The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-05-25
of the commonweal Leaders.

sentence of Coxey, Browne and
Jones is given in the press despatch
on Monday last.
''Twenty days each in Jail" was
the sentence which Judge Miller,
in the Police Court this afternoon,
imposed upon the Commowealers,
COXey, Browne and Jones, for dis
playing partisan banners on the
Capitol grounds. Coxey and Browne
were also fined S. each additional
for trespassing on the grass, the
Alternative being another ten days
in jail. Jones was acquitted ON
this last charge.
The notorious trio were handcuff-
ed, placed in the "Black Maria"
van with a dozen workhOuse re-
cruits, who were not handcuffed,
and hustled off to the District
Prison.
During the trial the Police Court
was crowded. Before Judge Miller
pronounced judgement he asked if
the prisoners had anything to say
why sentence should not be pro-
nounced. Congressman Hudson, of
Kansas, one of Coxey's counsel, re-
sponded. He said that as an
American citizen, he could not help
stating that he had considerable
contempt for the Government in its
prosecution of this case. On the
day they were at the Capitol there
were thousands of people on the
grass. The United States had ar
rested men on one charge and pro-
secuted them on another.
"You know, and | know" he
said, "that he (Coxey) was not ar
rested and convicted because he
stepped on the grass, but because
he carried a banner in opposition to
the political ideas of those who are
powerful"
Being asked by the Court to par
ticularize, Congressman Hudson
said these powerful persons were
the "men in favor of a gold stand
ard"
eff that's so, they have not
reached this Court" was Judge
Miller's curt reply.
Con one side you have the money
power; on the other the poor and
struggling masses-by which will
your Honor be influenced? asked
Mr.. Hudson.
"Neither," responded the Court.
Marshal Carl Browne then had
his say. He spoke of the generally
recognized "filth and stagnation"
that existed in Washington.
Coxey himself said he had
"walked ON no grass, and carried
no banner" He was there, an in
nocent man, to be sentence, and he
only asked for justice.
We need not point to the farcical
trial and caricature of Justice by
this plutocratic servant, Judge
Miller of the police court of the
District, to direct the attention of
the plain people to where we are
drifting. Such lessons are necessary
to rouse the sluggish people to a
sense of the conditions which
environ them. 1t is clear these
men were innocent of any offense
against the peace and dignity of the
state or the District of Columbia.
Coxey especially had not been on
the grass and carried no banner.
Not even technical offense was
charged against him. The unvan-
ished fact is a war has commenced
between the classes and the masses,
and there will be, can be, no peace
till the power of one or the other is
destroyed. The problem to solve
is how shall it be fought out. If
the masses appeal directly to the
ballot and place men of their own
blood and class in congress and the
Legislatures, they can easily and
speedily make themselves masters
of the situation.
If they wait till their liberties are
further circumscribed and their
hands tied by special acts enforced
by packed judiciary and Pluto
cracy has organized and equipped
it's armies, they will not be per-
mitted to regain their political
rights by the ballot. Those who
are studying and watching every
new phase of this social and politi-
cal upheaval will await anxiously
the result of next falls congressional
elections. In all history the tyrant has
been the first to strike by the hand of
some minion like Judge Miller.
To add indignity to injustice and glut
the revenge of low, ruffian police, the
three men ''were handcufed'' and put
into the wagon among lot of the lowest
work house criminals who were not hand
cuffed. Tyrany has shown its bloody
fangs through all this proceeding. And
the Plutocratic papers of both old parties
applaud this judicial crime.