The Portland daily press., 1894-03-22
COXEY'S CRUSADE.
He Says He Will Lead An Army
to the National Capital.
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND STRONG
THEY WILL PARADE,

And, After Surrounding the Capitol, They
VIII Demand the Passage of Laws
Providing for the Building of Roads at
Uncle Sans Expense = Coxey Says His
Army Will Be An Army Of Peace - 1t
Will Also Be An Army of Beggars If
1t Ever Materializes.
Mass1llon, Ohio, March 21.-Unless the
present signs come to naught Coxey's S
Army of Peace will march out of Stark
county with seven hundred men on
Easter Sunday on the proposed overland
trip to Washington, where it is thought
to overawe Congress and force the pas
sage of the uwo bond and road bills
drawn up by the Us. Coxey Good Roads
Association of America.
This is an estimate made by observers.
Mr.. Coxey, with a modesty that is re-
markable under the circumstances. con-
cedes that there will be in the neigh bor-
hood of one hundred. If there is any
dependence to be placed in reports from
Texas, Missouri and Western States,
there are now en- route to Massillon
several hundred individuals who,
although protesting to be populists. ap-
pear to partake more largely of the
characteristics of the anarchists.
II make professions of no virtues
which have not,n said Coxey today. Il
am not modest, but believe in accuracy.
I do not care to mislead the people. The
object of this expedition is to make such
a showing before Congress as will i'm
press them with sense of the Justice of
IL - RI !, r fho
Our aim is to have 100, 900 persons con-
gregate on the Capitol grounds. How
they reach Washington is not the point.
Hundreds who favor the project will
visit the Capitol at their own expense.
II have received advices that hundreds
will go by rail. If they should change
their minds and join us overland then l
would estimate much higher. The
journey will be one of hardships. We
will be at the tender mercies of the Kind
hearted people along the line of march
for provisions for man and beast. For
this reason I discourage those from
marching overland who could possibly
reach Washington by any other way
"This I know. On May l, will march
dred thousand men, and there will be
thousands there to greet US. When we
have stated our case to Congress we will,
without any outbreak, reorga nize and
resume our march home. 1t will be an
army of peace. We can do no more than
peaceably state our case"
Arrangements have been about con-
cluded for seven thousand acres of land
in Washington, owned by Sentaor
Stewart of Nevada, upon which the army
is to camp. Editor Redstone, of the
National Tocsin, is the agent. when the
army reaches that city Redstone will
meet it with the unemployed OF Wash
ington and vicinity, and escort it to the
G apitol.
When these pilgrims have surrounded
the Capitol with a hollow square, they
will separate into groups according to
th cir Congressional districts, and will
call upon their Represent ntatives to come
out. They wild be petitioned to feed the
army during it's stay.
An inspection of Coxey's headquarters
disclosed, in readiness for the march,
round tent sixty feet in diameter, used
by circus last year, two smaller tents
24x40 feet in size, commissary wagon
of six or eight tons capacity, an ambu-
lance wagon, with medical and surgical
Appliances and numerous smaller
articles for the accommodation of the
army.
The big circus tent is to be used for
sleeping quarters at night, and for the
meetings en- route, when the weather is
too inclement for the open air. An engi-
neer corps is to travel one day in adj
vance of the army to prepare camp
grounds, gather in sundries and make
other arrangements. AS. Lauden of the
Second Illinois cavalry, will be in charge
of the corps.
Congress will be demanded to pass two
bills. One provides for the issing of
$500, ,0GO, 600 in legal tender notes, to be
ex xJended by the Secretary of War at the
rate of SIC, 600, 900 month in construct
ing roads in the various states. Common
hours work. Another bill is to provide
that any state or municipality down to a
village desiring to make public improve
ments may deposit with the Secretary of
the Treasury non interest bearing bonds
not exceeding one half the assessed
valuation of its property upon which the
Secretary of the Treasury shall issue
legal tenders at 9S per cent of their face
value. Jerry Simpson is to be asked to
introduce these bills.