The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-02-04
COMPELLED TO DON
TOCCERY OF COURT
Wife Takes Hand in Dressing Him; First
Elected Mayor Of London Suburb
and Then is Sent to Parlia-
ment by Workers
BY WILDER S. FORREST.

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
LONDON, Feb. 4.-England's most
Abraham Lincolnesque figure is in
the limelight From the poor house
to membership in the kings most
honorable priyy council is but part
Of the record of VIII Crooks, labor
member of parliament and champion
of the common people.
On the front doorstep of a modest
little cottage in Poplar, London sub
urb, ON New Years day, figure in
shirt sleeves. colored shirt sleeves al
that stood greeting proud townsfolk
come to congratulate him. Messen-
ser boys brought telegrams in patches
and handed them direct to the only
Eritisher of the masses" admitted 20
the kings inner council and privileged
tc bear the title of Right Honorable.
Inside the cottage, while Crooks
aid the honors on the doorstep, was
Mrs. Crooks. a plump, wholesome
English housewife, preparing the New
Years dinner. There are no frills
or "swank" in the home OF the king
latest privy councillor That is why
| Mrs. Crooks was in the kitchen while
| viii, as he is known both in Poplar
and parliament, was assuring his
friends on the doorstep that being a
Right Honorable made him feel no
different.
There's one thing ! want to- say"
he told them ALL Because the king
has deemed fit to call me his right
trusty and well beloved or whatever
the phrase is, I'm not going to become
a party man I'll be right with the
workers. Tell them that the position
gives me more power to work for
them. live with them and hope to
die with them.'
When the voters elected Crooks
mayor of Poplar in 1901 he made
record that pleased the folk who had
elected him over a more aristocratic
opponent. He wore the traditional
robes of office because Mrs. Crooks
told him to and not because he want
ed to. That is also why he's soine
to wear the elaborate court dress that
is incumbent on a privy councillor.
"If they say Wills got to wear court
togs, he's got to. that's all there is
to it." said Mrs. Crooks. Leave it
TO me. I'll see that he gets them. 1t
was the same when he became mayor
of Poplar He wasn't going to wear
the robes, but made him.
When the workers of Poplar re-
viewed Crooks record as mayor in
, 1901. they Immediately began to boost
him for parliament in the Woolwich
district of which Poplar is part. He
went to commons with an overwnelnl
ing majority and he's still there.
Fighting the battles of the common
folks, the appearance of this medium
sized labor NJ. p with his flashing
blue eyes anu run SiSs DSdiu OiA tuc
floor of the house of commons. has
long since, 1903. ceased to be a joke.
Much credit for the strength of labor
in England today goes to the 'ordi-
e nary pauper boy" who dared to call a
{ spade spade while surrounded by his
S upper class colleagues.
The story of Garfields boyhood
9 Gays on the towpath; Lincoln's rail
). splitting and grocery clerk life or Ben
i Franklins last penny for bun in
2 Philadelphia, do not outdo the boy
= hood vicissitudes OF King George S
t new privy councillor.
/ When he was only an accident
i to his father threw the support oi
< himself and his six brothers and sis
s ters upon his mother.
r II remember how she used to CRY
because she didn't know where the
next meal was coming from" said
Crooks today When VIII was 8, 6
{ neighhor who kept shop in Popls'
o offered him l2 cents a week TO de