Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1894 — COXEY ON THE MARCH [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COXEY ON THE MARCH

STARTS FROM MASSILLON, OHIO, WITH ABOUT 150 MEN. The Crusade Against the National Capital Began Under Discouraging Clreumstancee—Crowds of Spectators Line the Roads—Scenes In Camp at Canton. “Commonweal” Sets Forth. Coxey'a army of the commonweal left Massillon, Ohio, Sunday forenoon, and by night had .covered the first eight miles of the long heralded march to Washington. A Canton, Ohio, dispatch says that as the column passed through the public square of the city of its birth there were just 122 people on foot, in wagons, or horseback. The national colors wore carried at the head of the column by Sam Johnson, a Massillon negro. Carl Brow ne came next,mounted on a splendid white horse weighing nearly 2,10.) pounds. He wore high top boots, corduroy trousers, a buckskin jacket, a fur

overcoat, and a big sombrero. D jc Kirkland, of Pittsburg, was close behind with two aids. Then came Coxey in his phaeton, with a coachman driving a spi rited team. M rs. Coxey, her little son Legal Tender, and her sister, Miss Jones, drove with them to the first

stop. A light running gear, having a speaker’s platform, was next. It is to accommodate Carle Browne and his panorama illustrating his harangue against the national banking system as the monster of the age. Lew Smith, the great unknown, headed the section of footmen. He is the man who made such an incendiary speech in Massillon that he was net allowed to speak the second time. People in the crowd the first time he spoke thought he was Fielden, the Chicago anarchist, and so announced. He replied: “J am the great unknown and must remain so. He is handBJme, commanding and well dressed and maintains good discipline. Seven-ty-four footmen followed. A covered wagon accompanied the band of fourteen members. Two wagons accompanied the tents and a commissary, and an ordinary farm wagon loaded with horse feed brought up the

rear. The first stop was ujade at Reedurban, and here, according to the scriptural idea which Browne introduces wherever possible, there was a feast of loaves and fishes—rye bread, canned salmon, and oiled sardines. After an hour's rest the order to fall in was given. There were some recruits by this time—a dozen more horsemen—and probably 15'J march ed*. through the city and to Camp Lexington, just outside the city, where the night was spent. Marshal Browne says that the name, age, residence and occupation of every member is enrolled, together with a satisfactory reason for enlisting. The list was not open to public gaze, but Browne indignantly denies that there is a single tramp in the company. He say j that others will join in Camp all alortfr the route. Coxey is elated with the start and says a grand success is now assured. Before leaving Camp Concord at Mas-

sillon, a meeting was held. Carl Browne delivered his.idea of a sermon. He read from the scriptures, selecting several pas- 4 sages from Reve’atlon. He took the ground that all of the prophecies had been tulfiilea. He §X; plained the' passage

of the beast with seven heads and ten horns. New York, he said, was the beast, the seven heads financial conspiracies, and the ten horns such grasping, grinding monopolies as the Standard Oil Trust, the railroad trusts, and the land trust 3. Purpose of the March. J. S. Coxey’s “army” of unemployed was organized to march to Washington and in person demand relief from , Congress. Mr. Coxey associated with him as assistant Carle Browne, of California. The work of organization was begun months a;o. Labor unions, farmers’ alliances and similar organizations were invited to join intact. All organizations were advised to procure a wagon, if possible, to carry camp gtensils. Appeals to Populists and various societies throughout the country were mailed at intervals for eeveral months. The itinerary of the trip is an interesting one. It has been so arranged that day meetings can be held in leading cities where labor troubles are abundant. It is from these centers Mr. Coxey expects to secure the greatest number of recruits. Arrangements, it is said, were concluded for seven thousand acres of land in Washington, owned by Senator Stewart, of Nevada, upon which the army is to camp. Editor Redstone, of the National Tocsin, is the agent. When the army reaches that city, Redstone will meet it with the unemployed of Washington and vicinity and escort it to the Capitel. When these pilgrims have surrounded the Capitol with a hollow square, they will separate into groups according to their Congressional districts, and will call upon their Representatives -to come out. They will be petitioned to feed the army during its stay. An inspection of Coxey’s ’ headquarters before the march began disclosed, in readiness for the march, a round tent sixty feet in diameter, used by a circus last year, two smaller tents, 24 by 40 feet in size, a commissary wagon of six'or eight tons capacity, an ambulance wagon, with medical and surgical appliances and numerous smaller articles forithe accommodation of the army. The big circus tent is to be used for sleeping quarters at night, and for the meetings en route, when the weather is too inclement for the open air. Congress will be demanded to pass two bills. One provides for the issuing of $500,000,000 in legal tender notes, to be expended by the Secretary of War at the rate of $20,000,000 a month in constructing roads in the various

States. Common labor -fr paid 51.50 a day for eight hounTwork. Another bill is to provide that any State or municipality down to a village desiring to make public improvements may deposit with the Secretary of the Treasury non-interest bearing bonfis not one-half the assessed valuation of its propsrty upon which the Secretary of the Treasury shall issu? legal tender at BS per cent of their face value. Jerrv Simpson will be asked to introduce these bills.

J. S. COXEY.

BANNER CARRIED BY COXEY’S MEN.

CARL BROWNE