Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-04-28
THE COXEY MOVEMENT.

A dispatch from Gaithersburg, Md,
saws the nearer the Commonweal ap-
proaches to Washington the more GER
tain it seems that the whole Coxey
movement this petition in boots" as
he calls twill end in o fasco. 1t is
now within an hours ride by rail from
the national capital (twenty-one) miles,
aud the great crowd that were TO meet
the Commonweal are nowhere in
sight. The army struggled badly yes
terday and lots OF the members said it
will go to pieces before it reaches
Washington. Montgomery is u dry
county, and many of the members have
adult thists which water will not
ouench. Some Of the men have gone
on to Join unknown" Smith al Rock
Vile. The General has accepted the
tender of Brightwood Park, at Wash
ington, and will increase the charge for
admission from ten 10 twenty-five
cents. The only news ofaccession any
where between this and Washington is
that an insignificant number OF men
have been sent by Redstone 10 Rock
vile, that fifteen or twenty adherents
of Smith were encamped in the fair
grounds there, and that Jones's handful
of men from Philadelphia are expected
there oday.
When two hundred miles away from
Washington two hundred and fifty men
seemed but the nucleus OF great army
which would gather about them rs
they drew nearer the capital, but, at
present, the army, at the outside does
not number over three hundred, and
it is doubtful if more than two
thirds of That number will actually
march into Washington. There are
not few of the men at present in the
Commonweal who will desert the Cox
ey banner at once if Unknown" Smith
heads company to go to the capital. 1t
is stated that Smith will be in Rock
vile to-day with his little band of fif-
teen or twenty, and from the hest in
formation about the camp at Gathers
burg not less than fifty and probably
one hundred will desert to his standard
when they reach there. Besides this,
the army has been thoroughly disor-
ganized all day. BY actual count only
800 men were in the ranks, while about
eighty were struggling all over country,
some behind and some before. Not Il
few pushed on ahead to be the first to
reach Washington, become curiosities
and profit thereby. Others have push
ed ahead to join the Smith contingent
in Rockville, on account of the news
that they have been very well treated
by the people there, and the Coxcy
commissary wagons are at present light.
1t is safe to predict that Coxey and
Brown, even if they had the requisite
courage, will be absolutely without
following if they should attempt to
march into Washington against the or
ders of the authorities. At the first
sign of danger the whole army would
scatter. No meeker, more spiritless lot
Of men could be imagined than this
Coxey aggregation, and it is doubtful if
they will even have the courage to
march to the Capitol steps, so fearful
are they of being locked up. As the
army approaches still nearer Washing
ton and the allurements become greater
and greater, there can hardly be any
doubt that Coxey and Brown will be
unable to maintain any sort of discl-
pine, and discharge there will have
none of the terrors it had along the
road. TO be left on the roadside in
comparatively sparsely settled country,
without money or food, and when
Coxeyite was looked upon with fear
and aversion, was something to be
dreaded, but not SO in Washington,
and Coxey and Brown will find out the
difference. Coxey is to 60 into the
dime museum business on large scale
when he gets to Washington. He de-
cded definitely yesterday to accept the
offer of Brightwood Park, which is en-
closed, and to raise the price of admis-
sion from ten cents to twenty-five
cents; so that curious Westinghouse
who desire to see his collection will
have to put up quarter apiece for the
privilege. Coxey says that he will not
take more than three hundred men in
his camp, though Brown, with an au-
clacity quite unparalleled, still declares
that the crowd in Washington will ex-
cced any ever seen at an Inauguration
of president. The men arc "tum-
bling to the dime museum business,
and are wanting to know what they
are going to get for being exhibited
The kicking on every side is vigorous,
and entirely unlike the spiritless docil-
ity of former days.
The mobilization of forces at Rock
Vile, of which Coxey used to speak in
such srandiloquent terms, has simmer
ed down into anneXing Jones's thirty
men, if, indeed, they do not join Smith
first. Coxey declares that he and
Brown will have nothing to do with
Smith or his men, and that he will re-
ceive no more than three hundred men,
and that any new recruits will have to
be self-supporting.
The Jones contingent of 10 men
reached Rockville about $50 last night,
and went into camp at the fair grounds
with the Smith contingent.
Leonard Vanharken, Coxey's cashier
ed bugler, and his side partner, Thomas
Murphy, are locked up at the First
police precinct station, Washington,
charged with vagrancy.
Maj. Moore, chiefof police of Wash
ington, announced yesterday that Mr..
Coxey's army would be permitted TO
march on Pennsylvania avenue, but
not to enter the Capitol grounds.
Railroad trains in the State of Wash
ington are being closely guarded to
prevent their capture by Coxeyites.
Col. Thomas Calvin and his four
captains abandoned their industrial