This practice of recommending candidates for the
State rapidly became general in the whole Union.
After 1796 it appears as a settled practice in all the
States. The electoral body acquiesced in it with a
fairly good grace. The Legislature, after all, repre-
sented the most important elements of that body; it
had a plentiful share of the men of the old "ruling
class" who were still regarded as the natural leaders of
society, and by the side of them an ever-growing pro-
portion of young politicians thrown up by the demo-
cratic leaven which was continuously agitating the
country. The private character of the semi-official
meetings in question held by the members of Legisla-
tures got them the nickname of Caucus, by analogy with
the secret gatherings of the Caucus started at Boston
before the Revolution. The name of "Legislative Cau-
cus" became their formal title in all the States.

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