Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-30
The English : Elections
IX-fIow the Parties Fight
Bv Frederic j. Haskin

the spirit of a highwayman. Robbery.
Effective plunder. Confscation. Posi-
tive brigandage. Progressive and
cumulative plumber. An act of finan-
cial slaughter. a nightmare. A tre-
mendous scheme of plunder and con-
fiscation. a prohigate imposture. A
scheme of despotic plunder. A colossal
sham And then the editorial con-
cluded with this apology: I'VE feel
the utter inadequacy of words to con-
vey a due sense of the magnitude of
this issue" This same newspaper, so
wrought up about the tax which
would raise the price of the poor mans
beer, stoutly advocates the imposition
of a duty of Z cents bushel on wheat
lin the interests of the empire"
The Conservative party continually
attacked the Liberals for their alleged
failure to keep the British navy up to
the two-power standard in the face of
the German naval expansion program.
The Conservative leaders declared on
every stump that there was no doubt
but that Germany was preparing to
make war on England, and that the
Liberals would not and could not meet
the grave issue. Undoubtedly, there
is grave reason to fear hostilities be-
tween these two nations, but the way
in which the German scare was worked
in the campaign would have dlsgraced
an American pOllIlCdl party.
The Liberals, in reply, used the word
'liar" with great freedom, and ac-
cused the Conservatives of deliberately
attempting to bring about war so that
the landlords might not be forced to
give up some of their unearned wealth
to help support the nation. Mr.. Lloyd
George, who was far and away the
most picturesque and interesting fig
ure of the campaign, whether he was
right or wrong, said the German scare
was used in the same way that Ameri-
can politicians used to twist the lions
tail and wave the bloody shirt, but
that in America such methods were no
longer permitted.
Indeed, Mr.. Lloyd George frequently
came to America for campaign points.
He compared the attacks made upon
him to those upon Roosevelt, and said
the attempt of the financiers to place
the blame for the panic on Mr.. Roose-
welt had failed even as the attempt of
the same people to blame him for
driving capital out of the country
would fail.
The strenuous campaign methods of
the great leaders were initiated all
down the line. Several candidates for
parliament left the speakers stand to
fight with some elector of a different
IdlIl, ana scores anu SCOGeS OL pllDllC
meetings ended in free fights.
For that rare dignity which so marks
the British nation, the contest between
Mr. Hay and Mr.. Addison for an East
London seat, was remarkable. One set
of placards remarked in big red let
ters doc Addisons pills cure Hay
fever" The insult was too patent to
be ignored, and the Hay partinans
countered with a blue poster appeal
ing: Don't vote for Addison. He makes
q living by cutting up dead mems
bodies and live mems stomachs.' This
was regarded as an insult to the medi-
cal profession, and almost everybody
who could beg, borrow or steal a scrap
of paper and a pencil wrote letter
to The Times about it,
Personal peculiarities, family scan
dals, private quarrels, all manner of
| things which in the United States are
the signs of a "mud-slinging contest
were employed during the campaign,
but never was there any protest
against the methods of campaigning
Each side accused the other of lying
and of mud-slinging and of all kinds
of crimes and misdemeanors, but there
was no general and non-partisan pro-
| test, and each side excused and con-
doned the offenses of it's partisans.
It probable is not possible to conduct
a. hotly contested campaign without
more or less mud-slinging, but Ameri-
cans may feel sure that their British
cousins have them bested when it
comes to a lively election mixup. Two
thirds of the election literature sent
out by both parties in this campaign
could not be used in the United States
for the simple reason that such stuff
would react upon the party which dis
| tributed it.
The British campaign excitement
does not stop with calling each other
liars. Scores of speakings were bonn
barded with brickbats, more than one
speaker was assaulted with ancient
| eggs. one candidate was shot at, and
| several noble lorSs had to escape by
the back way to keep out of trouble,
| Two young girls, canvassing votes Tor
their father were assaulted with vol
leys of eggs and stale vegetables. AS
the campaign came to a close every
body was calling everybody else liar.
TomOrrow-The English Elections:
X-How the Newspapers Fight.