Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-04-30
A HARMLESS Crowd.
Washington Not Scared
by the CoxeyIteS.
LOOKS MUCH LIKE A CIRCUS
Big Crowds Gaze az the Widely Ad-
vertised " Industrial Army"

~
army today. tnp are now liushing 20
th NIX that tu apprehendei any d ger
from such a nond scr pit crowd. CoXry's
army will never do anything dangerous
IL IL requires any exrrtion.
The main army is as harmless ss lot
Of street loafers. The western branches
Of the army and the criminals II may -
tract may be a menace, but the main
body, under Coxey's immediate COM
mand. will not scare Washington any
longer.
The march had been accomplished, but
It's ending was in pitiful contrast 20 the
massing of the thousands Of unemployed
that It's projeo tors had prophesied. Three
hundred and n half OF miserably dressed.
wobegone, grumbling, out-at-the-elbows
and run,dOwI-at-the-h heels specimens OF
humanity, who bore striking resem blances
TO the familiar genus tramp, marched
into the park led by wheeling apology
for band, pitched tents. aud stretched
themselves In the sun.
Thousands from the city turned out 10
make holiday of IL and inspect the Gu
rious aggregation. They listened to the
weird talk Of Marshal Carl Browne and
they turned toward home in haze OF
mental wonderment at the whole queer
performance. the perseverance with which
IL had been carried out and the strength
1t had gained. Across the park, enterpris-
ing oolored citizens had established their
booths for traffic ia gingerbread and
sweetened water which passed current
under the guise Of lemonade.
"Cirous Day"
The semblance TO a circus layout was
furthered by thin ble-riggers and shell
men skulking about the outskirts Of the
crowd But when the people poured into
the park enclosure the suggestion OF
circus day was full blown. In the center
OF the half-mile track appeared the can
vas enclosure which snOircled the quar-
tsrs of the commonweal army.
Half dozen weather beaten army tents
stood about the canvas-drawn circle with
several canvas-co covered commissary wag-
ons Tents and wagons were covered
with blaCk-painted legends, whi h
were q queer mixture OF good roads. rein
oarnation and finance. The great Per
cheron horses with shaggy fetlooks were
tsthered about thewagons. Nearby were
fastened two large Am rican adgs, and
the en- mblematic banners were piled oil the
ground.
Most interesting OF the sights, how
ever, were the human elements, the rank
and file of the Quixotic army, the men
who had marched and borne the brunt OF
mud and storms and cold. They were
the most unique and applicable aggre-
cation ever brought together. Some OF
them were at work about the tents and
wagons, others curled up on the damp
ground munching great chunks OF bread,
and many more stretched sleeping in the
sun with their heads plllowed on rolled
up coats Fa5hionably dressed women
stood about surveying the men. com
msnting upon their appearance with no
apparent realization OF the fact that the
subjects Of their comm snts were human
beings who could hear and understand
them.
Coxey's Intentions.
Over in the most pretentious tent, which
bore the sign headquarters" painted
across IL, were founl the leaders of the
army, General Coxey and Marshal
Browne.
Clad in fashionable spring suit OF
light drab hue, with perfectly creased
trousers, with a cup OF coffee In one hand
Coxey, AS mild a hammered q man as ever
headed An army OF peace.
The question which has agitsted Wash
ington of late was propounded to him by
a reporter: what do you intend to do
when the police prevent you from hold
ing your meeting in the Capitol
groundsp" he was asked.
mo one will prevent u.s." replied the
seer from Massillon, with great prompt
ness. "Does not the constitution guar
antee the right to peaceably Assem- BILE and
petition ,oDgressY
"But there is police regulation passed
by congress which forbids professions and
assem- blages on the Capitol grounds, and
the police will stop your army if 1t at
tempts to trespass"
"The constitution was written before
any police regulations" replied the gen
erpl. "lf the7 come in conflict with the
constitution they are void. We stand
squarely upon the constitution; that IL
our platform"
"How do you intend to enforce your
rightsi"
"There is but one way, by an appeal to
the courts We will 20 before the highest
court In the land II necessary. Mean-
while we will walt here In Washington,
II it takes all summer II the courts re-
fuse US our rights there will be revolu-
tion. do not advocate revolution, nor
do desire il, but 1t will be irresistible,
and IL will be the greatest revolution of
history II the American people are once
thoroughly aroused"
The Industrial Choir.
The conversation of Mr.. Coxey was
broken into by trumpet which sum
moned the choir of the army. Following
Carl Browne, this choir of dozen
privates In the army fiocked out to the
platform wagon which has borne the re-
markable allegorioal panorama of the
curse Of national banks. Browne elm bed
into the wagon. Beside him stood a
btalwart man holding up banner with
the legend: THE kingdom Of heaven
Ton earth) Is at hand"
The choir sang In various keys Ia key
to each individually parody on the re-
vival hymn. Hold the Fort" Before