The daily sentinel., 1913-09-09
FnuitaNews Notes
KEATING DEFENDS CAUCUS
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VIII probably continue to be during
our time. The great political parties
in convention formulate government
al programs and make more or less
specific promises TO the voters. When
man accepts a nomination on
party ticket he binds himself to the
governmental program or platform
pledges OF that party.
II is self evident that the lndivid-
ual, however able or brilliant he may
be, cannot hope 10 execute the pro-
gram to which he is pledged without
the aid Of other individuals who are
bound by the same obligation.
Such a 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 participate
in il, unless its findings outrage the
conscience of the individual, and
then, as a matter Of course, he ought
to withdraw
Scope of the Caucus.
! would not have the caucus go
beyond questions Of party policy ]
would differentlate between the
pledges made TO voters by the party
and those made by the individual.
BY way Of illustration. The dem
oeratic party promised to revise the
currency and 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 ciear-cut, easily under
stood principles. The details were
left to the party's representatives in
congress, and they entered caucus
and fought out their differences.
When they secured bills which, to
their minds, substantially redeemed
the party's pledges, they went to the
floor of the house and put them
through. / do not believe the peo-
pie were so much concerned with the
method We adopted as the results we
achieved.
II 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, prob
ably, no one would have been willing
to acknowledge the patchwork pro-
duct
How the Caucus Works.
The democratic caucuses are held
In the hall of the house of represent
atiyes Congressman A. Mitchell Pal
mer Of Pennsylvania, the man who
drove Boss Guffey out of democratic
politics in the Keystone state. is the
presiding officer. Bills are debated
with all the formality which marks
their consideration in the house it
self Speeches are limited to five
minutes; but an eXtention of time
may be secured by unanimous con-
sent. and this is seldom or never re-
fused Every member is given ample
opportunity to present as many
amendments as he sees tit and to dis
cuss them practically as long as he
wishes. We caucused for two weeks
on the tariff, and even longer on the
currency bill.
There Is an utter absence of the
usual machine methods. II the lead
ers were to resort to the steam
Roller" there would be an immediate
revolt.
Before left home for Washington.
men who retended TO a knowledge Of
how things were done in the capital
warned me that | must be prepared
to either make my peace with the
party organization" or declare war
on II. | was told that If | displayed
independence | would be punished
by some mysterious power. was
also assured that a new member was
not supposed to participate in the
business of the caucus or the house
and that the older members expect
ed him TO take rear seat and stay
there.
All of which is rubbish.
Undoubtedly in the old days there
was machine" or Organization
in the house. and it did undertake to
punish rebels" That was when
Car Reed and Uncle Joe Cannon
welded the gavel, and presidents
threatened to take the postoffices
away from the insurgent congress-
men. Those methods went to the
junk heap with the election of Clark
as speaker and Underwood as major
ity floor leader.
Freedom of Members.
Now every member knows he Is at
liberty to speak his piece" as he
jolly we'll pleases, and that no one
will call him to account. So far as
the postoffices and other federal pat
ronage are concerned they are dis
tributed among the democrats with
out regard to their attitude toward
the party leaders.
And the new members are not sit
ting In the rear seats. either. In fact
they are away down front doing most
of the talking. and acting like they
had been in the house all their lives.
The most delightful feature OF the
whole thing is that the old members
applaud and encourage them.
Why, the new currency bill was
drafted by a committee made up al
most entirely of new men, and they
directed the debate in the caucus and