The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-28
CROKER on ENGLISH POLITICS.
Tammany Methods I'm Vogue In London,
he Kinds.


London. July %7.-A great many Amsri-
cans whose minds run TO politics took ad-
vantage Of the elections IN London 10
study the manner of conducting them as
compared with the American methods.
Among the Americans We're two who
PROBABLY know as much about elections
as any In the United States one was
Richard Croker and the other col. O. -.
Steeley, of the Louisville Courier-J Jo0rnal.
All the Americans agreed that the differ
ence in conducting the elections in LON
don ami the larger cities OF the United
States Is not as great as might he ex-
pected. What they saw simply convinced
theTn that human nature is very much sne
same everywhere. The lower classes hal
heen controlled BY very much ;he same
impulses as they are in America.
From the little Croker saw he Is OF
opinion that there is just as much cor
. ruption in London as there is In any
American city. The only difference"
said Mr. Croker. us that the newspapers
here dare not speak. but I am incl$nea to
believe that II the papers had the license
that American papers have, and had rs
enterprlsing papers aS our American
papers. there would have been Just as
much scandal up as In the American
cities. notice that the said papers have
contained a great amount of advertise
ments of detective agencies. where they
ask employment to discover brsnery and
repeating in connection with the elections
II would seem that IL bribery and repeat
ing were unknown here these detectives
would not spend money as they do IN ad-
vertising in the London papers. But u
seams TO me that politics are work ed
more cleverly in London than at home.
| think that political opinion here is much
more thorough. and that a great deal
ulore money is spent on IL. The cam
paign literature IS not only more prolific
than in the United States. hut in some
cases IL is much more clever. The carl
catures and cartoons that are distributed
must represent a great outlay OF money
As the English papers do not go in for
this line as ours do. II is necessary. sup
pose for each candidate TO establish his
own literary bureau.
MANY Of the New York papers slander
our country by making Il appear that we
are more corrupt regarding the use of oar
elective franchise than any OF her coua-
try. The newspapers, / think do this
simply because there is no law 70 coniine
them TO accuracy OF statement and II
sells the paper. Here the press is afraid
to speak out. even If Il was inclined to.
[ was reading the other day where a bill
had been introduced IN parliament when
would make 1t unlawful for any newspa-
per TO criacise a candidate during his
campaign. II this bill becomes a law a
corrupt man could run for Office and still
the newspapers could not call attention 10
the fact. The MugwlEmps IN the United
States are always pointing TO England as
such a model. But the Americans are
not half so bad as their own press makes
them. If the American newspapers crid-
cised the methods employed In English
elections as the English new wspapers crit
icise our methods I think we would ben
eft by the comparison.
Il wish particularly to be understood as
not criticising the English elections as
not having been honestly conducted. I;
would be Just as great an injustice for sne
TO do so as for people 10 claim Ta1nmany
Hall Is corrupt because some OF its MEM
bers may have been convicted OF politl-
cal corruption The point particularly
desire TO make IS TO repeat that a large
part OF the American newspapers make
our country out to be a great deal worse
than II is 81 do IL a great injury In the
eyes OF the rest OF tho world"