The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-24
The Tramp Armies.

The Coxey craze is spreading in the
( west with remarkable rapidity. In our
! dispatches this morning mention is made
Of about fifteen tramp armies, " and it is
stated that companies of idle men are
forming in all important towns in the
western states. Some Of those armies"
have only a hundred or so men in them.
while others have a thousand or more.
COXey's army that is nearing Washing
ton Is composed wholly of tramps. One
of the deserters stated a few days ago
that he did not believe there was a man
in the entire outfit who would accept en-
ployment if the opportunity to do so pre-
scented itself. No doubt the other
armies" are omposed of the same class
of men There may be a few of
those who are now Joining these
tramp crowds who have been honest
workingmen and are out of employment
but the mum Der cannot be large. If there
are any they are the victims of a craze FOR
which no satisfactory explanation can be
given.
Neither Coxey nor any other one of the
leaders of the armies" has clear idea
of what he hopes to accomplish by lead
ing idle men to Washington. The leaders
are intelligent enough to know that con-
gress cannot, and would not if it could do
what Coxey proposes it shall do. 1t has
no authority to burden the people with
debt in order to provide employment for
those who are idle; and the great ma ority
of those who compose the armies" are
not anxious for work. They would
not accept it if it were offered
to them. They are content to
march through the country as long as
they are provided with enough to eat.
For the first time since the craze made
its appearance the authorities at Wash
ington are apprehensive that the collec-
ting of so many idle men into groups may
result in mischief Thus far the "armies"
have conducted themselves with proper
respect for the law. 1t is evident, how
ever. as Senator Hawley said in a speech
in the Senate the other day, that they
have in them the bacteria and bacilli of
anarchism. No one can say that leaders
will not appear who will endeavor to
lead them into all sorts of lawlessness.
That they would willingly follow such
leaders is almost certain, particularly
if their supplies of food should be cut of.
The authorities at Washington, there
fore, are acting wisely in preparing for an
emergency. There may be no trouble at
Washington or elsewhere. 1t is sincerely
to be hoped there win not. 1t would not
be mistake, however, to be prepared if
there should be.
A condition of affairs may arise that
will have to be dealt with firmly, and
any hesitation or show of weakness might
encourage resistance from a class of men
altogether different from those now in
the armies. The sympathy shown by a
large body of workingmen at Omaha and
Council Bluffs with Kelley's ''army" is
an indication that is worthy of careful
consideration. An element of danger also
is the strike Of the coal miners in all
parts of the country, There are more
than 10000 fthese miners, and they have
nothing upon which to support themselves
and their families While they have no
connection with the tramp armies, - still
it cannot be said they will not have, be-
cause it is impossible to foresee what the
outcome of this tramp army craze is
going to be. When United States sena-
tors, in their places in the Senate, extend
encouragement to it, the authorities are
justified in being on the alert.