Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-05
Over Half a Million People of the
Laboring Glass Assemble.
A Monster Demonstration Held in Hyde
Park, London, the Occasion
Of the Gathering.
People of all Shades of opinion on the Labor
Question Join in q Common Move
ment-No STRIFE or Friction.
E.h,b,tion of Strength.

LONDON, May 4.-This day should be-
come memorable one in the history Of
demonstrations on the part of the labor
ing classes of England, for it has never
been equalled since the days of the mon
ster outpourlngs of the people which
| characterized the reform moveS
ment of 1867. The most moderate
estimate of the number of people taking
! part in the Hyde Park meetings to-day is
| 500, 900, of which 200, 900 came in pro-
! cessions and 800 900 gathered at will.
| This is q very conservative calculation,
! however, and some observers accustomed
/ to gauge large crowds do not hesitate to
assert that fully 200, 600 people partici-
/ pated in the demonstration. There were
| 100 bands of music in the procession. The
| affair was a three headed one the largest
number of men being under the leader
| ship of the trades council, distinctivelY
| non ocialistic body. A somwhat less
numerous contingent acknowledged the
| leadership of the central committee,
which leads strongly towards socialism,
while third and relatively small division
was under control of the out and out
soCIALIsTIC ORGANIZATION,
known as the Social Democratic FEEDER
| atty All possibility of strife or friction
among the various bodies had been
| avoided by careful previous arrange
ments, and for once people OF all shades
of opinion on labor questions, joined in
a common movement. The trades
council procession was badly led and for
the most part was hardly better than a
struggling mob of ill-conditioned, dirty
| and ragged men whose appearance made
| it plain that they represented
sttseMcemployed rather than the working
isHl8a. These forlorn hosts made no at
I tempt to keep step even when they were
within hearing of the music. They
moved along pell nell, but despite their
miserable appearance they manifested
great good nature, and INDUCED in pueh
horseplay and rude joking among them
selves. Their gorgeous banners were in
odd contrast with the evident poverty
of the bearers There were over
200 of these emblems adorn-
ed with all manner of notices
and devices. One was noticed having
good portrait of Gladstone on one side
and on the reverse the grim motto, awe
Kill Ourselves TO Feed Ourselves. - The
music furnished was, as a rule, more
noisy than artistic. In passing West
minister abbey and Buckingham palace
the bands banged wildly as if in defiance
of those aristocratic precincts, and it is
probable that many q shudder
of dismay was thus caused which could
not have been produced by clubs and
stones. The central committees pro-
cession moved in much the best form,
and was made up of more we'll to- do
IN
ers had reached the park the scene was
an imposing one. The Dlainness of garb
characterizing the assemblage as
and by the surprising prevalence of per-
sonal decoration in the shape of
bright ribbons, rosettes, ETC., some
being badges of unions ,others impromptu
embellishments. The scene
REsEMBLED A. HUGE FAIR,
the crowd outside Of the dense central
portion being dispersed in smaller
groups, each made up ofauditors of some
orator of more moderate fame than tn at
the leaders who addressed the main
seEowd from central platforms.
The Park belt, three-quarters of a
mile long by half a mile wide, was
crammed with a solid mass of people
while all the streets and ways leading to
the park were more or less crowded. The
Whitechspel district seemed to have dis
gorged a considerable fraction of its un-
happy denlzens to swell the throng. The
crowd ebbed and flowed, and
instead of Que meeting there was, prop
erly speaking continuous succession of
audiences. This was largely necessary.
As result of the paucIty Of speakers it
was impossible for
HALF THE PEOPLE TO HEAR
what was said, and, in fact, no one
seemed to. care much about listening.
Gathering together in public place ana
exchanging greetings and opinions seemed
to be the idea uppermost. The marching
or coming and going continued from
O'Clock until after nightfall. The best
speakers were those furnished by the
central committee, including the more
noted of the moderate Socialistic lead
ers. Larfargue, a Frenchman whose
chief claim TO distinction is based on his
distant relationship to the late Karl
Max, was one of the few
speakers who INDUCED in vio-
lent language. He declared that
france was ruled by a syndicate of sweat
ers and swindlers, who should be swept
away. He admitted that the English
people possessed more power than the
French to bring about reform peaceably.
The group of marchers continued to
arrive long after darkness had put stop
to the speaking.
The day was an orderly one. despite the
thronged condition of the streets
The police did not interfere 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 turnout. The oaly arrests
were those Of thieves, who were out in
great force, their pride being naturally
to fleece the spectators on the sidewalks
rather than the humble marchers in the
streets.
Altogether, the demonstration was
creditable one to the great eight-hour