SOCIALISTIC MEETING

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 70, 22 November 1887, Page 2

SOCIALISTIC MEETING

AN ORDERLY MEETING. SYMPATHY WITH MR O’BRIEN, M.P. GOVERNMENT DENOUNCED. London, Nov. 21. The Radical clubs held a demonstration in Hyde Park yesterday. The precautions taken by the authorities prevented any outbreak of rowdyism, the meeting passing off in an orderly manner, The speakers expressed disapprobation of the action of the Government in Ireland, and they passed a vote of sympathy wtth O'Brien. The most stringent precautions were taken to prevent the possibility of a meeting being held in Trafalgar Square. LaTeb. The apathy shown by the authorities in swearing in special constables was due to the apparent collapse of the riotous behaviour of the unemployed.

In the Press of the 13th Puff has the following in regard to the various riots that have taken place in London

The Battle of Trafalgar I The invasion of Trafalgar Square by the roughs of London, repelled by the police and the military, in the presence of 30.000 spectators I The day before yesterday must have been a nice quiet Sabbath in London, mustn't it 1 Oh yes, it was a holy time ? AU the scum of the slums overflowing into the streets of the West End, and " desperate conflicts ” taking place all over the town 1 The rabble seem to have come off second best I 400 persons arrested and 75 admitted to the hospitals I Yes, the police were everywhere victorious and they triumphed without any violence I If such a riot had occurred in any foreign capital, there would have been hundreds, if not thousands of people killed ! Still, it is a shocking thing that there should be riots in London at all I Oh, I don't see anything so very shocking in it I There always have been riots in London and I suppose there always will be I The intervals are longer and the bloodshed less now than formerly, that’s all 1 But there have never been such fearful riots as these before have there? Bless yqu, these are nothing to what there used to be 1 In 1221 there was a tremendous riot, and the mob nearly pulled down Westminster Abbey I How was it stopped ? Oh, Henry 111. summoned the citizens and got some archers, and they beat the mob after a bit 1 The King was a weak fellow, but he made an example then I He hanged the ringleaders and cut off the hands and feet of ever so many more I That was only one of scores of'riots in the olden times 1 There was Evil May Day I What was that? On the Ist of May, 1517, there was a terrible riot 1 Henry VIII. hanged all the leaders, and made 400 more do penance at Westminster with ropes rounds their necks I Any more ? Lor yes I Why, in the last century riots were as common as possible 1 In 1780 Lord George Gordon's mob had possession of London for five days 1 What, did they do ? Broke open the gaols, sacked the streets, burnt no end of houses, and very nearly got in to the Bank of England 1 On the sth of June London was un fire in 36 places at onee ! How did it end ? Tbe citizens, Guards, and militia encountered 40,000 men, killed 300, wounded as many more, and arrested all the ringleaders I Were they punished ? Strung up to a man I But Lord George was tried for high treason and acquitted I If he’d been charged with a minor offence, he'd have been hanged with the rest 1 When did these riots cease ? They never ceased 1 They were frequent enough up to 1840 or 18501 After that, the vast prosperity of the country and the spread of wealth and the cheapness of food, resulting from Freetrade, made them rare and comparatively harmless I The riots on Sunday wouldn't have been thought anything of 50 years ago I I hope they’ll make it warm for the ringleaders, all the same, especially the M.P.’s I They will, don’t you fear 1 The police refused to arrest Mrs Besant 1 Quite .right I They must draw the line somewhere I Mrs Beasant’a rather too low 1 Is’n’t that the woman who wrote “ Fruits of Philosophy ’ with Bradlaugh ? That’s the beauty' She's a sweet creature 1 Just the sort of Amazon] to lead 10,000 Clerkenwell roughs 1 They’re I going to try it again next Sunday 1 If they J do they'll get beans I You’ll seel The I authorities take it mildly at first, so as not to create symp ithy with the rioters I But I public feeling will be growing more and more j angry all the week, aud by next Sunday, the | police may safely wade in and give ’em fits 1 I