The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1886. THE RIOTS IN LONDON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1638, 18 February 1886, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1886. THE RIOTS IN LONDON.

| The disgraceful outburst of mob *' public opinion " which recen tly i took place ii> Lppdon is only one of the results that Height haye been expected from the inculcation ;of Socialistic notions and ideas in th;e minds of ignorant persons. There is a strange fascination -in- the cry of reform which strikes pleasantly on the ears of even intelligent men. The knowledge of the misery and poverty in which so large a proportion of the human race exist in London an,d the othef? large cities }n jtheslJnited Kingdom is sufficient of ' itsjslf to attract #n&enhst the§| sympathy of the Ksrde|i heart, th| moist selfish disposition/ and the^ least philanthropic mind. sAjt the fipst glance the creeds and arguments of §ocjal and political reformers appear, tp he $e only generous and natural ones to foiloV. lp is no wonder, then, jthat the masses whp haye hjjir} the bitter experiences of the actual struggle for existence that is so universal among the poorer classes in the cities, but who lack the wisdom, jthe ' result of education, should espouse ; al|crity; y^e, wt)\ck ostensibly exists isolejy 'on their behalf apfj laljours £o improve their social and pj^ysipa^ welfare. That the roughs element- |iag done so, as a body, is evident from the alarming news which has. reaphea 1 us by cable .from London, x^eipester, Birmingham, and Yarmouth, fMflg fh.e. Iwt few dajrs. It is only too cleavly apparent jljat they have, with the greed and zeal of fanatics, entered intothe extreme proposals which they have been taught to believe' w'ill ultimately ' bring about thejr ideal millenmm. So furiously excited, indeed, did the mob become that, as the cable informs, they broke into/ the shops and ransacked and pillaged to their hearts 7 content. They also bailed up and robbed foot passengers, and the occupants of carriages pftfieir valuables, and this iri /broad' day light and in the most; frequented thoroughfares in the richest; city in the woyld. "The leaders of the Radical party will probablyj?hftke j:i theijf heads and seek to make out that there ' must have been some abnormal leasons for the wanton committal of the excesses referred to. Very possibly it is maintained in Socialistic circles in England that the whole country

is on the eve of a great revolution, which may bring about the reforms which certain demagogues talk so loudly about, and of which they make such a Urge amount of political capital. But when the collateral facts and cdnfcingent circumstancesare carefully and impartially examined, it must be admitted by allunbiased persons that the excesses which have been perpetrated are in many respects riot very dissimilar from the results of the .Chartist riots in London; ; A no* for several years thereafter there .were,: similar ebulitions of mob feeling, from which, however, it does not appear that tangible results worth speaking of in the desired direction were attained. It would, therefore, appear clear to the unprejudiced mind, that the probabilities of a Socialistic revolution,sijcceeding the recent lawless outbreaks, are not either yery substantial or such as need catuse ; great> amount;, of alarm. There is no doubt a tendency amongst all grades of political parties at Home'to become more and more steadfast and pronounced in their manner of giving expression to the policies which they Have espoused. But this tendency cannot be.associa^ with,the : disgraceful exhibitions of lawlessness ! such as have taken place within the last few days in different towns in Great Britain. What moderationand reasonable persistency M toacco'iWpiishiin^the direction of securing , desired social reforms, will never be attained by riotous, violent procedure, which sets the, law, at defiance, and necessitatjßs prompt and vigorous suppression.; .With other aspects of the matter under discussion we, must deal on a future occasion.