Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-06-13

The Suppression of Free Speech and
the Right to Petition Boldly De-
nounced.
Before us lies a paper containing an
account of meeting held in Spring
field, Mo. 1t is only one of thousands
that have recently been held all over
the land. 1t was not Peoples party
meeting, but meeting of the citizens
of that city and county. The occasion
for the meeting was the brutal treat
ment received by Coxey and his fol-
lowers at the national capital Men
of all parties participated. If the
plutes think they are only dealing
with Coxey and his little army at
Washington let them read an account
of the proceedings of that meeting
There were over 5000 people present,
among whom were some of the lead
ing business and professional men of
Springfield.
The Springfield Democrat, speaking
editorially of the meeting, says:
Those who estimated the interest
taken in the Coxey movement by the
peof lie of Spring field as of an unsympa-
thetic nature were disappointed in the
demonstration which took place on
the public square last night. No such
enthusiasm was ever before exhibited
politically, religiously or otherwise
by gathering of Springfield and
Greene county people Conservative
estimates place the number of people
present at 5, 900. OF this number per-
haps half were from neighboring
towns and villages and the county
district Perhaps two thirds of the
people present were in a measure in
sympathy with the Coxey movement,
and one-half were active sympathizers
with all of the Coxey ideas, especially
those in regard to increasing the vol
ume of currency, and il was this idea
which was most loudly applauded at
every mention"
One of the principal speakers was
Col Harrington. Among other things
he said:
Fellow citizens, l have no politics
except the liberties of my people. Any
man who allows his political preju-
dices to over ride his love of country
is traitor to God and his fellowman.
only few days ago 1 saw in this
hoasted country of ours, in free
America, not in Russia. not in Africa,
net in Switzerland but right here
in e few miles of this city as 1 was
riding along women following the
pillow in the field, not one but many of
them. Women who ought to have
been at home caring for babies, work
ing in field not half as we'll dressed
as were the slaves of old. Not because
they wanted to, but because crops
must be planted and there
was no money to hire the idle
men who beg for work; crops must be
planted or starvation must ensure
saw women who would be ornaments
10 any home in Springfield if toll had
kinds of manual labor besides their
husbands and fathers, and yet such of
these people as are able to see through
the systems which have caused their
implements and go to Washington to
demand redress are denounced by a
local editor as ragamuffins, anarch-
lists and idiots. l say the man who
would permit such stuff to be set in
type and printed in his newspaper
ought 10 have his head punched. He
is dirty, contemplate and cowardly
liar [Uproarious applause.
''The leaders in this Coxey move
ment are derided as cranks. Once
upon time l saw in Greene county
inside of that court house, an election
when only four votes were cast for
Abraham Lincoln. The four men who
cast them were called lunatics, and
one of them came very near being
assassinated because he voted for the
freedom of the peop'e. l do not mind
being classed as a crank and an an
archist The scenes of those days are
being re-enacted and if the voice of the
| people is not heard by the peoples
| representatives the same result will
follow. The people who control the
| volume of money and who refuse to
listen to protests are guilty of hum
dred fold greater treason than any one
connected with the southern confed-
eracys
"a few days ago band of peaceable
citizens went to Washington to ask
congress to consider their grievances
They were met by policemen and cast
into prison. say it was an act of
treason compared to which the firing
on Fort Sumpter was insignificant. 1t
was muzzling free speech, the God
| given right, and was plainly a flag
rant violation of the constitution. The
hirelings of the beneficiaries of class
legislation were allowed to go to the
national capital and present petition.
They went by twos, by tens and by
ifties, and were received with pomp
and splendor, but when the represen-
tatives of the people attempt to as
sumo the same rights they are met at
| the threshold of their own seat of
! government by the minions of the law
and arrested. MY God. where are we
at? When they denied Coxey the
right of free speech they thrust dag
/ ger at the liberties of the working
men. and in the language of Andrew
Jackson. by the eternal Gods, we
won't stand IL.