The Washington times., 1894-04-22
NOT A MYTH.
What the Advance of Coxey Is Intended to
Illustrate and Teach.

What the Advance of COXey Is Intended to
Illustrate and Teach.
To the Editor of THE TINES:
AS CoXey's advance on Washington Is no
longer myth, but a certainty, neither priva-
ton, ridicule, ieers, or threats have turned tho
tide backward, we are obliged to face facts
For humanity's sake, / am glad when read
suggestions of common sense to the manner
of meeting these representatives of our laboring
people
/ wonder if those who have suggested prison
bars, and iails, and warehouses for this army
coming to Washington 10 plead for the enact
ment of laws to give relief TO the poor, have
suffered for bread or left their hearts blood turn
TO ice because they were freezing?
Even in prosperous times thousands of people
in the West have been on the verge of starya-
ton when flood and fire and cyclone swept over
the land and when thousands as sure to
starye as the sun is to rise and set unless this
government comes TO the rescue, can we dare
turn deaf to the appeal of thousands
through the patient persistent men who, weary
and footsore, are coming 10 ask this Congress to
do something? God knows its time the men,
bers had something TO bring them TO their
senses and to awaken them TO the gravity of the
situation.
Look Mt the idle unemployed in our own city
Hundreds of young men, middle-aged men, and
old men are treading our streets praying for
something to do, and yet Washington is para
disc compared with the rest of the country.
Had not lived in the West and suffered priva-
tion and misery; had not at one time starvation
stared me in the face with hundreds more after
the fearful cyclone on tho frontier in 1856,
might laugh in score Just at the thought of this
army of needy ones coming to this great city to
beg Congress to provide means of relief
Had | not in this very city seen men and
women of culture and refinement suffering for
the actual necessities of life because they would
not beg ! might call out in alarm for pro-
lection against the invasion of Gods poor
The time has come when the rich and wel-to-do
must think and act. The law OF humanity has
some claim on this government, and the protec-
tion of our poor the world over will be the most
important question ever presented TO Congress
l believe that God has put it into the hearts of
this multitude of men TO accomplish that which
nothing else could accomplish, viz to bring fact
and figures, and faces and forms, as an example
of the gravity of the situation. Thousands and
tens of thousands are appealing for work All
they ask is employment and fair wages
The commonweal army may be called by what
ever name we choose; its voice will go down to
the ages as the cry of one man against wrong
Every reform has come through some unusual
method, and the leaders Of all great movements
have been ridiculed and sometimes thrown into
prison; but the result has been reached, even
through those we choose to term fanatics.
Shall the stranger within our gates be met by
armed forces or received as men who bring the
peoples appeal to the counselors Of our nation?
We can certainly trust our police and their con-
tingent to discriminate between the tramp ele-
ment and tho peaceable army Of the people AZ