The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-02
nencement,

Washington. May 1.-THE march OF
Coxey's commonweal army, when
started from Massillon, O., on Easter
sunday ended today by the Interrupt
ton of the police.
Fortunately, there were no casual
ties. and tonight General Coxey is ad-
dressing his burlesque army in camp
while Marshal Carl Browne sleeps in a
police station cell. and Christopher
Columbus Jones, the leader of the
Philadelphia commune, and the come
dian of the movement, endeavors TO
appropriate a share of the martyrdonl
in an adjoining cell.
4 The performance enacted within the
shadow of the capitol today is without
a counterpart in the memory OF Wash
ingtonians. Over the broad smooth
plaza of several acres facing the east
front Of the capitol was packed
crowd of men and women, numbering
10000 The capitol steps and the por-
ticos under the Grecian pillars were
packed with people of both sexes, we'll
dressed and most Of the members Of
Congress in the throng.
An early adjournment had been
taken by the Senat e on account OF the
death of Senator Stockbridge, but the
House, not wishing to seem to be ter
rorized by the demonstration went
through the semblance of a session
with a handful Of members. More than
200 city police reinforced the capitol
officers, and detectives from several
cities sprinkled through the crowd for
the concentration Of lawless local char
acters, gave just grounds for appre-
tensions Of trouble apart from the
presence Of the Coxeyites.
Over Five Hundred in Line.
It was shortly after Il o'clock when
the army halted in the public street
mile march down from Brightwood
through the principal streets of the
city had been witnessed by thousands.
There were 525 men in line, Mrs. An
ME L. Diggs, the POpulistic agitator Of
Kansas in a barouche; Coxey's 17-year-
old daughter in white on a cream
colored steed, representing the goddess
of peace; Carl Browne on a great gray
etallion. General Jacob CoXey his wife,
{she infant Legal Tender Coxey to-
gether in another carriage; Virginia La
Vallette, said to be an actress, on
horseback draped in ar American flag,
as the Philadelphia commune'S goddess
of peace; the unemployed carrying
white flags Of peace on slaves and the
nondescript banners setting forth the
doctrines of reincarnation, good roads
and eamity to plutocrats, sprinkled
through the caravan.
Marshal Browne halted the process
sion there in the street, walked back
TO CoXey's carriage, the general kissed
his wife and then the two moving
spirits Of the affair forced their way
over the plaza to the Capitol steps,
their men acting under orders and
standing in their tracks After CoXey
\ V0a in ar-r, Of
several hundred men, most of them fol-
lowing Browne, conspicuous because Of
his unique costume, trampling and
tearing its way through the costly
shrubbery the mob went, while the
squad Of mounted police which had
headed the parade dazed for a mo-
naent by the unexpected move, charged
reclSlessly into their midst.
His Constitutional Rights
Coxey was confronted by the police
as ne took off his hat to speak on the
capitol steps. His constitutional
rights being refused, he thrust upon
them a printed protest which proved
10 be a well-worded epitome of Pop
ulist doctrines Meanwhile Carl Browne
was being dragged by the collar Of
his coat through the crowd TO the
nearest station, after he had made a
fight to retain his banner. Two police
captains a lieutenant and sergeant,
thrust the niid-mannered Coxey with
out violence back across several feet
Of humanity TO his carriage Mounted
police were forcing their horses among
the people, several Of them cracking
their clubs over the heads of the near
est persons; women were shrieking in
terror. men were yelling fiercely, some
were knocked down and trample6 up
on For five minutes there was riot
in that section of the mob in front of
the east steps which occupied about
an acre of the asphalt. Then the two
agitating spirits having been removed.
and half a dozen particularly belIiger-
ent men having been taken in by the
police, ahe disturbance was quelled
without serious injuries to a single
person.
Somehow the army was started off
towards its new camp between double
lines Of police, followed by mob of
thousands. cheering like demons for
Coxey and Browne. Within an hour
the capitol grounds had almost re-
Sained their normal quiet, with only
q few hundred people strolling around.
Accepted il PhiIosophicnIly.
General Coxey accepted the situation
philosophically His army was put to
rork clearing up the new camping
ground for occupancy, while CoXey
drove over to the office of the district
commissioners with an eye TO business.
He made application Of them for the
necessary license to charge admission
TO his camp.
The commissioners desired TO con-
slider the proposition. so acting upon
4 thei,9 suggestion, Mr.. Coxey went to
the clerk and paying IS secured a IL
ceRse for one day only.
L have no complaint Coxey said,
ito make as far as The police are con-
cerned. They treated me with great