Workmen's advocate., 1890-05-17
HYDE PARK.
SOCIALISTS AT THE HELM IN
 LONDON.
History of the Great Demonstration Tricky Leaders Frustrated and ImpOtent - Conservatism Dying out in the Capital of the British Empire.

IhpOteHt - conservatism DylnS
 out in the Capital of the British
 Empire.
 The magnitude of the crowds assem- bled on Sunday May 4, at Hyde Park in London to demand the institution of the eight-hour work-day by legislative enact ment has astounded the entire civilized world. Although accustomed to see large masses of workmen moving in England, many believed that those mas ses were still the followers of the old conservative Trades Unions,-bred in the ldisSez,fdire doctrine of competitive economy, and the astonishment is the greater to see them now demanding that the hours of labor be regulated by law. This important change in England means that the working classes of that country have finally broken away from the conservative Trades Unions in order to join the socialists, and that the latter are now, at least in the capital of Great Britain, leading the English workmen. This fact is proven beyond question by the history of the Hyde Park demon stration. We quote from a private let ter, just received, and written on the eve of that great event:
 "Here, in London gigantic demon- stration will take place next Sunday. The credit is due, in the first place, to the two Avelings Edward Aveling and Mrs. Eleanor Marx-Aveling) The Gas Workers, who are the best of the newly organized Unlons, were eminently in favor of the eight, hour demonstration, as they know from practical experience how uncertain their eight-hour day has been, and to them, as well as to the mi ners, the legal eight-hour day is the principal point to be gained. Mrs. Marx Aveling is a member of the committees of the Gas Workers and General Labor. ers' Unions, to which she is delegated by the Silvertown working women. The Gas Workers and the Bloomsbury So- cialist Society were the originators of the demonstration, and they had large following among the smaller Trades Unions and the radical clubs, who are joining .the socialists in growing mem- bers and leaving the fold of the Glad stone bourgeois party. In perfect good faith they proposed to the London Trades Council, which is chiefly com posed of representatives of the old Trades Unions Skilled workmen), to participate in the Hyde Park demonstra- tion; and the Trades Council, finding that the matter could no longer be avoided, attempted to capture the movement
 "The Council, after having made an agreement with Hyndmans Social De mocratic Federation, secured permit for the use of Hyde Park from the Con- which had been neglected by the others. Every mass meeting to be held at the Park has to be announced to the Com missioner of Works, who makes the arrangements for erecting the platforms etc; and, as the rules provide that but one meeting may be held at the same time, those gentlemen thought they were now the masters of the situation, and that by having monopolized the Park they might dictate to the original committee. They had claimed for them. selves seven of the platforms, of which they assigned two to the Social Demo- cratic Federation, thus keeping up ap. pearances of partialty towards the so. cialists, and also gaining socialist ally.
 "Then they resolved that none but Trade Societies should be allowed to march in the parade with their flags and that speakers of political bodies should not be permitted on any of the platforms, and from the resolutions to be read at the meeting the legal eight hour day was expunged. They also laid out the route of march, and then a meeting of delegates exclusively from Trade Societies was called. Mrs. Marx Aveling was not admitted to that meet ing under the pretense that she did not work at the trade represented by her and an amendment to re-insert the legal eight-hour day Tn the resolution was declared out of order, as the matter had been disposed of The delegates were told that the Council was the party in posses sion. that the Park belonged the Coun ell on May 1, and that if they did not like it they could leave it alone.
 "The delegates of the original com mittee were dumbfounded. But they soon rallied, and on the next day tht tables were turned upon the Council
 Aveling told the Commissioner o Works that, if the original committe, were not granted a sufficient number O platforms there would be trouble. For tunately the Tories are at the helm-fol