The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-05-29

by the contributions of ignorant men
Representative Pence askedt the Judge
TO disarm criticism by giving a nominal
sentence and show that there was no
bitter animus behind the prosecution.
Judge Miller entered INFO a long re
view of the case and arraigned Coxey
severely. There were no politics in the
case, no prosecution of Coxey for his
ideas. Coxey must conform his meth
DDS of salvation to the law of the land.
1t was a matter of congratulation that
only 800 pr 400 men responded to his
call to march on Washington. 81
thank God the working people the
suffering people-did not respond, 1"
said the court. Coxey had proposed
to bring 100, 600 idle people here to set
an example by breaking a law. "Who
in the world should be punished for
violation of the law if you should not,
Mr.. Coxey?" he asked.
81 did not violate it, said Coxey.
You have your head so full of your
schemes that, you think anything that
stands in your way is wrong" said the
judge. What right of yours has been
abridged In the District of Columbia9"
asked the court. The judge referred
to Coxey's absolute folly" arraigned
him as q dreamer" and said: II do
not know of any case where the court
would be more justified in passing the
maximum sentence, but l am not go
ing to do it." Then he told the defend
ants. that he could send them to jail for
100 days and fine them 5000 each, but
he would not DO so. He wished, he
said, that Coxey and Browne had so
demeaned themselves that more than
a nominal sentence would not be neces
sary, but their demeanor in court had
changed this feeling. Judge Miller
then imposed the sentence given above.
At 1:55 o'clock Coxey, Browne and
Jones with handouts on their wrists
were placed in the "Black Maria" with
a dozen white and negro work house
prisoners (whO were not handcufed)
as companions, and the van inmedi-
ately conveyed them to the jail. CoXey
did not relish free transportation on
such basis, and when he was told that
he was to be taken to the district prison
he asked to be allowed to go in a ear
riage, but his request was not granted,
and he and his companions were
compelled to ride the same as other
prisoners. A score of policemen pat
rolled the sidewalks adjacent to the
court house after the sentence vas
RkNSu duu pT0V0UU5u Gu6 CuEIOU6 4TOu1
assembling thereabout.
One of CCXey's men who had been
waiting round the court followed the
a on horseback with the view of
getting orders from the general" as
to the future conduct of the Army of
the Commonweal."
Before going to the police court this
morning to receive sentence, and ap
naroOtlv aOV authorization of
the actual outcome, COxey prepared a
proclamation which he furnished to the
press. One extract will serve as a
specimen of the entire production.
Some newspapers said we would
never leave MasilIon, Ohio. We left.
They next said we would never cross
the Pennsylvania line. We crossed.
Next, we would never pass through
Pittsburg. We passed. Next, that
we were too lazy to climb the Allegheny
mountains. We climbed. Next, we
would go to pieces in sparsely-supplied
surroundings of the Capitol. To pieces
did not go. Next, that the District
| Commissioners would not allow us to
march on Pennsylvania avenue. We
marched. Next, that we would never
have the courage to 60 on the steps of
cur nations home. We went. And
we were arrested-for what7 Exercis-
ing our revolution sires founded consti
tutional- right of free speech. Oh no,
they dare not do that. Their crack of
doom would come too soon if they at
tempted that, and they knew it, too.
Their tactics we're to bring odium upon
us and rely upon a servile and SCOT
scattering press to blacken u.s."