People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1894 — COXEY’S ADVANCE. [ARTICLE]

COXEY’S ADVANCE.

The Commonweal Army Growing in strength Every D*f. Alliance, Q, March 29. Coxey's army of peace made a triumphant entry into this city at 1 o’clock Tuesday afternoon. It was received with open arms by the populace. The army slept Monday night in the Louisville town hall, the door of which was sedulously guarded by two city officers. A small band of sentinels under the command of “Oklahoma Sam” guarded the tents all night and kept the camp fires going. Before 6 o’clock the common wealers turned out. Orders were given out by the marshal that no whisky should be sold to the common wealers. At 8 o’clock a breakfast of coffee, baked beans and cold boiled potatoes was served. Browne and Coxey ate at the hotel. After the breakfast dishes had been washed and packed away the order to break camp was given. The tents were soon packed away and the army began its march for Alliance, after giving three cheers for Mayor Snay, of Louisville. After the men were warmed up they grew jolly and answered the cheers of the farmers who gathered along the line of march with no little zest The army stopped for a short time in Maximo, a little station midway between Louisville and Alliance. Reaching Alliance the army went at once to the fair grounds, where the tents were put up. Dore Smith, a prominet populist of this place, has been at work for several weeks getting ready for the army. Two great wagonloads of provisions were donated and Coxey was compelled to get another commissary wagon in which to carry them all. A load of straw was on hand to put in the big tent and comfortable quarters for the horses were provided by Manager \V. H. Rickard, of the fair association.

In fact, the army was received by the people of Alliance with open arms.* Trustee Jenkins of the Independent church offered to let the commonwealers sleep on the floor of the church building, and E. H. Brosius wanted them to occupy his store, but both offers were declined, Coxey being of the opinion that his men would get into less mischief if they staid in the tents. The manager of the people’s opera house tendered the use of his theater for the addresses of the day and Browne promptly accepted it and appointed the meeting for 4 o’clock. The news spread rapidly, and long before the doors opened a crowd of several hundred had gathered in front of the building. Mr. Coxey was uproariously cheered. When the address was finished a man passed the hat and collected $9.89.

Six recruits came in from Millport, O. Several dropped in from other points, and a iarge number joined from Alliance. The commonweal is unmistakably growing larger every day and the people here firmly believe that it will actually reach Washington. When supper was prepared 150 men ate it Sioux Falls, S. D., March 29. “Chub” Warner, an unemployed printer of this city, is organizing a company to join J. S. Coxey’s army at Washington. He has already enlisted fifteen men, and expects that at least. 100 will be ready to join the South Dakota branch of the army when it reaches this city—about April 10. Woonsocket, S. D., March 29. —Col. W. S. Young, a former partner of Coxey, is issuing an edition of his paper calling for recruits in South Dakota. He expects to raise a regiment of 1,000 men and to start with them from Woonsocket April 12, going east by way of Sioux Falls.