The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-05-07
ONE MILLION PEOPLE
Participate in the Eight-HOur
hot, Demonstration
In Hyde Park, London-The Greatest
Event Of Its Kind for Quarter
.E 39nl of a Century. 'nf y


dressed by Leaders Of the Movement for
Shorter Hours.
LONDON, May 5.--Sunday should be-
come q memorable one in the history Of
demonstrations on the part Of the labor
ing classes of England, for 1t has never
been equalled since the monster out
pou ings Of the people which character
lied the reform movement Of 1857. The
most moderate estimate Of the number
Of people taking part in the Hyde Park
meetings yesterday is 100000 Of which
200, 900 came in the procession and $780,
600 gathered at will. This is very con-
servative calculation, however, and
some observ rs accustomed to gauge
large crowds do not hesitate TO assert
that fully one million people partici-
pated in the demonstration. 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 dis
tinctively non-Socialistic body. A some-
what less numerous contingent acknowl-
edged the leadership Of the central COM
mittee, which leans strongly towards
Socialism; while q third division was
under control Of the out-and-out Social
istic organization known as the Social
Democratic Federation. The Trades
Council procession was badly led and
was hardly better than struggling mob
OF dirty and ragged men whose appear
ance made 1t plain that they repre-
sented the unemployed rather than the
workingmen.
The central committees procession
moved in much the best form, and was
made up of more well-to-do set Of
workmen. When all the marchers had
reached the park the scene was an i'm
posing one. The plainness OF garb
characterizing the assemblage as whole
was largely Offset by the gay banners
and by the surprising prevalence Of per-
sonal decoration in the shape Of bright
bibbons, rosettes, etc., some being the
badges Of the unions, others impromptu
embellishments. The scene resembled
. huge fair. the crowd outside Of the
dense central portion being dispersed in
smaller groups, each made up Of the au-
ditors Of some orator OF more moderate
fame than that OF the leaders, who ad-
dressed the main crowd from the CEN
trail platforms.
The park-three-quarters Of mile
long and half mile wide-was crammed
with solid mass Of people, while all
the streets and ways leading to the park
we're more or less congested. The
whitechapel district seemed 70 have
disgorged considerable fraction Of the
denizens TO swell the throng. The
crowd ebbed and flowed and instead Of
one meeting, there was continuous
succession OF audiences This was
largely the result OF the pauoi5y 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 greet
lngs and op Mons seemed to be the idea
uppermost The marching, or coming
and going, continued from two o'clock
until after nightfall.
Groups OF marchers continued 70 ar
rive long after darkness had put an end
to the speaking. The day was an order
ly one, despite the thronged condition
Of the streets. The police did not In
terfere in any way with the professions
or meetings except TO put veto upon
an attempt to lead an elephant through
the streets as part Of the turnout. The
only arrests we're those OF thieves, who
were out in great force. Altogether the
demonstration was creditable one 10
the great eight-hour movement.