New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-18
MAY DAY IN PARIS.
ORIGIN OF THE DEMONSTRATION AT THE
MARXIST CONGRESS.


MARXIST CONGRESS.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBUSEa
Paris. MAY 2.
The May-day demonstration was kept here as
an ordinary Sunday in fine weather might be-
There was general cessation Of toll, and all the
operatives who were not moved with tanatical
hatred Of this Government nor paid to mani
fest against the Chamber. nor vet too poor to 20
to places of amusement in or out of town, went
10 the country The railways were crowded.
When the operative was married he took with him
his wife and children and did not leave behind his
old mother if he had one. When he was moo
married he did not 30 alone. The riff-raf and tho
most exctable members of the labor party crowded
al an early hour toward the main streets leading
toward the Place de Ia Concorde. which is largo
enough to hold several hundred thousand persons.
But there were barriers of police and soldiers
across these streets, who only let the mani
festants advance in driblets and so broke the
force OF the c0nvcrgent streams. When the
Place de Ia ConcOrde began TO blacken signal
was made 10 cavalry on the four shles 10 adj
vance in different directions at canter and
drive the citizens who were beginning to gather
force back in the direction from whence they
came. This sort Of thing went on for five or
SIX hours. until the manfestants were tired and
hungry They dispersed Of their own accord
long before dusk. What was most feared was
not the Socialists as such. They for the Re-
public. though good many Of them do not Ike
lis present character. But the great danger was
that fishers in troubled water. like the Boulang-
ISIS. might get up disturbance and so act as TO
provoke the troops to fire. 1t was therefore ar
ranged that with the exception Of four or five
cavalry regiments, which had been brought into
D,ri tba IL, i'll 90 A..
not TO be in direct contact with the people.
They were kept out of sight in barracks. in the
Courts of Ministries, in the Palas de rIndustre.
and in the machinery gallery II would have
been disastrous to call them out. Police officers
were therefore instructed, while preserving Or
der, to avoid any action which might force blood
up on the other side
There was also an exodus Of the wealthy Pa
nsians. But they left town on April 30. The
closed blinds the dust and the excitement in the
centre of the city, as well the dead silence
or the other parts reminded one Of September,
1870 Horses being more liable to slip on wet
than dry ground, the watering carts did not 90
round or hydrants operate either on April 80 or
on May Day. Quantities of fine sand were thrown
wherever there were wooden pavements. Stores
were universally closed. Paris looked as If 10
had fallen into The hands Of barbarans There
were not many women about. Royais's Bona
partists, ana hcavy-swell Boulangists gathered on
the balconies Of their clubs TO look down on tho
multitude, polio" aEl cavalry The place where
they were most numerous was the garden terrace
of the Cercc DIES Champs Elysees, which over
looks the Place do Ia Concorde. There might
have been four or five hundred there. The staff
Of commanding general whose troops were
engaged in tug Of war never looked with keener
a baffl1 than n Matched fha
Place de la Concorde and the movements of the
cavalry. The Due d'Aencon and his son. the
Duo de Chartres. and Prince john the eX-Kin9
Of Naples the Marquis de Breteuil. who is at once
Bouangist and an Orleanist; the Marquis de
Norway, aud the young Due dues, were all
there Whenever a squadron Of cavalry az
vanced at troi they fancicd that dense crowd
must be coming in opposite direction up tho
Rue Royale. which was hidden from their Sghb
by intervening blocks Of houses. Field and opera
glasses were held TO eyes, and hrcathlcss suspense
vas expressed IN the faces; with, so far as |
could see, one exception, that Of the eX-kins
Of Naples. lie Is an amlable weak-wllled being.
who is resigned To the hotel life that he leads
with his wife, and manages 10 get through each
day without tedlum. and yet without any serious
occupation.
Yesterdays manifestations originated az the
Socialist Congress, held here last August by the
Marx himself sell was a Jew .' lis ' wife was a
daughter OF Lady tnaflOtte 'ampDeIl ana OF a
West phaliau nObrman of wealth and ancient
house. Their daughters are married: one % an
Irishman. DR.. Avcling. whom She brought into
the fold in which she born and bred. and thu
tther three French Socialists. namely. Town
Councillor LOuquet, tnOw widower, and the
Socialist agitatOrs Gusde and Lafargue. The
latter is a West Indian of. | should say, Franco
Jewish descent. These ladies are all women OF
ability and have the gift Of tongues. At the
close Of the iiarXist Congress, ! attended gather
Ing nj the house Of Young French Socialist
advocate where | met Bcbel Lcibneicht, La
fargue, William Morris and a number Of other
Socialists Of renown Rebcl left the luncheon 10
20 and meet his daughter who was coming from
Germany. At tie railway. and brought her back.
lie seemed a devoted father and man of gentle
disposition but there was nothing in his COM
versatiOn or appearance that showed him 10 be a
man OF mind. l.ehneicht. on the other hand.
struck me grand Individuality. lie was not
or emphatic. but one felt him TO
he a power. | heard that he descended from
Luther. and il did not surprise me. He seemed
10 have any amount OF moral and mental force
in reserve This maser-man looked genial lie
spoke well, bat IN a manner peculiar 10 himself,
letting fall in n sweet AMI sonorous voice thoughts
and observations at once original and pregnant
with meaning, The May Day manifestation was
discussed at this meeting Lelhn?lcht SAID
" Whenever we can show all the world over that
we are of one accord tangible platform. we
shall have conquered the world I.