representatives OF special in
terests. Not many OF them are in
this day, but some OF them were In
times past, a charge which would lie
more truly against the senate Of few
years ago than ever 1t would against
the house. A representative pleads
for the retention OF the duty on GER
tain articles made in his district. AS
he views it, and as other members
view it, it is an easy thing for the
public to put the special manufacture
ing concern in the place of the repre-
sentative's constituents and to say
that he represents the particular in
terest involved in the case.
The secret caucus protects men
from charges of this kind, but it also
shields those who are actually guilty
of it from public knowledge OF their
special interest advocacy
Where Trades Are Made.
In the secret caucus also trades are
made, or if not actual trades, combi
nations are formed between the rep
resentatives of one manufacturing dis
trict and the representatives of an
other so that by the coalition duties
valuable to the districts represented
by the members Of the combination
may be kept in the bill as it is to be
reported to the house. 1t is possible
that not as much that VIII not stand
the light of day is done in the secret
caucuses as most people suspect, but
the throwing open OF the doors and
the consequent full reporting Of the
proceedings Will do good deal, many
representatives claim, to lift the cloud
Of suspicion and to check the rain OF
criticism.
In the senate the caucuses are diff
ferent proposition. The senators al
ways have been a law unto them
selves in the matter OF debate and of
standing alone" The senators be-
longing to the different parties fire.
quently hold what they call confer
ences. and the members enter into
them knowing that they are not to
be bound by any action which is tax
en-. proposition to hold a Demo
cratic caucus ia the senate ON the
subject OF the tariff and binding on