Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-04-24

the gathering would not represent even a
respectable fraction of the 20 millions Of
people in this country. Such an aggrega-
ton can only be formidable through its
capacity for food and other charities and its
opacity for Ia wlessness. Such movements
have attraction only for the easily deluded
cranks and the reckless. Indeed, the whole
movement is chiefly characterized by its
utter disregard Of the rights Of others and
It's folly. Here are few hundred men
C aiming the right to dictate to Congress
representing 20 millions of people; here
are at the outside a few hundred men so
III mi ndful Of public rights that they are
willing to participate in "bummers" cam
paign, for it is nothing else. Not only have
they snbsisttd on their journey off the
bread earned in the sweat of other peoples
brows but they cay they are going to stay
in Washington until their demands are &C
coded to. TLey make this declaration as
il it were creditable to them when every
one knows they can't remain in the capital
4s hours unless they are given foo or steal
it They don't even bother to explain how
they exp, ct TO subsist during their long vi it
in the national capital.
| These industrial armies mean nothing if
not simply "let the public feed us other
wise we'll steal" There's no other inter-
probation 20 make. These men are not
participating in these crusades to starve,
but for not liety. adventure AMI grub"
We do not assume that there may not be
well meaning men in the movement, but
the large majority of those who go to make
up these gatherings have long been accus-
toned to social cannibalism AMI are perfect
ly at home living off other people. But
the most flagrant dsr, lri of other peoples
richs is being manifested by those who are
in position such that better is ex-
pected of them. We allude to the
public authorities of towns and cities
along the routes which these tramps are
taking. These authorities facilitate the If
progress with food, money and trapsporta-
ton in order to ''wash their hands" of their
proper responsibility. 1t is in the line of
the came selfish purpose that foists paupers
off upon other communities where they do
not belong. Knowing that there isn't the
slightest possibility of any good to any per-
son resulting from these crusades and much
possible harm, such disregard of duty
is entitled to general condemnation.
Thes3 tramp expeditions represent and
serve to promul gate socialistic and an
archistic ideas. If given no money, no
food and no encourage ment these so-called
armies would speedily dissolve or commit
depredations that would result in their being
placed in confinement where many of them
belong. To give all to these is to traitor
ously render assistance to an enemy, both
to our form of government and to civiliza-
ton.
The fact, however, should not be over
looked that there are conditions now exist
ing which foster these movements and
which have induced those to participate in
and to render aid TO them, who would
not have done so had not cir
cumstances been favorable. These con-
ditions are not only incident 10 the Demo-
cratic regime but are traced directly to the
doctrines for which that party now stand,
sponsor. So long as the Republican party
was responsible for the control of the gov
eminent we had no Coxey crusades. None
were contemplated. 1t was not until the
principle of protection for American indus
tries was threatened AMI the hard times,
loss of work and spproat hing STAN
I dard of European wages came,
that Co1ey armies were dreamed of.
1t was not until we hal been given over
year of practical illustration of Demo
cratic theories that the Co1eyism reared
its head. For years Democratic speakers
and writers had been telling the people that
monopolists were robbing them, that Con-
gress was but the tool of monopoly for
years these promulgators of Democratic
doctrines ignored the facts showing the
prosperity of our working men, their in
creased wages ana the generally favorable
conditions under which they lived and
harped on fancied wrongs, copjured states
men TO pir .tes, AMI declared that Congress
Was MAXI & the poor. poorer. At last a
m jori,y Of the poo lie became ceslive, co.,
stlnily told that they we're being robbed tt, y
began to believe l.. Tney took the Demo-
cratic party at its word and called it into
p,~er. Then came the disappointment and
how bitter a disappointment it was. The
prosperity of the work. gmsn was fed, his
conf ience in the Democratic party was
gone. They were ripe for new political
faith. The opportunity for cranks like
Coxey with capacity for leadership c,me
and has been utilized. The free silver