GODKIN, Edwin Lawrence, American journalist and essayist: b. Moyne, Ireland, 2 Oct. 1831; d. England, 20 May 1901. He was graduated from Queen's College, Belfast, in 1851, and subsequently was correspondent dur ing the Crimean War for the London Daily News (1854-56). He came to the United States as correspondent of that journal and after some time spent in travel was admitted to the New York bar in 1858. During the Civil War period he corresponded both for the Daily News and the New York Times, and in 1865 established The Nation, which was merged with the New York Evening Post in 1882. He con tinued to edit both papers from that date until shortly before his death. He published a (His tory of Hungary> (1856) ; 'The Problems of Modern ; 'Reflections and Com ments); 'Unforeseen Tendencies of Democ racy) (1898). He was an able, forceful writer who often strenuously opposed dominant polit ical tendencies or principles, but whose entire conscientiousness was never disputed. Under
his management the Post and the Nation ac quired a great influence over the more thought ful members of the community. His concep tion of public office as a public trust helped mold the best political theories of the time. He condemned the "spoils" or close party sys tem in American politics, and "boss" and "ma chine rule" in all its forms. His fearlessness in exposing corruption often exposed him to abuse and misunderstanding. In 1890 during an election campaign in New York he pub lished with editorial comment a series of biog raphies of Tammany leaders, which led to his being prosecuted for criminal libel. The charges were dropped, however. In 1897 he received the degree of D.C.L. from Oxford University, and in 1903 a memorial Godkin lec tureship was founded at Harvard dealing with the duties of the citizen and the essentials of free government. Consult Ogden, R. 'Life and Letters of E. L. Godkin' (New York 1907).