Gilpin observer., 1913-09-04
WASHINGTON NEWS
By Edward Keating.

very long, he discovers that practi-
cally all legislative work is done in
committee or in caucus. The proceed
ings on the floor which prove SO in
teresting to the occupants of the
/ crowded galleries are frequently only
the fireworks display to celebrate
i the achievement.
| 1t is because of this that some Of
lis have been insisting that all eau
cuses and committee meetings shall
be open to the press and public. We
want "the breezes of public opinion"
10 blow through the places where
the course of public business is fix
ed. We have been fairly successful
in our fight. Practically all the COM
nlittees hold open meetings now, and
while: the Democratic caucus is still
held behind closed doors, the journal
OF lis proceedings is carefully kept,
and, together with record votes, is
given to the press.
There is dispos.tion in some
quarters to condemn the caucus and
to demand it's abolition. / cannot en-
tirely share in this view. do not
believe that we have anything to fear
| frcn the open caucus. On the con-
trary, | am convinced that it can be
made a most effective engine to
work the peoples will.
A Government
OF Parties.
This is a government of parties,
and will probably continue to be dur
| ing our time. The great political
parties in convention formulate gov
ernmental programs and make more
or less specific promises to the vet
ers. When a man accepts nomina
| ton on party ticket, he binds him
self to the governmental program
or platform pledges-of that party.
/ ual, however, able or brilliant he may
be, cannot hope to execute the pro-
gram to which he is pledged without
the aid of other individuals who are
Such situation leads naturally to
a caucus or conference OF those who
agree on certain principles. see
no reason why such a caucus should
not be binding on those who parti-
cipate in it-unless its findings out
rage the conscience of the individ-
ual, and then as a matter of course,
he should withdraw.
Scope OF
| The Caucus.
/ would not have the caucus go
beyond questions of party policy.
would make difference between the
pledges made to voters by the party
and those made by the individual
] By way of Illustration: The Demo
cratic party promised to revise the
currency ard tariff laws. We did
not submit to the people the exact
form OF the laws which we hoped to
place on the statute books, but we
laid down certain clear cut, easily
understood principles. The details
were left to the party's representa-
tives in congress, and they entered
caucus and fought out their differ
ences. When they secured bills
which, to their minds. substantially
redeemed the party's pledges. they
went on the floor of the house and
put them through. / do not believe
the people were so much concerned
with the method we adopted as the
results we achieved.
If we had refused to caucus and
had attempted to frame the bills on
the floor of the house. our terms Of
office would have expired before we
! concluded the task, and then, pro-
badly. no one would have been will
ing to acknowledge the patch work
product.
How The
Caucus Works.
The Democratic caucuses are held
in the hall OF the house of repre-
sentatives. CongressmfM a. Mitchell
Palmer. Of Pennsylvania. the man
who drove Boss Guffey out of the
Democratic politics in the Keystone
state, is the presiding officer Bills
are debated with all the fcrmality of
their consideration in the house IT,
self
Speeches ATE limited to 8 minutes.
but am extension of time may be
| secured by unanimous consent. and
this is seldom or never refused. All
members are given ample opportuni-
ties to present us many amendments
as he sees fit and to discuss them
practically as long as he wishes. We
caucused for two weeks on the