THE HATFIELD PICNIC.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPF.CTATOR."]
SIR,—The number attending the Hatfield Conservative demon- stration was grossly over-estimated in the London morning newspapers. I was in the park nearly the whole of the after- noon, and I took pains to find out how many people were there. I am quite sure the number did not exceed two thousand. When the Riding School was filled—it holds about twelve or thirteen hundred, according to my measurement—there were not more than two or three hundred people gathered round the door on the outside ; and at that time there were very few people to be seen in any part of the grounds. About a third of the assembly were women. The Hertford Conservative paper admits that thirty thousand people were expected. It lays the blame on the rain. But the rain did not come on until three hours after the time announced for beginning the picnic. I wonder if the attendance at other Conservative gatherings has been multiplied by four in the London papers.
It ought to be recorded, I think, that one speaker used the words "That abominable old man, Mr. Gladstone," and that another declared that he had been told that twenty Members of the present House of Commons, or twenty Liberal Members (I am not sure which), were convicted criminals, and ought to be in gaol. Both remarks were cheered tremendously. Neither speaker was rebuked by the chairman, Baron Dimsdale, the selected Conservative candidate for Hertford.--I am, Sir, &c.,
AN ADVANCED LIBERAL.
Previous page
