The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-21
A GUARANTEE.
SEATTLE, TUESDAY, DEC. ~.



A CONTRAST IN ELECTIONEERiNG.
A very vfvacious and unusually i'm
partial Engiishman has just been pup
fishing the result of his observations or
an American election. We are IN
clined to consider our campaigns "a not
very orderly. and we find very much to
criticise both In the conduct OF gather
ings and of speakers. 1t Is quite graft
flying, therefore. to be assured that we
are not 20 bad as they are in coun-
try which has very often been held up
10 us as far superior.
Our recent visitor admits that In our
presidential campaign there was plenty
OF enthusiasm with much leaping 10
the feet and waving of infinite flags,
with occasional outhursts OF vocal pa
triotisrn but he found the meetings
automatic, orderly and duh. To his
surprise there was not touch OF
English boisterousness. not platform
stormed. not speaker howled down,
hardly man thrown out, no inter
ruptions. no excitement. no sport Of
any kind. Indeed, he says that no mat
ter how high party feelings may run
an American public meeting Is one OF
the auietest and most decorous forms
OF entertainment yet invented.
The English people who read this
comparison between the two countries
must feel that they are much our in
feriors In campaign politeness. even
though we have to submit TO the con-
ciusion that IL Is no wonder the United
States yields healthy crop OF cranks
aud bores. for there is no country IN
the world where they are treated with
such Difference and politeness. Indeed.
this critic says: THE worse the speak
er. the more courteous and respectful
seems 10 be the attention he receives"
During all the excitement 1t Ia re-
marked with amazement that Mr.. Bry
an was never called "a childish squah''
or 'spanduliken." and at no meet
ing did anybody raise the comprehen-
siye banner If ITO He'll With BRYAN
ism" We. as a matter OF pride. would
not wish the friendly Englishman to
be undeceivcd. hat IL no such CAMPAIGN
hunors as these have ever taken place
In this country newspaper reports are
sometimes misleading.
Referring To the great meeting at
Madison Square Garden, when, Az oar
friend the writer says. MIR. rrvan
read cut hls famous Sermon" the Eng
iishman saws he WAS listened Ia un
eomplaipinsly ny ?o.coo people. with
the East river only few hundred
yards away" lie says that in England
the speaker would have been given
about FIVE minutes and then told n sit
down. and what is mere he would have
obeyed. With 1000 ar 3.ooo people
shouting shut up" or sit down" or
dry w. old man: We have heard
enough" even Bryan would have had
to give was. He comments upon taat
curious dialogue. as he calls Il. begin
ming. 'wha; is the matter with SO and
go as something unknown u Eng
land. bat deserving of importation. He
liked the campaign songs and uaro,li4s
very much. fsut he was shocked a, The
frequent use OF the national flag. IN
eighteen months. he says. he had thrust
upon h!m by Mckinley u1cn. BRYAN
men. Croker men and Piait men. b.
tween thirty ana forty % cur star
spangleti banners. hut he considers Il
ar iUdigni,y tn the flag.
The good order @. meetings &c A..
triiated - the fast that the avera~a
American does rot attend his oppo-
ncnts meetings. and Il he does. q re-
sp~cf for the opinions a. thu majority
Keeps h!gu silent, The Grst thing an
EoElshG}an notices about American .p,.
l.ttcaI life Dr. says. rs The arra and
essehattc way in which = minority IA
taught ~ rrC1esaber that II Is A minor
icy, ard had better behave as such. E"
In England the iateTrapter Is the sa!e
- the political meetings. Sr4kkers ~,
experience always prime themselves
With popular rca4Ttees - extInsu.sa
him The British worSlnsfuars IS an
original character: re hAes a political
argument. ana fsds ~ can se, mos,
~ t, az the meetings held BY the other
side Without Scvtlple Re attends hts
opponents meetings. places himself
where lie can he heard and keeps up 4
running fire q '>chae;' which IS the
equivalent - oar "josh"--on the Sueak-
er's remarks, Even the chairman w!}l
not venture - intrrfere With hin, IN
less &c exceeds tae bounds whea al az