Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 April 1894 — AT WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

AT WASHINGTON.

The Capital Not Alarmed—Coxey’a March Regarded as a Joke. A Washington dispatch March 28, says: Washington regards the advance of Coxey’s array of peace as a huge joke. Those who took counsel of their own timidity and feared that the band of pilgrims would swell into a gigantic mob of vagabonds and Anarchists, an I who conjure up a general rising which might evontu- ■ ally lead to a riot and bloodshed, perhaps even revolution, had all their fears disI pelled when they saw by the morning j papers that Coxey’s boasted “army” had dwindled into less than a hundred mon, chiefly tramps, who were willing to exchange the hard board and cold potatoes to which they had become inured, fora membership in the array. Cui. A. Redstone, Coxey’s representative in Washington, said that he was not disappointed at the poor showing made by the armyofltho Commonweal in the first day’s march toiyard the national capital. “I did not expect,” he said, "to see a very large crowd go from Massillon, but at Reederburn, where the army is to formally organize, the number will bo swelled. I suppose the cold, disagreeable weather was a disadvantage to the army at its start, but I had a dispatch from General Coxey telling mo that ho had started and that everything was encouraging.” Colonel Redstone’s manner is less enthusiastic than it has been and ho evidently does not feel as hopeful as his statements would Indicate, lie has reduced his estimate of those to appear here from 3<X>,OCO to 100.00 J. Letters are coming to the War Department daily, begging, suggesting and demanding that the Secretary of War provide an abundant supply of rations for the various sections of the Coxey Commonweal Army nnd that they have designs upon Washington and the peace of mind of Congress. Thest letters come from all quarters, but their destination Is the sarne-thu Departmental waste basket, for they show evidence of being tho productions of would be practical jokers. . The Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette has passed into [the hands of a company, of which Perry 8, Heath, tho well-known Washington correspondent, will be the president and manager. Mr. Heath is a native of Muncie, and began life as a printer’s devil. ’