The Labor enquirer., 1888-04-07
LONDON LETTER.
Icontinued nom nrst page.

from prison, he was forced to place
himself in the doctors hands who
informed him that that kick had
brought on a painful internal
complaint. Graham had insisted
upon speaking that night in spite
of the remonstrances of his friends,
and he struggled on pluckily al
though several times he nearly
tainted with pain. His generous
opponents saw their chance. and
they kept up a perfect din of con-
versation and interruptions throug-
out the whole of his remarks. AS
he concluded he thanked the hon.
orable gentlemen "for their cour-
tesy and for the kind attention
they had given him." Unfortu-
nately their skins and their heads
are both too thick to feel the sting
ing irony contained in that last
sentcnce1
1t was interesting to notice the
.hamefaced way in which most of
the people fulfilled their duty to
their constituents, Their attitude
was so very different, from
what might be expected from the
tribunes of militant democracy,
attacking government which had
invaded the dearest rights of the
people. Instead Of displaying
energy and boldness in the face OF
these respectable criminals, they
went out Of their way to apologize.
The tone of the different speeches
delivered by these half-hearted
defenders OF public rights may be
summarized as follows: 1--WE don't
defend the unlawful assembly of
the fifteenth. They were all very
wrong All we want is an inquiry
into the conduct Of the police,
who, we think, were a little
rougher than they ought to have
been in their suppression of these
scandalous paradings, and we also
want an inquiry into the condition
upon which public meetings may
be held; but don't, for Gods sake
imagine that we wish to couple
ourselves with those horrid unem-
ployed or those dreadful radicals
who would insist upon holding
their meeting in spite of the ex-
press command, of that admir-
able chief, Sir Charles Warren"
A cause defended in this fashion
was certain to be lost and il is not
at all surprising that the govern
ment gave a contemptuous mega
tive to their mild request. There
was only one man beside Gun.
ninghame Graham among these
friends of the people, who did not
think it necessary to apologize
and that was Charles Bradlaugh,
lie, unlike his honorable friends,
appeared to believe that if any
one was at fault it was the gov
ernment, and he said so in manly
straightforward fashion. His pop
ularity has been waning for some
time owing to an inclination which
he showed to relapse into a reac.
t'onary policy but by his attitude
on this occasion he has done much
to retrieve the ground he has los,
in popular lavor. But though Mr..
Bradlaugh did his best Trafalgar
square is lost as far as parliament
is concerned and the British work
man is now left entirely to his
own devices.
What is to be done nextp The
law and liberty league who have
made London's open air town
hall their own peculiar care, have
already held a meeting and have
decided to ask all the members Of
parliament who spoke in favor Of
the peoples claim to their own
property, to back up their words
BY deeds by calling a meeting
under the shadow of Nelson's
column at the earlics, opportunity
Mrs Besant who moved this
resolution seemed rather skep,ical
as to its ultimate effect. She .x.
planned that it was moved merely
to ascertain the exact value q,
parliamentary speeches. II was
also decided that if this appeal 70
members Of parliamen, failed the
law and liberty league should or.