He was described by author Cyril Pearl as an irresistible demagogue, who "looked like a prize fighter, dressed like a tramp, talked like a bullocky, and to complete the pattern of popular virtues, owned champion horses which he backed heavily and recklessly.

[3] In 1885 Crick and Edward O'Sullivan founded the Land and Industrial Alliance, a protectionist party aimed at country selectors and city workers, and ran unsuccessfully for election to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1887.

[4][5] He was notable for his verbal aggression in the house, especially when drunk, and in October 1889 he called several parliamentarians "bloody Orange hounds and thieves" and William McMillan moved a motion that "That Mr. Crick, the hon.

After debate had commenced on the motion, Crick attempted to resign with his letter stating "Mr Speaker, I consider Parliament rotten and corrupt.

I resign my seat, and intend to appeal to my constituents against a rotten and corrupt parliament, in which freedom of speech is brutally stifled and suppressed in order to cover up crime".

[8]: 5191  In the debate various euphemisms were put as to the extent of Crick's consumption of alcohol, including that he was not in a fit condition to be heard, was slightly excited, having just returned from the Melbourne Cup, where "joviality ... reigned triumphant ... where Bacchus is the chief god".

[9] Alexander Hutchison stated that "it was worse than useless to ask a drunken man to come into an assemblage of gentlemen to make an explanation of his conduct".

[9] Crick repeated his accusations of corruption in his campaign speeches,[10][11] and was re-elected in the resulting by-election, with a slightly increased margin.

[12] In August 1890 Crick was involved with William Nicholas Willis in founding the Truth newspaper, which was intended to promote their political and social views, but instead became largely a scandal sheet.

[16] and the Attorney General declined to prosecute the matter again as evidence before the Royal Commission had been ruled inadmissible in his criminal trial.

[15] Crick then submitted his resignation from parliament, however before it was accepted the assembly passed a motion that he was guilty of conduct that rendered him ineligible to sit as a member.

[20] Although he had reportedly been going to quit smoking and drinking in 1903, Crick suffered increasingly from cirrhosis of the liver and died of hematemesis at the Sydney suburb of Randwick.