Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-05-04
COXEY'S COMMONWEAL
THE DEMONSTRATION AMOUNTS
TO A BIG FlZZLE.
COxey aud Brown Arrested-The
Former Released, Which Foiis HIS
EndeavOr TO Peso as a Martyr
and Assert his constitutional
Ku 1.fa


Rights.
WASHINGTON CITY, May Jacob
S. Coxey's much advertised demon
stration on behalf of the Common
veal OF Christ" in favor of good roads
and the reputation OF national obi
cations to pay interest on bonds,
ended to-day in fzzle quite as
ridiculous as the principles enunciated
by the leaders of the most eminent.
All told, about 600 men out of the
originally promised 100000 marched
up the capito! hill and marched down
again. In this 600 were included all
the unemployed Of the capital who
could be drummed in to support the
movement after weeks of effort on the
part of Coxey's local agent, and en-
couraging speeches in the Senate
from Populis: Senators. The local
contingent dispersed after the capitol
fiasco, and only the original 300
marched down into the newly selected
camp ground near an open sewer
canal, condemned as an unhealthy
resting place by the health officers,
where they have been placed on exhi-
bition by their leader, who has taken
out license to charge gate money for
admission to the camp and the
privilege OF hearing his lecture.
Coxey himself, who studiously courted
martyrdOm, but was careful to shield
himself from personal harm behind
his wife's petticoats and the presence
of his infant child, was contemptuous-
ly turned loose after he had supposed
he had secured his purpose of being
arrested. His burly lieutenant,
Browne, who deliberately attempted a
movement to force access through the
capitol grounds to the steps of the
capitol to sustain Coxey in his efforts
to speak, and the leader of the Phila-
delphiacontingent, Christopher Column
bus Jones, who went to his assistance,
both landed in the lookup, Browne
with a damaged head from a police
clubbing and without his befeathered
hat.
COXEY's PROTEST.
The protest which Coxey vainly en-
deavored to read from the capitol
steps, was as follows:
Tho nanctsfnt,o,~ A.
States guarantees to all citizens the
right to peacefully assemble and petit
ton for redress of grievances, and
furthermore declares that the right OF
free speech shall not be abridged.
We stand here to-day to test these
guarantees of our constitution. We
chose this place of assemblage because
it is the property of the people, and if
it be true that the right of the people
to peacefully assemble on their own
premises and with their petitions have
been abridged by the passage OF law in
direct violation of the constitution,
we are here to draw the eyes of the
nation to the shameful fact. Here,
rather than at any spot upon the
continent, it is fitting that we should
come to mourn over our dead liberties,
and by our protest arouse the imperiled
nation to such action as shall rescue
the constitution and resurrect our
liberties. Upon these steps where we
stand has been spread a carpet for the
royal feet OF q foreign princess, the
cost of whose lavish entertainment
was taken from the public treasury
without the consent of the approval Of
the people. Up these eteps these
lobbyists of trusts and corporations
have passed. uneballsnged on their
way to committee rooms, to which we,
the representatives OF the toiling
wealth producers, have been denied.
We stand here to-day in behalf OF
millions of toilers whose petitions
have been buried in committee rooms,
whose prayers have been unresponded
to, and whose opportunities for honest
remunerative productive labor have
been taken from them by unjust legis-
lation which protects idlers, spectators
and gamblers.
We come to remind Congress here
assembled OF the declarations of q
United States Senator, "that for q
quarter Of a century the rich have
been growing richer. the poor poorer,
and that by the close of the present
century the middle classes will. have
disappeared as the struggle for exist.
ence becomes fierce and relentless. u
We stand here to remind Congress oil
its promise of returning prosperity
should the Sherman act be repealed
We stand here to declare by our
march OF over 500 miles, through
difficulties and distress, a march un.
stained by even the slightest act which
will bring the blush of shame to any
that we are law-sbiding citizens and
as such, our actions speak louder than
words. We are here to petition for leg.
islstion which will furnish employment
for every man able and willing to work
for legislation which will bring uni.
versal prosperity and emancipate our
beloved country from the financial
bondage to the descendants of King
George. We have come to the only
source which is able to aid the people
in the hour OF their distress. We are
here to tell our Representatives, who
hold their seats by grace of our
ballots, that the struggle for existence
has become too fierce and relentless
We come and throw up our defenseless
hands and say, Help, or we and our
loved ones must perish" We are en-.
gagged in bitter and cruel war with
the enemies of all mankind-a wal
with hunger, wretchedness and des.
pair-and we ask Congress to heed
our petitions and issue for the ma.
tons good sufficient volume of the
same kind of money which carried the
country through one awful war and
saved the life Of the nation. In the
name OF justice, through whose inl-
partial administration only the pres
ent civilization can be maintained and
perpetuated by the powers of the con-
stitution of our country, upon which
the liberties of the people must de.
pend, and in the name of the com.
monweal of Christ, whose representa-.
tives We are, we enter . most solemn
and earnest protest against this I'M
necessary and cruel act of usurpation
and tyranny and this enforced sub.
jugation OF the rights and privileges oil
American citizens. We are under the
shadow of the capitol of this great
nation and in the presence Of our
national legislators are refused that
dearly.bought privilege, and, by the