Smyrna times., 1886-02-17
WHOLE NO. 1886.
The RiOting in London.


The renewed disorder in the London
streets last week in no way calls in
question the good Judgment shown
from the first in dealing with these
riots by the ordinary means at the dis
pOsal of the police. 1t is very clear
that the mob came up from Deptford
was no army of Socialists" or any,
thlng else than merely a crowd of
roughs, who had heard of the row 90
ing on IN the city and wished to have a
hand IN the lootlng. There is no more
Ignorant and brutal population in the
civilized world than NAV be fonnd
swarming about the London docks.
ana an outbreak among these peoDle
has no more political significance than
one OF our Indian risings. except az IL
serves to bring to mind a condition of
things that requires political attention.
ANA While such outbreaks are unusual
they are nevertheless among the al
ways possible dangers of a great citv
IKE London, and therefore the ordinary
ponce machinery must be prepared to
meet them.
For the police to abdicate their func-
tlons to the military, except under
some extraordinary stress, would be a
sign of weakness far more COSTLY to the
shop-keepers of London than the pettv
damages Ofwhich they complain. Cen
eral Hancock taught this lesson in
Philadelphia in 1877, when he insisted
that the police should preserve order
ana that the soldiers should assist them
only II they were Overpowered. There
was no need for the discharge of a mus
ket after he came And while the
known presence of an abundant mill
tary force in London has had doubtless
a tranquilizing influence, the fact re-
mains that the police have controlled
and dispersed the mob without so much
as firing pistol, and have thereby vim
dicated the dignity and efficiency of a
civilized civil power.
There are of course, in the actual
facts of English political and social life.
not Only causes for these riots-that is.
for the demonstration that has left ali
disorder behind-but reasons why thew
have been treated with so much
patience. The burden of the COM
plants of the leaders in MONDAYS riots
was that tens of thousands of England's
laoorers and mechanics were out of
work and needing bread. The London
papers admit that the deeper cause Of
the outbreak was in the hard facts that
thousands of stOmachs were empty and
thousands of hand willing to work
were idle. Mere theoretic socialism
could not breed riot in London. Be-
sides, the English masses do not resort
to riOting till they have tried every
other methOd-waiting, complaining,
long suffering, petitioning of the gov
ernment aud the like. And when thew
do riot as a last resort the English Gov
ernment and the ruling classes know
very well that at heart the complaint
OF the riOter is just, and they know also
that military resistance would only
arouse all the anger and fight and re-
venge there are in the English masses,
| the result being a serious slaughter of
human life and many lasting feuds and
revenges.
/ 1t may not be easy to show Just how
the government of England could per-
manently relieve all the existing suffer-
| ing in England or in Ireland. But it is
fact, nevertheless, that it is the object
of government to prevent such state of
/ things. And the consciousness of the
many recreancies to duty in this line
and the common justice of the poor
mans complaint, combined, perhaps,
with some Christian regard for human
life, and above all with sound English
confidence in the sufficiency of civil
law, are reasons why pOlicemen's clubs
nave been chosen in preference to bay
onets in dealing with the present sad
affair Philadelphia Times.