Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-23

abroad. when the horizon grew darker ana
darker and 1t was plainly seen that IL left
to themselves there was not the slightest
hope that any relief would come from Con-
gress or the President / came to the con-
clusion that something must be done at
once. did not believe that the country
could stand under the strain for another
two years. which II would have been nee
essary to wait before a new Congress could
be elected and seated. and even then relief
was extremely doubtful. as the Senate and
the President would still have been unsur-
mountable bars to accomplish anything.
An Immense Human Petition.
THE first idea was an immense petition
for the passage of the road bill, but we all
know the little effect which written sug-
gestons have on Congress- and IL was sug-
gested that better than this would be the
assembling on Labor day of a vast human
petition, This was the, plan adopted with
the addition of forming the commonweal
at Massillon and marching across country
10 the capital in order TO wake up the peo-
PIE thoroughly, in order to present to them
the visible sign of unemployed men In this
great and resourceful land.
Beginning the Work.
"Mr Brown came down to MasiIlon and
we began in earnest the arrangements for
the work There was. however still a doubt
In my mind.
1.-THE road bill believed would settle MANY
questions. but 1t left Enacted on the ques-
ton of the unemployed IN the cities Under
the road bill men would have to flock from
the cities to the country for work and at
work different from their ordinary occupa-
lions: saw that as an entire settlement Of
the labor question the bill was defective
and i tried vainly to obtain some satisfac-
tory solution On the morning of the past
New Year day ! woke up suddenly along
about o'clock with the impression of a
very vivid dream still in my mind. The
dream outlined what I had SO vainly strug-
gled after in waking moments Immedi-
ately got up and wrote down that dream
and 1T has become, with hardly a change
the bill known as the nor-interest bearing
bond bill. which. IL passed, believe will
settle for all time the money and labor ques-
tons. have the original paper I wrote that
morning here"
Mr.. Coxey then drew from his pocket an
envelope. containing two sheets of paper,
with his business heading. At the top Of
the first sheet was written,
my New Year Dream"
The paper then reads:
THE great question of the new year is
how to give employment to the three mil
lions Of unemployed. When we stop and
think Of the great amount OF public i'm
provements that are needed throughout the
states. counties. cities and villages IL is no
wonder then that I should have the follow
ing dream, just after the new year was
ushered in. and which will certainly change
the present condition to one of Joy and glad
ness through the prosperity that would fol-
low its Introduction. namely: BE II enacted
by the Senate and House Of Representatives
IN Congress assembled. that each state
county. city and village may issue bonds
for public improvements In said states
counties. cities and villages and deposit said
bonds with the Secretary of the Treasury
Of the United States when the Secretary
shall issue treasury notes which shall be a
full legal tender for an debts. public and
private. to 80 per cent OF the face value OF
said bonds. retaining 1 per cent for cost az
issue OF same, said bonds to bear per
cent interest per annum, and said interest
to be applied to or on the principal OF said
bonds. is COxFy
That" continued Mr.. Coxey, '.was NV
dream. and it seems to me settles the whole
question of Increased money circulation and
work for the unemployed. AS a matter of
fact, II also contains the road bill as coun-
ties or states then could improve the roads
after depositing bonds. If the road bill.
however should be dropped, IT would be
necessary to incorporate in the bond hin
the provisions In regard to wages and hours
of work.
The "New Crusade.
From the New Year we continued our
preparations for the new crusade with re-
newed energy, with the two bills as our
banners. Letters were written in all d.
rections. and great announcement received.
and on Easter the start was made. Among
my neighbors. and business associates every
possible effort was made TO lead me TO give
up my plans, but / thought / was right
and persuasion, argument and ridicule were
alike unavailing. 1 left everything. bust
ness and family. and came away. NV
spring crops were not sown. and would
not have been. so far as 1 could have aided
but recently have learned that my neigh
bors had turned out with the true spirit
and put in the crops for me. From the
start OF the commonweal from Massillon
you well acquainted with the historx, IS,
T. c. n.