The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-18
THE MODERN CRUSADERS.

The crusaders of the Industrial Army
continue their march. General Coxey has
embarked bis army of the Common veal
(not commonwealth from Cumberland,
Nd. In two canal-boats; General Kelly,
mounted on borrowed sorrel horse, has
led his warriors forth from Omaha; John
g. Groner of Cincinnati is about to lead
1000 of Obio's unemployed TO Washington
to face the authors of their misfortunes" !;
Frye's army has arrived at Bingham.
Ind. and gone into camp; Grayson's Colo
RADIO brigade are burning empty cars at
Denver; detachmeDts Of jndustrals are ar
irving at Sacramento from Stockton; an
army OF destitute crusaders is In camp at
Cotton, ana to cap the climax wOman's
auxiliary TO the Industrial Army is as
sem bling at Seattle. Not one of all these
crusaders appears 10 be moving hand to
get work or to earn bread They seem
inspired by an idea that if they can only
keep moving all will be well through some
unforeseen interposition of providence.
They drift from places where there is little
work TO places where there is less. and
with extraordinary perversity they migrate
from localities where they constitute a
power to localities where the constituted
authorities are perfectly capable of hand
ling them.
The necessities of the wandering indus
trials are so real that every one wants to
deal generously and forgiyingly with them.
1t is more than suspected that the leaders
are mere demagogues who are trying to
turn the sufferingS of the poor to account
for personal objects. But people who have
means aud who are humane are disposed
to overlook the folly OF the crusade and to
feed the hungry and shelter the homeless
Their benevolent impulses are strength
ened by the desire of municipal bodies
everywhere to get rid of the crusaders as
soon as they can. Thus the latter have
escaped the main danger which threatened
their eDterprise-the danger Of starving by
the way. The escape, however. has only
been momentary. Cities will presently
get tired of feeding tramp armies and rail-
roads will presently object 10 seizures Of
their rolling stock. What will then hap
pen?
The present current of migration is
toward those Eastern centers where popu-
lation is already plethoric and the normal
residents are at their wits ends TO find
work and food. What will they do with
the newcomers? 1t is quite on the cards
that Congress may be frightened into APP
propriating sum of money to feed the
crusaders, which, of course. would swell
their ranks by recruits from all parts of
the country. 1t would be putting pre-
MUM on pauperism. Yet. If ten thousand
men gather on Pennsylvania avenue, the
country could not permit them TO die Of
hunger.
The Board Of Supervisors appropriated,
on Monday, sum sufficient TO move
regiment of the unemployed numbering
800 to Chicago without stoppages on the
way. What they will d. when they get
there is not clear. but. as navigation is
opening. there may be an increased demand
for labor. According TO the statements of
their leader-a man named Barker-most
of these men are Eastern mechanics, who
came here in the hope Of finding work.
They were not hard-looking set OF men;
most of them were young, and they
seemed to be chiefly Americans. They
were just that kind of crowd which could
be impelled in a right or wrong drec-
ton, according to the quality of their lead
ers. Happily the Gemagogues who have
given so much trouble in the past by stir
ring up mobs TO threats of mischief were
not in evidence at the City ball on Mon
day. The Supervisors could not but act as
they did. though it may be hoped that no
more regiments Of industrials will knock
at the MAYORS Office for transportation.
1t is strange. too, that no one thought Of
sending some of the young men to the
fruit districts, where labor Is wanted.
One point may be noted. This regi-
meni, which is now on It's way. announced
itself as a sort OF advance guard of
socialist army, which would take posses
sion of the country in about three years.
The idea is nonsense. No invincibe So
ciaist army is going to take possession of
the country three years hence oil at any
other time. In less than three years Ii is
to be hoped that the crusaders. or so many
of them as want work. will have got it,
and will have dropped theories The evil
of massing the unemployed in large
bodies is not only that it diminishes their
chance of finding employment; 1t is that
multitndes are almost sure To adopt false
rules of life.