The San Francisco call., 1895-12-22
AMONG THE WORKINGMEN.
British Subjects Who Care Little
About the Dispute.

LONDON, ENG, Dec. 21-The represen-
tative Of The United Press has essayed to
ascertain the feeling regarding President
Cleveland message in the workIngmen' s
political clubs, on which feeling the poll
ticians here rely when organizing popular
demonstrate These clubs, though
numbering their members by the tens of
thousands, remain concealed from public
view until there are periods of agitation,
when party wire-pullers find 1t advisable
to foment excitement and supply funds to
call out the masses. Funds alone, how
ever, would not evoke professions in Hyde
Park nor enthusiastic crowds in the great
halls. The workingmen's clubs can only
be manipulated on the lines of their own
tendencies.
Selecting four of the most notable of
these clubs, the inquiries of the United
Press representative revealed the fact that
there was an entire absence of excitement,
and only mild interest in the situation.
While keenly alive to home politics, the
average intelligence of the workingmen
who are members Of these clubs does not
extend to Great Britain's foreign relations.
The Monroe doctrine, especially, is hero
glyph to them, but they are sympathizers
with America, and their belief in the JUS
tice of the American Government is pro-
found. To sum up the result of the con-
versations had with several of the best in
formed members of the clubs, it may be
said that the opinion is that the men must
learn more about the causes OF the quarrel
before there will be the smallest chance OF
their responding to party appeals for a
demonstration for or against the Govern
ment.
The recognition of the primary neces-
sity for the spread of information on the
subject has led the London weekly papers,
which have purely popular circulation,
to set themselves in their issues of to-day
to enlighten their readers. One OF these
papers, having a weekly issue OF 100000
copies, prel udes Its article with the admis-
sion that many Englishmen will learn for
the first time, through President Cleve-
lands message, that Great Britain has a
boundary dispute with Venezuela, which
it then proceeds to explain. The article
concludes with an attack on Mr.. Cleve-
lands action as calculated to bring the
principle of arbitration into contempt.
Another of the papers which has an
enormous circle of readers in the operative
and manufacturing centers likewise ex-
pounds the Monroe doctrine and then up
holds President Cleveland as being in the
right in insisting upon arbitration. 1t,
| however, denounces the arrogant preten-
sions of the United States that in no part
OF America shall any one set foot except
with the permission OF the curious gang OF
corrupt politicians in Washington" The
paper adds: "Grant Ireland home rule
and we shall hear little of the Monroe doc
trine.''
Another Radical workingmen's paper
holds that it is impossible for the public
to support war on the question Of the
boundary of British Guiana or of teaching
Uncle Sam better manners. 1t recalls how
Lord Palmerston played the "Jivis Ro-
manus Sum" doctrine for all it was worth
to get well with the crowd when his name
was ill-smelling at court and among hi s
colleagues.
Mr.. Cleveland. it says, is using the Mon