Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-05-05
A MONSTER MEETING
Half a Million London TOilers
in Hyde Park.
NO DISTURBANCE REPORTED.
Michael Davitt and John Burns Among
tho Speakers.

Eight Hours the Theme-Tradss Unio
Men and Socialists ToGsther-16o Bands
of Music in the Procession-No Inter-
tss Makes a Fiery Speech.
LONDON, May 5.-Yesterday should
become a memorable one in the history
of demonstrations on the part of the
laboring classes of England, for it has
never been equalled since the days of
the monster outpourings of the people
which characterized the reform move
ment of 1867.
The most moderate estimate of the
number of people taking part in the
Hyde Park meetings yesterday is half
million, of which two hundred thousand
came in the procession and three hun
dred thousand gathered at will. This
is . very conservative calculation, how
ever, and some observers accustomed to
gauge large crowds do not hesitate to
assert that fully one million people
participated in the demonstration.
There were $50 bands of music in the
professions.
Three-Headed Affair.
The affair was a 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 &C
knowledged the leadership of the Gen.
trail Committee, which leans strongly
toward Socialism, while q third and
relatively small division was under the
control of the out and out Socialistic
organization known rs the Social Dem
ocratic Federation. All possibility of
strife or friction among the various
ho1 I'd Eel
vious arrangements, and for once peo-
pie of all shades of opinion on the Ia
Dor question joined in a common move
ment.
Passing the Aristocratic Quarter.
In passing Westminster Abbey and
Buckingham Palace the bands banged
wildly as If in defiance of those aristo-
cratic precincts; and it is probable that
many a shudder was thus caused which
could not have been produced by clubs
and stones. When all the marchers ad
posing one. The plainness of garb
characterizing the assemblage as q
whole was largely offset by the gay
banners and by the surprising pre-
valence of personal decorations in the
shape Of bright ribbens,- gessttss> ETC.
Few Violent Speeches.
The best speakers were those fur
nished by the Central COMMITTEES. in
Guiding the more noted of the moderate
Socialis tic leaders. La Fargue, French
| man. whose chief claim to distinction
| Is based on his distant relationship to
| the late Karl Marx, was one of the few
speakers who INDUCED in violent Ian
| euage. He declared that France was
ruled by 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 reform peaeeabay:
The speakers included Mr.. Davltt,
Mr.. Cunninghame Graham, John Burns,
Thomas Mann, Benjamin Tillet, Mrs.
Aveling and Annie Besant.
The Police Did Not Interfere.
Groups of men continued to arrive
long after darkness had put an enc
| to the speaking. The day was an orderly
| one, despite the thronged condition Of
the streets. The police did not intefer'
in any way with the professions O.
meetings, except to put veto upon OIL
| attempt to lead an elephant through
the streets as part of the turnout. Tn
| only arrests were those of thieves, VIII
were out in great force, their pre-.
| being naturally the spectators on tn
| sidewalks rather than the humble ms
: | chanics in the streets.
Altogether the demonstration was
q creditable one to the great eight-hou
. movement.