Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-05-06
THE COxEY ARMY AND IT'S MARCH
General Frank Jcpson Describes the
Army's Appearance In Washington and
Tells What He Thought OF IL.
WASHINGTON, D. G., May >.


WASHINGTON, D. c., May ..
TO ne Editor Of ths Rooster:
SIR:-The REGIsTER's special which
stated that Col. Ben Wilson and l had
seen the march. OF Coxey's men, was
read by me to-day with some interest,
showing as it does the clairvoyant pow
ers of your correspondent regarding my
thoughts OF the CoXey demonstration
day before yesterday. My friend Colonel
Wilson may have been interviewed and
have spoken for us both, but IL was
neither my good nor i'll fortune to be ac-
costed by any newspaper man save one
that day-s representative of the Wash
ingtou Times who, greatly to my
amusement, and in tones replete with
sincerity, hailed me in front Of the
National Hotel with: General, want
an opinion as TO your summary eject
ment from the Capitol steps"
His face was study when 1 replied:
"My dear sir, IL General Coxey knew
YOU had confused our Identities thus,
he would doubtless resign or change
his attire"
"Well, blank me-" he replied, "Your
gray suit, your nat, your eyeglasses,
even your pose are his, or his yours"
1t is perhaps needless to say / left
Wa shington by first train on the Royal
Blue.
The city Of magnificent distances"
seemed too small TO hold one Coxey that
day; where could breathing space be
found for two?
THE immense crowd that gathered
around the Capitol" was indeed "a sight
we'll worth seeing," and not only there,
but the entire route along Fourteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue formed
a spectacle unique, impressive, vast.
Unique from the fact that three hun
dred weary, sad-eyed, rusty-gar6ed men,
not yet recovered from the rigors and
harShips of four hundred mile tramp
In temperatures ranging from twenties
TO nineties, through Glands OF SHOWS TO
lands of suns" with foods supply made
duate To appetite's demand, could thus,
with their added contingent OF three
hundred, raked from the District Of Co.
lumbia, dominate the multitudes to
turn out as spectators as though il were
the inauguration Of q President, the
cortege of some illustrious dead, some
civic or Industrial display, or the
pageant OF q circus.
1t was impressive to gaze upon these
countless crowds Of lOokers-on content,
along Fourteenth street, ID pack the
sidewalks; but from that street along
the avenue to the Peace monument
in front OF the Capitol the
prOverbial herring could not
have been more thlckly packed
in the street itself than were these
human beings drawn by curiosity, In
terest, sympathy, expectancy-call IL
what you will they were there in count
less numbers. gazing upon this advaLce
guard OF want and woe and discomfort!
The boOtblacks and news boys, the
street urchins and the youth, generally,
of Washington, sized up the affair,
doubtless, as a "picnic" or "hippo-
drOme," for theirs were the shouts and
the cheers; but thoughtful men and
women looked on and wondered this
is the beginning of-what?" /, TOO,
INDUCED in reflection, and en-
deayored to penetrate the fogs OBJ
securing even the immediate future
of my country, ana though my vision
was dim and could not sec what lies
ahead, yet l heard, or seemed to hear,
the murmur OF a myriad Of voices tioating
through the air, first In cadence OF
tears and grief, rising then to the en-
phssis of protest and remonstaance,
then bursting into passionate clamor,
sounding very like q demand for
bread! And | fell to wondering IL IL
might not be that the author OF Cesar's
Column had not an inspiration when he
wrote that book, and, il so, might not
the fulfllment Of his prophesy Do near
at hand? | did not say nor do /
think "Coxey's part in the show" was
devoid of consequence or interest.
On the contrary l think that the show
with Coxey absent would have been as
lacking in esprit as Hamlet without the
Prince himself. Subtract Coxey-de-
bonnair, forceiul, intrepid, picturesque
from tuesdays demonstration, 1t
would have proved failure.
The people turn out to see man who
incarnates a thought; embOdies an idea,
not the Instruments which aid him In
its Sdevelopment; they crown q return
ing hero with the laurel and the bay
not his sword nor his battallions; and
though Coxey did not deliver his ora
ton on the steps OF the Capt.
tol owing TO the suprema-
cy of numbers-one man against
a dozen mounted and two score officers
on foot-and though he was EXPECTED
from the steps and hustled outside the
precincts o! the nations temple In un-
digniiied haste at the ends OF police
mems maceS, yet it was no sorry figure
he cut in the ewes of that vast cOncOurse
that there assembled.
lie had its sympathy. What OF more
interest? Under the very feet OF the
Statue OF Liberty surmounting the
dome speech was suppressed; witnessed
the extinguishment Of that which to
many minds seemed q spark Of hope;
gazed upon the throttling, by no ten
der hands, Of thought ere it had found
expressionl What could be OF more
consequence than this?
F. P. JEPsoN.