A Socialist demonstration in favour of universal suffrage, the payment
of Members and election expenses, and second ballots, was held on Sunday afternoon in Trafalgar Square. Processions were organised to march to the Square via, the Embankment, but owing to the bad weather, and partly also to a lack of anything like real enthusiasm, these practically collapsed, and not more than 1,000 people assembled to hear the speeches. There were, says the Times' reporter, a few small red banners, and a display of emblems, such as a minia- ture gallows with a dummy figure, and underneath the inscription, "Asquith, the murderer : Justice wanted," and a gun and gun-carriage with the legend, "Remember Ponte- fract." After "three cheers for the Social Revolution" had been given, the speeches began. Mr. Taylor declared that nothing would be done for the unemployed as long as "the Grand Old Humbug" was in power. Mr. Gladstone was, it was said, going to bring in a Bill for abolishing the House of Lords; but the Social Democrats would give him no support in that. Dr. Aveling, another speaker, said that they, the Socialists, differed both from the Anarchists and the "men like Keir-Hardie." The meeting, of course, passed a unani- mous resolution—in favour, among other things, of turning the House of Commons into "a democratic convention of paid delegates of the people." The meeting was of no importance, and if London were not a political microphone of great power, it would never have been heard of. It is, however, worth noting that the Socialists are bent upon representing Mr. Asquith as the English Constans.
Previous page
