The San Francisco call., 1904-04-20
THE HYDE PARK, PROTEST.

I ONDON newspapers giving detailed reports of the
| recent meeting held in Hyde Park to protest
against opening South Africa to Chinese labor
show that the occasion of much more mpor-
than appeared from the brief given in the
cable dispatches The day by pleasant for
such gathering, being cold and misty, but the
less, according estimates of the Westminster Gazette
upward of $4,000 workingmen marched in procession
the park from various quarters, while thousands of
others joined them there. that when the buge calls
for order sounded fully 10000 people gathered
around the fourteen platforms from which addresses
to be made and resolutions moved.
Among the notable features of the demonstration
the sentiments embazoned upon the numerous banners
carried in the parade. One bore the words "Parlia
mentay Committee Trade Union Congress- organized to
protest against slave labor" Another was inscribed
Slavery abolished 1885, revived 1904 after the sacrifice
of $4,000 men. and children" third bore the
legend: I'VE demand work for starving white men in
South Africa" A fourth demanded: "Are the mine
be permitted paint South Africa all Yellow"
Quite number bore the inscription Freedom of la
bor No slavery under the British flag
The words of the banners significant of the tone
the speeches that were follow From first last
the efforts of all directed toward arousing antagon
ism employment of Chinese South Africa the
ground that it would revival of slavery The
outions adopted declared This meeting, consisting of
all classes of citizens of London emphaticaly protests
against the action of the Government in granting pes
sion to import into South Africa indentured Chinese
labor under conditions of slavery and calls upon them
protect this colony from the greed of capitalists
and the empire from degradation"
The orators fercely scored every noted who had
voted in Parliament for the Chinese bin Even the
Archbishop of Canterbury was spared A reporter
of the Daily News in describing the speech of John
Burns the famous labor leader who the bright par
ticular of the OCCASION says of his references
the head of the church:
"As | come up Mr.. Burns is dealing faithfuly-very
faithfully-wth the Archbishop of Canterbury. The
crowd is reveng in the enjoyment OF his fierce and tell
ing but always just and human strokes The Archbishop
must take title, says Burnsthe Chaplain to the
Chinese Compounds from the crowd. He
speaks of it "regrettable necessity" He an
ticpaed in that phrase by another great manCharles
Peace the burglar murderer. When Charles Peace
about to be condemned for his crimes he said his
counsel 81 repeat that / have taken human life
except from regrettable necessity This time i'm
nense swept the crowd the point accurately
and carefully thrust home by quotations from written
paper The roar was repeated again and again"
The opposition press of promptly took up the
voice of the protest of the workngmen and proceeded
next morning to edit it with all the vigor at
their command 1t is quite likely therefore, that
the effect of the meeting will be to ma
terially weaken the prestige of the Government
among the workingnen of London and indeed through
ont the kingdom. 1t is formidable issue for the Min
istry to meet inasmuch it enables the opposition
appeal to such varied and potent sentiments
prejudice against Chinese the antagonsm felt by large
numbers of people to the schemes of the big mine
owners of the Rand, and the high sentiment of ndigna
ton that among all classes against anything that
even looks like revival of slavery.
Fire came in such awful shape St Vincent's Hos
pital Indianapolis, that description of its work