The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-12-15
THE LONDON "HoOLIGANs."
They are English Rswdies Of the
Worst Kind.

following article by "EX-Attacbe" on
the "Hooligans" of the British metro
polls:
American newspapers on this side Of
the Atlantic recently published dis
patch from London stating that po>
liceman there had been murdered by
''hooligans," and inasmuch as this
term of "hooligan" is somewhat new,
even in England, and assuredly not
familiar to the majority of the read
ers of the Tribune, a few notes on the
subject Of this singularly displeasing
product of the British metropolis may
prove of timely interest.
H0oliganism may be described us es
sentially English. In the breast of
every one to whom the English Ian
guage is the mother tongue there is Il
latent disposition to rough horse play
of the practical joke order. Refine
ment education, and decent environ
ment serve to keep this disposition, if
not entirely concealed from view, ut
any rate, within bounds, save, perhaps,
for an occasional breaking out" But
there is in London, to greater extent
than in any other metropolis, an ele-
ment composed of lads and young men
ranging from the age of IA to "a, who,
the offspring of unskilled workmen, Of
the permanently unemployed, or Of no
known origin, have cvadcd the obllga-
tory schooling provided for by law,
and who, with no educational or COLI
ventiOnal restraint to check their dis
position to horseplay, their tendency
to mischief. and their eXubcrancc of
youth, give free and unbridlcd rein to
all their untutorcd and, one might say,
savage instincts. For they are young
savages in this scnsc-that they are
not bound by any of the moral tram
mels of civilization, and that their no.
ton of fun is permeated with IL de-
cidedly strong element of frrocity.
Until a few months ago the hoolig-
ans entertained Il certain amount of
dread Of the police, and. indeed, it was
the wholesome terror inspired by the
latter, which. il it did not exercise any
complete control over them, ut any
rate served in Il measure to contine
their sphere of operations to the poor
est quarters of the metropolis But
what is now known in England as
"mafticking' had had the effect Of
spreading 'hooligalism' over the en-
tire city, since it destroyed the pros
tige of the police in the eyes of the
mob and deprived them of that moral
force which had until then constituted
the chief source of their strength, ell
abling as it did, n single Bobby" IN
armed, save for his truncheon, or club.
to give excellent account of three,
four. and even sometimes of half IL
dozen toughs.
The "matlicking" was the cXtraordi-
nary orgy of Wild revelry to which
London abandoned itself when nfte.'
so many reverses in south Africa, the
relief of Mafcking at length became
known. AS stated by the London Spec.
tator at the time the leaders of these
extraordinary popular excuses in
the British metropolis which followed
the news of the relief of NIafeking
were educated people, in more or less
well-tO-dO circumstances. such as
brokers, city clerks, medical, and legal
students, etc, who, infamcd by min
gled patriotism and liquor, cast aside
all restraint and INDUCED in grand
collective bout of what may be sufiici-
emily described as "breaking out"
but which, in the more expressive Ian
guage Of the ordinary, everyday
American citizen, is known by the
phrase of painting the town red
Through some mistaken notion on the
part of the local authorities in London
the police received instructions on that
occasion to close their eyes to every
thing short OF actual crime and to nj
low free play to the manifestations
arising from the eXubcrance of tho
popular reioicings. Consequently they
stood idly by without making any at
tempt whatsoever to keep the we'll
dressed mob within bounds. or to exer
else the slightest degree of restraint
upon the rough horse play of the
jewellers, no matter what form it NIGH
take. These "mafiicking" scenes were
repeated on the capture Of Pretoria
and the other day again on the occa
sion Of the City of London Imperla
Volunteers return from south Africa
Unfortunately, the passive attitud,
of the police in this connection wa!
construed by the "Hooligans," not al
an act of indulgence, but to the fac
of it being powerless. Moreover, the.
came to the conclusion that If the well
TODD were allowed to enjoy such TN
bridled license without any interior
ence on the part of the authoritic
there was no reason why they shoul'
not be accorded the same privilege
and the result is that the "matfickings
of the classes, which the latter cal
only indulge in sporadically and o.
what are relatively rare occasions
owing to the fact that the men VIII
'maffick" have their time taken up b