Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-19

people. which could not have Deen &C
complished without his machine. And
so the people of Cleveland, one Of the
most enlightened municipalities on
earth, elected Johnson and his organ
ization for term after term.
The progressives have an organiza-
ton in the house The socialist party
offers an example of the closest organ
ization known to politics. The demo
cratic caucus is the organization. the
machinery adopted by the party for
carrying out its program.
Would Mr.. Anderson have the DEM
ocratic caucus broken up, allowing
each member to vote his individual
opinion on the floor of the house? The
past history of legislation shows what
happens then. Take tariff legislation,
a long dark record of betrayal and
duplicity. Perhaps parties which came
into power pledged to reduce tariff
duties honestly intended to keep their
promises. But the members, unbound
by caucus rules, soon commenced
trading-the log rolling process of
evil memory-and the result was that
each succeeding tariff law was a
greater betrayal of the people.
How secure the American people
felt when the Underwood bill came
! from caucus. The bill was approved
by the people as an honest fulfillment
Of the platform pledge. And the peo-
pie knew that the bill was certain of
| passage. Every democratic member
was pledged by the caucus to vote for
| it. And when the bill went to the SEN
ate there was even greater security
! gained by the caucus, for there the
| democratic majority is so slight that
the detection of only a few members
might result in a complete remodel
| ing of the bill into an anti-democratic
measure.
The same situation is true with re-
gard to the currency. There are too
many local logs to roll to trust these
/ important measures to the individual
opinions of members. This is espe-
| cially true in the senate. Without the
caucus pledge the president and the
people have no security that the demo
cratic platform pledges will be kept
And next winter there will be trust
and railroads legislation. The pres
ident, in whom the people have con
fidence, will outline his wishes or
these subjects, and the organization
the caucus, will insure the carrying
out of these wishes into legislation
without fear of legislative alliances
to defeat the will of the people.
Mr.. Anderson asserts that any
group of 100 democrats can control the
caucus, and therefore, the house. This
is true only to the extent that thi:
group of 100 men proposes some plar
or measure which is of benefit to the
! people. Were the democratic major
: ity in the house smaller Mr.. Ander
sons statement might be completed!
true. There is that possibility. Blu
, as the majority is made up toda!
there are too many men of indepen
dent and progressive thought to stanC
, for a caucus which is attempting t
: put into law the wishes of the specia
interests. MIR. Anderson likened tn
caucus to benevolent despotism.
, is my prediction that the caucus viii
: be a despotism only so long as it i
2 benevolent. Otherwise the comparison
is not a good one. Men are bound t
: not violate their own consciences 0
c their promises to their constituents
= That is the democratic caucus rule.
: l believe Mr.. Anderson has Anne
! at the wrong mark. believe the thin
: that rankles with him is the secre
: caucus. 1t is the secrecy of it that
: wrong; and on each occasion l hav
I voted for the open caucus. Mr.. Andel
r son tells the truth when he says tina
: the caucus is the real legislative bod!
: And for that reason its proceeding
/ ought not only to be open, but the
| ought to be published as journa
The people have the right to kno'
not only how members of the caucu
vote, but also the arguments in caucu
which decided their vote.
The people would be foolish, in m
opinion, to abandon this very pract
cal instrument of good, even thong
it be theoretically wrong. Theoret
cally our congress would be compose
entirely of high-minded men unan
mOusly intent on carrying out tn
wishes of the people. Practically thu
is. not always the case. Until tn
Millennium comes, if the people hav
control of an organization which
termed a benevolent despotism, the
would be unwise to surrender it fo
perhaps something great deal wors'
can see that if special privileg
ever comes to dominate the demt
cratic organization, the caucus will b,
come an issue fully as important a
the Cannon issue ever was. But ths
time has not arrived.
A Pond on the Farm.