The Star
Largest Circulation of Any Evening Paper in the Kingdom.
LONDON. TUESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER, 1888.
ONE HALFPENNY.
Front Page
WHAT WE THINK.
THE last interest up in arms against Warren is that of the Licensed Victuallers. If it comes to an abstract question between Warren and Bung, we do not know which we like least; but in this case Mr. Bung's grievance is only the exact parallel of everyone else's grievance against the prancing dictator of our streets. One of the recent decrees of "I, Charles Warren," practically laid on the police the duty of taking charge of every man who appears the worse for drink in the streets and investigating how, when, where, by whose fault, he got into that beastly condition. This is hard on publicans, because, as the licensed victuallers protest shows, police evidence obtained under these circumstances is often unjustly damaging towards individual publicans. It is objectionable from the public point of view, because it adds enormously to the duties of the police and takes them away from work which they are already not able to perform efficiently. It is on a par, therefore, with every other exhibition of Warren's foolish fussiness.
MR. MATTHEWS was himself again in presence of yesterday's deputation on employers' liability. He was informed by the deputation, what he might have learned four months ago by reading his Star regularly, that his Employers Liability Bill is a failure, and is regarded by the working classes as no better than a delusion. A statesman, having such a representative gathering before him, would have ascertained their views, and set to work to mend his Bill in such a way as to meet them. Mr. Matthews merely comes to the conclusion that under the circumstances the Bill may as well be dropped. Certainly. No one will be the worse - except Mr. Matthews. As far as he is concerned it might certainly have been supposed that he had accumulated a long enough list of failures already.
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Warren and the Publicans.
The Licensed Victuallers' Protection Society is at loggerheads with Sir Charles Warren and Mr. Baggallay about the prosecution of publicans supplying liquor to drunken people. The society sent a letter to Sir Charles protesting against the espionage of licensed houses, which, it declared, his order to the police suggested, and pointed out that a drunken man refused liquor and ejected from a public-house would, when asked what public-house he last entered give the name of the one where he was refused. The letter added that unless the order to the police were withdrawn attention would be drawn to it in Parliament. Sir Charles Warren in his reply remarked that the instruction alluded to was suggested to the police in open Court by the magistrate at West Ham Police-court, and merely called the attention of the constables to their duties under sections 13, 16, and 18 of the Intoxicating Liquors Licensing Act. A second letter from the society to Sir C. Warren declared that no Act gives power to the police to use every effort to obtain evidence tending to inculpate the owner of the nearest licensed house to the place where a drunken person may be arrested. A copy of this correspondence was forwarded to Mr. E. Baggallay, who replied that, considering its nature, it was impossible for him to comply with the request of the Licensed Victuallers' Society for information in regard to the case referred to. The correspondence closes with a brief note from Sir C. Warren expressing gratification at the society's proposal to publish the correspondence.
The Guy of the Unemployed.
There was a lively scene on Clerkenwell-green last night. After their afternoon march a large number of the unemployed gathered there. The rumor that a guy of Sir Charles Warren was to be burnt had evidently roused the police, and for a couple of hours before there was any sign of a gathering there were mounted men hidden away down dark turnings, and a large force of foot constables and inspectors parading about in a great state of agitation and uncertainty as to what was going to happen. As soon as the red flag appeared, one of the inspectors rushed up to the leader of the crowd, loudly shouting, "I'll allow no bonfire to-night; and, if you try it, we shall go for you." The meeting lasted for some time, and was greatly enlivened by the repeated rushes of the police towards the entrances to the green as shouts were raised that the guy was coming this way or that. It did arrive at last, and was an artistic production representing a stalwart policeman with his baton raised over the head of a workman. No attempt was made to burn it, as the people saw it would cause disorder. There were many private police in the crowd, armed with heavy sticks.
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FIFTH EDITION.
Where Warren is Wanted.
The Australian Star reports serious disturbances in connection with a strike of miners at the New Lambton coal pits. In addition to huge numbers of police, there was a large body of Artillerymen used in bludgeoning the men, and a Nordenfelt gun was brought upon the scene to frighten the strikers.
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NEWS OF ALL SORTS.
A Murderer's Reformed Literary Tastes.
Gower and Dobell, the Tunbridge murderers, have been interviewed by two members of the Salvation Army. Gower was looking very well, and he expressed his belief that his crime was forgiven. He appeared very penitent. Dobell asked whether all the excitement "and that sort of thing" had subsided, and says he deeply regrets having read the "blood and thunder" literature which he and Gower were so fond of. If his time were to come over again he would read only the Bible and the news of the day.
A Prosecutor Committed for Contempt.
William Chadwick was indicted at the Middlesex Sessions for wounding his father. The prisoner was living with his father and stepmother, in Chalgrove-road, N. The father and son were constantly quarrelling, both being men of violent temper. On the afternoon of 19 Oct. they had a dispute, and the father, who had been drinking, threatened the prisoner with a poker. A struggle ensued, in the course of which the former was stabbed in the arm with a shoemaker's knife which the prisoner had in his hand. Counsel had much difficulty in making him understand the questions put to him, and he had every appearance of being the worse for drink. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, coupled with a strong recommendation to mercy. The prisoner was discharged, after entering into his own recognisances in £20 to come up for judgement if called upon. The prosecutor was committed until the rising of the court this afternoon, and had his expenses disallowed for contempt of Court in appearing to give evidence in such a condition.
THE PEOPLE'S POST BOX.
Demoralising the Aristocracy.
SIR. - I agree with your correspondent, "A Novelist," it is deplorable, from a public point of view, that Mr. Vizetelly should have pleaded guilty to the publication of an obscene libel. He was fighting a principle of the greatest importance - the denial of the right of 12 tradesmen to sit in literary judgement as an Academy of Belles Lettres; and he must have known that had the case been fought, and he had been found guilty, the punishment would have been no heavier.
The test of M. Zola's works as legal publications seems to be this. Is he a literary man or a mere scribbler? Does he work on artistic principles, or are his books an accumulation of moral filth written to sell? Is it permissible to him or not to expose the seamy side of life, and to strip off the hpocritical bandages from the vices which he believes are undermining the character of the French people?
Again, who in this country are demoralised by Zola's works? The poor? They cannot afford to purchase such literature. The lower middle class? Very few of them know of Zola's existence. The upper middle class? They are too prudish. They prefer the hot pages of Ouida, the insinuating lubricity of Daudet, or the moral pleasantries of Boccaccio. It must, then, be the "upper circles." Mr. Vizetelly has been fined £100 for demoralising the aristocracy. - Yours, &c.,
W. M. THOMPSON.
Goldsmith-building, Temple, 2 Nov.
