St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-05
Half a Million People Take
Part in the Hyde Park
Meetings.
Three Distinct Workingmen's
Organizations March the
Streets of London.
One Hundred and Fifty Bands
Make Music for the Great
Professions.
The Demonstration the Great
est Since the Reform Move
ment Of 1867.

come memorable one in the history of
demonstrations on the part of the labor
ing classes of England. for it has never
been equaled since the days of the
monster outpourings of the people
which characterized the reform move
ment of 1867. The most moderate esti-
mate of the number of people taking
part in the Hyde park meetings to-day
is 100000, of which 100000 came in the
procession and 100000 gathered at will.
This is very conservative calculation.
however, and some observers accus-
toned to gauge large crowds do not
hesitate to assert that fully 100000
people participated in the demonstra-
ton. There were $50 bands of music
in the procession. The affair was
three-headed one, the largest
number of men being under the
leadership Of the trades council-a
distinctively non-socialistic body. A
somewhat less numerous contingent
acknowledged the leadership Of the cen
tral committee, which leans strongly
toward socialism, while third and rel
atively small division was under the
control of the Out-and-out socialistic
organization known as the Social-DemO-
cratic Federation. Ali possibility of
strife or friction among the various
bodies had been avoided bv careful
previous arguments, and for once
people of all shades of opinion ON the
labor question joined in a common
movement. The trades council pro-
eession was badly led and was hardly
better than struggling mob of ill-con-
ditioned, dirty and ragged men. whose
appearance made it plain that they
represented the unemployed, rather
than the Workingman. These fOrlorn
hosts made no attempt to keep step.
even when they were within hearing
of music. They moved along pell nell,
but, despite their miserable appearance.
they manifested great good nature. and
induIged in much horse play and rude
Joking among themselves. Their
gorgeous banners were in odd contrast
with the evident poverty CT the bearers.
There were 200 of these emblemS,
adorned with all manner of notices and
devices. One was noticed having good
portrait of Mrs. Gladstone on ore side
and OH the reverse the grim motto, ave
Kill Ourselves to Feed Ourselves.
Fhe music furnished was as a rule
more noisy than artistic. In passing
Westminster abbey and Buckingham
palace the bands banged wildly as if in
defiance of those aristOcratic districts,
and it is probable that many shudder
of dismay was thus caused which could
not have been produced by clubs and
stones. The central committees pro-
cesslon moved in much the best form,
and was made up of more well-to-do
set of workmen. When all the march
ers had reached the park the scene was
an imposing one. The plainness of the
garb characterizing the aSSembiage as
whole was largely Offset by the gay
banners and by the surprising prev
alence of personal decoration in the
shape of bright ribbons. rosettes. etc.,
some being the badges of the unions,
others inpromptu embellishments. The
scene resembled huge fair, the crowd
outside of the dense central portion be-
ing dispersed in smaller groups, each
made up of the auditors of some orator
of more moderate fame than that of the
leaders who addressed the main crowd
from the central platforms. The park
belt. three-fourths of mile long and
half mile wide, was erammed with a
solid mass of people. while all the
streets and ways leading to the park
were more or less cOngeSted. The White
chapel district seemed to have dis
gorged a considerable fraction of it's
unhappy deniZens to swell the thrOng.
The crowd ebbed and flowed: and, in
stead of one meering. there was, prop
erly speaking, continuous succession
of audiences. This was largely the
necessary result of the paucity of
speakers. 1t was impossible for half
the people to hear what was said, and,
in fact. no one seemed to care much
about listening. The gathering together
in the public place, and exchanging
greetings and opinions seemed to be the
idea uppermost. The marching, or
coming and going, continued from 2
O'Clock until after nightfall.
1he best speakers were those fur
nished by the central committee, in
,cluding the more noted of the moderate
socialistic leaders. La Fargue,
F,enchman, whose chief claim to dis
tihction is based on bis distant relation
ship to the late Karl Marx. was one of
the few speakers who indulged in vio-
lent language. He declared that France
was ruled by a syndicate OF sweaters
and swindlers, who should be swept
away. He admitted that the English
people possessed more power than the
French to bring about reforms peacea-
bly,. Groups of narchers continued to
arrive long after darkness had put an
end to the speaking. The day was an
orderly one, despite the thronged con-
aition of the streets. The police did not
interfere in any way with the process
sions or meetings except to put veto
upon an attempt to lead an elephant
through the streets as part of the turn
out. The only arrests were those of
thieves, who were out in great force,
their prey being naturally the spectators
on the sidewalks rather than the humble
marchers in the streets. Altogether the
demonstration was a creditable one to