Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-01

Inc coming or CoXey'S army mas turned
the attention of many minds to the eco
nomic questions suggested 10y the march
( to Washington as wen as 10 the immedi-
ate problem of how to care for and treat
the men who have assembled in the Dis
trict and declare their purpose of staying
here until Congress acts on Nj Coxeys
bin Readers Of The Star. of course vary
in their opinions both as to the demonstra-
ton, the conditions that have procured it
and the remedies to be applied. The Star
publishes below some Of the views on these
matters sent to the editor by correspond
! ents:
"'The Great Unknown"
One correspondent. EFT. writes: | would
! like at this time TO make a suggestion
throug your widely read journal. Except in
ferenually, l do not intend to discuss Gen.
CoXey but wish to say u few words about
the great unknown--not Smith-but the
Constitution of the United States. It is a
fact, as sad as II is strange. that after
one hundred years of national existence
the people know but little of the funda-
mental law embodied in the instrument
/ framed by our fathers. Take our young
men as you may meet them on the streets,
all of them with more or less schooling.
most of them fairly wei educated. and
| undertake to say that seven out Of ten of
t IIein KNOW nOtnlHE OF the CONSTITUTION.
In our many schools children are taught
all sorts OF things some OF little OF no I'M
pOrtauCe. and yet that which one would
suppose 10 be the NEST important item--a
fair knowledge of the form of government
under which they iVe-is absolutely ignored
! in the curriculum. Many of these bright
children, you Will ind, can give you the
history of Rome from the time of Romalus
down. can name the generals who COM
manded and state the number of soldiers
, slain in great battles fought many cen
/ tuiTeS ago, and yet cannot answer the
simplest question as to their own govern
rlent. This is straight" Now, 1t is fair
[ 20 presume that were such important
knowledge as largely Giffused Ii should
| be no such silly scheme as the CoXey
movement would ever have been heard Of
ff Gen. Coxey can influence legislation TO
suit his desires by assembling crowd at
I the federal capital. then others can do like
wise, and we shall have Gen. Rocksy with
! his army to advocate cleaning out the river
/ and lake beds; Gen. High Tariff may as
semble his cohorts TO demand more pro-
/ lection for the infant INDUSTRIES Gen.
/ Low Tariff may marshal his riniOns to de-
mand the unshackling of the wings Of
! commerce. and so on. This CoXey move
ment may, after ALL prove eood thing in
arousing a knowledge among the people as
( to what they can or cannot DO lawfully and
properly. 1t may teach them TO STUDY up
( their form of government and when once
I posted ennble them to better indicate their
freedom and maThoUd b. deu6 Hu-DC az the
polls according TO their independent juds-
rlent the measures Of legislation they de-
sire, rather than follow advice of shallow
! demagoEues or vote TO please bosses.
| The Constitution should be taught as
I regularly and peTsistenuy in our secular as
J is the catechiSm in our religious schools.
4 All it's provisions have been authorize lively
( passed upon and its instruction would cost
, the teacher no more difficulty than that of
f grammar or geography. Besides. ii is most
excellent reading, superior to any OF the
/ readers
/ Now is a good time to call public attention
/ TO p glaFing defect in our educational sys-
! tenn. The Star ought to, and ! think viii.
give the subject the attention it deserye s.
! DO not leave the Constitution to the study
! only of lawyers; let everybody be familiar
/ with its wise provisions. n knowledge Of
the benefits conferred and of the Obligations
( imposed by II must Of necessity result IN
purer and better government and preclude
any idea of legislation by Coxeyism or
mobocracy."
Rubbish About Revolution.
observer says: Can you inform me
| as to the meaning Of all this insane talk
! INDUCED in by a few sensation mongers
in regard to a revolution and dismember-
( ment Of this great and glorious nation.
/ which is only in the infancy of its history?
It is all bosh and rot, and not worthy of
serious consideration.
1T is quite true that many of us (in-
GLIDING the writer are worried and merry
Gus over Hnanclal troubles, and some in
actual need of the necessities of life. but
/ thee Is no reason to believe that any
human being viii be permitted to starve
to death in this land of plenty and abund-
ance.
The great foundation stones of humanity
among men, Intelligence and Valur, upon
! which Uncle Sam built his house, are vet
quite able to support the supersructure
as ever. and. indeed. even mo.e, for il IS
my belief that before the day when the
decline and fan Of the United States Of
America shah be recorded in history that
country viii embrace most of North
America
so long as men of any nation have due
regard for the rights and feelings Of their
! fellow crea lures. So long as they possess
s, ficient mental ability to discern the re
laticn Of cause and effect, and so long as
they have the manhood to stand up TO
what they conscientiously believe TO be
! the right, just 50 long viii that nation con-
tlnue TO prosper OhcuEh temporary set
2acks may occur and lead the world in
civilization.
This is fully verified by a resea -ch into
hlStcry, and these are the factors which
characterize American citizenship, and of
| which We are justly proud"
Not True Americans.
&C. T F." referring TO comments made
on Inspector Byrnes' utterances. writes.
| II would say that I, for one and | be
lieye in common with all true Americans,
heartily indor5e Inspector Byrnes in his
ut-erances On the CoXey situation-that
! no true american would mix up in such
( a begging movement That the Coxeyites
are all Americans TO the manner born
does not enter into it, as that by no
i! means makes an American citizen any
more than does silver spoon In one $
| mouth at birth guarantee to the world
that a gentleman mas been born into il
| hold that the true American citizen hav-
ing the interest Of his country at heart,
/ Is willing 10 abide by the laws enacted
! by the Fepresen tatives whom the people
have selected by their votes TO represent
them in the legislative halls, believing that
/ each representative will act according TO
/ hts hest judgment Should they fail IN their
trust. the citizen surely knows what to do
. at the polls. It's the viii Of the majority.
/ and while ii may sometimes fail of It's
/ purpose, yet it is in the main right, and
/ me right of il will eventually prevail
| 1.-The American citizen knows thatand his
I love Of honesty and fair play is Inherent
I in him-as ii is in all true men. Birth nor
politics enters into it not at ALI This being
: true, can any man enter into scheme
that has for its prime object (yvhayever
may be said to the contrary notwithstand-
J ing) the squeezing of living from bis
/ ueighbor? In all this broad land there is
| ne one wholly dead to the feelings Of hu-
manity, and sympathy for the suffering ard
! distress of the poor has been substan Nv