The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-09
BULLETS OR BALLOTS
WHICH is 1T?
The Coming Revolution.-Some Ac-
count of its PrOgress.-Signifi-
cant Events Pregnant With
Great Political Results.


cant Events Pregnant With
| Great Political Results.
Our readers know that we have
never encouraged the Coxey, "On-to-
! Washington movement. 1t seemed
to us painful and inconsequental
| proceeding. To walk 500 miles,
through the mud, to read a stump
speech on the Capitol steps, amid a
lot of hurrahing hoodlums and grin
ming and corrupt legislators, appeared
to us,-as the little darkey said after
he had learned the alphabet, "like go
ing through great deal to get very
little"
But we recognized the fact that the
movement was specific expression of
a general disease. 1t represented pov
erty, hardship, distress, and suffering,
caused by the demonetization of sill
yer, and the general mis-rule of the
capitalistic class of New York and
London, in the interest of the great
creditor nation of the world, Eng
land. Hence our sympathies went out
warmly to the poor. homeless, friend
less wanderers. The wretched cry to
| Heaven out of their miseries; these
! unhappy people cry to Congress, the
| little god of this underworld of ours.
And this prayer should have been
heeded:-they should have been met
| halfway with full hands and kind
hearts; and a committee at once ap-
| pointed to devise means to palliate
the general distress. Instead of that
we lind Congress increasing it's police
men; getting ready it's gatling guns:
summoning it's soldiers; and ransack-
ing obsolete laws to see if the unarmed
petitioners could be stopped from en-
terlng Warrington; from parading the
streets: from holding meetings: from
assembling in the Capitol grounds to
present their grievances. They went
farther. The House of Representa-
tives has been for years absolutely
helpless and vOicelesS in the hands of
any ring that may control it; no mem
Der can make speech or even a mo-
tl0n, unless the speaker permits him
TO Go so; he might just as we'll be in
Africa, SO far as any good he can do
his people, unless the speaker uncorkS
him, And to head off Coxey they re-
solved that any motion in reference, to
the approaching multitude, should go
| to committee without debate. Moth
| ing but a can of dynamite could be
| heard in such slavish, manacled as
sembly. If they had said to CoXey,-
| Come up on the Capitol steps and
make your speech;-blow your bazoo;
sound your trumpet" :"-what harm
would it have done? Instead of this
humane and reasonable treatment
this is VIII at occurred:
We'll we go no farther" said
Browne to CoXey, leaning half way into
| the vehicle.
Are these the east steps?' inquired the
commander.
Il think not replied the marshal Then
the two men held a whispered conversation
which nobody but themselves heard When
| this was finished Commander COxey arose
! in his phaeton, kissed his wife and leaped
| into the crowd. He was loudly cheered as
he stretched himself and started toward tie
! capitol. Browne at his heels, and as
the two men leaped over the stone parapet
wall they were followed by hundreds of
lHeu ana women. Inc ShruDDory
broken and crushed by the onslaught and
children who could not cling to the gowns
of their mothers were trampled upon and
kicked through the grass. --r.
SIGNAL FOR THE BATTLE
The breaking of the trees and the snap
ping of the branches sounded like fierce
discharge Of musketry. Not sacred plant
or tree was spared by the mob 1t was at
this moment that the great hand of the
,, government came out of its hip pocket and
began to do business. Sixteen policemen
mounted on fretful horses leaped over the
parapet, through the shrubbery and almost
upon the back of Marshal Browne In the
confusion and roar the two leaders of the
commonweal were separated. Browne, pale
but resolute, was seized as -trespasser
He smiled as the cavalrymen pounced l,pon
him, and then of a sudden he grew angry
A red fist had come down from a saddle
and seized him by the neck There was a
struggle, the swapping of a cord and a show
| of resistance on the part of the Californian
Who stood in circling and hostile group of
policemen. For the first time in 81 days the
relncarnated commonwealth was savage
| and desperate. The necklace of amber
| beads which his dead wife had worn was
| torn from his throat and scattered on the
| grass. With his head uncovered and a
| vicious light in his eye. he fought blndly.
| first to the right and then to the left He
| knocked one policeman out of his stirrups,
| and was battling with another officer when
] ne WAS OVerpOWereu HIS Sh1rt was torn
from the neckyoke to his trousers With
| a policeman on either side of the common
| wealer and another punching him from be-
| hind. the prisoner was hustled out of the
grounds Back of him rode score of
mounted policemen, who vainly endeavored
| to keep the crowd in the grounds.
| OFFICERS LOSE THEIR HEADS.
| But the people believed the marshal a
| martyr, and and howled at his heels.
| The sweep of the officers over the white
| road hurled the crowd into panic Women
and children were driven against the trees
| and men sought refuge behind any sort of
| barrier Those who could not escape the
| charge of the nervous policemen were
beaten down with clubs. One big negro
| was dubbed until blood streamed down his
| chest Meanwhile Marshal Browne was
being dragged by the neck and shoulders
over the white roadway. His head was un-
| covered and with his shirt in rags and his
| face almost colorless in rage, the leader of
| the commonweal presented pitiful spec
tacle. Just as the prisoner was pushed into
| b street Christopher Columbus Jones, of
| the Philadelphia contingent, who was wear
| ing a silk hat, burst out of a brush and.
fighting his way through the mob said
| something mean and vicious to the officers
| In an instant hand big as an ice box
came down upon his neck and he too was
| dragged through the noisy multitude to the
| Fourth precinct station.
At the foot Of the steps the great crowd
| greeted Coxey and the officers with storm
| of shouts. Again the mounted officers
| charged. The crowd surged, and women and
| children fell in the stampede AS Com
mander Coxey left the white steps he
| tossed his typewriter protest to the news