Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-08-01
MIS- cry M0CKED.
LONDON PLEASURE PARTIES
AMUSED AT DESTiTUTlON.
Beasts of Burden and British Beasts,
Shameful Pastime Which Has
Not Obtained FOOthOld in
America "PrOp.
all Capah."

A London visitor to this country
recently, while describing the foibles
of the members of English arstoc-
racy, revealed II phase of their life
and inclinations which well might
excite the Indignation, if not rage of
the humane. Said he: ''There is one
English fashion which the Anglo
maniacs have not yet succeeded in
introducing in New York, and that
is stunning In London visiting
the slums' is believed to be about
the jolliest and most fetching dissi-
patton known to the fashionable
world. The subject has been the
butt of the comic weekly artists of
London for some months now, and
no well-regulated member of society
can afford to miss a Summing party
during the season."
Well it is for the Anglo-maniacs
that they have not introduced this
"fashion" in America, for we fear
that however patiently the citizens
Of this country could bear poverty,
they would never brook insult to
that poverty. Shame on the nobili-
ty (?) Of England's pampered idlers
that the latest "propah capah" or
adjunct to their dissipation is to
gloat over the misery and degrade
ton which their class has created
and perpetuated 1t is of the deni-
zens of these slums that Jerold Mas
sey wrote:
''Our fathers are praying for pauperp pay,
Our mothers with deaths kisses are
white;
Our sons are the rich mans serfs by day
And our daughters their slaves by
night.
The visitor states that this fashion
has afforded subject for the butt of
comic artists. We think that the
quality of humor is not capable of
being SO strained. He then contin-
ues.
"They do it up in great shape over
there, you know. An Englishman
must dress for every expedition, no
matter whether it is trip to Africa
or a walk to the corner. In slum-
ming, women run to cloaks and men
to long coats. These outer garments
are believed to ward off disease,
though exactly how they do it when
their wearers breathe the foul air of
the slums is difficult to imagine.
When they return to the houses of
their hostess Or chaperone the young
people all throw off these wraps in
the passage, and the wraps are aired
by the servants and returned by mes
sengcr the following day. A supper,
more or less elaborate, follows the
'slum, as the excitement makes all
hands hungry and talkative. There
are always two policemen with the
party, and, as a rule, not more than
five or six people 60 along, London's
tramps are liable to prove surly and
ill-tempered when their homes are
invaded" /"
We can imagine that Londons
tramps might find some reason to
become surly or impatient. The
contrast of so much comfort only
intensifies their distress, adding as
it does the mental quality of suffer-
ing to their physical poverty. And
when they become surly at this out
rage we can understand that there
is growl emitted. We can also be-
lieve that the roar of the mob in the
recent London riots was but COM
bination of many of these surly
growls. How blind the upper few
The roar of the mob in London was
the muttering thunder of an ap-
preaching hurricane at which we
may shudder but cannot avert. But
there is no need of comment on this
revelation of mans inhumanity TO
man.
''The Summing parties wander