"Politics in America?" The Californian went on. "There aren't any. The whole question of the day is spoils." All that money attracted the worst men to office."No one," he declared, "but a low-down man will run for Congress and the Senate."

An Englishman leaned over to Kipling and whispered in hiscear: "If I weren't among Americans, I should say we are consortium with Russians."

Conversation on board SS City of Peking circa 1885

Excerpt from The Age of Acrimony