The herald., 1894-04-03
is A CRISIS IMMINENrq

The on to- Washington movement
seems to be gaining in strength. The
dispatches cay that Coxey's army has
received large accessions in Pennsyl-
vania, and that the new recruits will in
crease in numbers as the Pennsylvania
contingent passes through Maryland
and reaches Baltimore. The first regi-
ment of General Frye's army. which
started from Los Angeles, has overcome
its hard experience in the desert and
reached Little Rock, Ark. 1t is said
there is a column of 900 men at San An
tonic who will join the main column as
soon as possible. General McCook says
that the movement is assuming danger
GUS proportions. He believes we are
approaching a crisis, and that 10000
hungry men will soon camp in and
around Washington. The movement
does not seem to have yet become inn
posing in the populous middle and
eastern states, but when it once starts
in those great hives of INDECENT human
ity it will become formidable. The
nucleus of another regiment started
from Los Angeles yesterday morning to
join Frye's command.
This is perhaps the beginning OF a
movement that will swell into towering
proportions before many weeks. The
unprecedented distress that exists all
over the country amongst the working
clssses-a distress that has been brought
about by the infamous Mckinley tariff
ard the practical demonetization of
silver-may give this uprising the i'm
portsnce of a revolution before We are
through with it. So far, it has been
orderly and law-abiding; but should
Washington once be invested by half a
million men, as it is possible from
the increasing impetus the movement is
liable to get from some of the populous
states, it would be rash to say it will
continue to be an orderly one. As yet
no men conspicuous for their ability or
standing have joined the Industrial
army; but should it develop into for
midable proportions, it will draw to
itself capable leaders.
The great French revolution, which
amazed the world and made every
throne in Europe tremble. started from
as small beginnings. When the Sec
tions fret marched to Versailles, tbs
courtiers of Louis XVI. made light of
the movement. They lived to see that
tyrannous oppression and bad govern
ment had raised popular storm that
led to the reign of terror and the long
and bloody rule of the proletsriat, and
ultimately to the vindicstion of the peo-
pie and the overthrow of a vicious sys-
tenn. No such reasons for physical
revolt have been given in this country
as wers rife in France before the great
revolution. But the sristocracy OF
wealth in this great country have within
the past few years been treading in
dangerous paths. They have SO infu-
enced legislation as to absorb to them
selves nearly all the profits of invention.
Whatever the genius OF discovery and
invention has done to economic labor
has been seized by a class, and the
profits that should have gone to the
benefit of all the people have been ap-
propriated by email portion of them.
This has naturally resulted in great
redundance of workers to do the labor
that is to be done.
Then comes in a prohibitive tariff
which shuts out goods but leaves our
ports open to the unlimited importation
of aliens to manufacture those goods.
The result is as might have been ex-
pected. The "pauper" labor of Europe
was dumped upon the United States by
millions, and now, when the pinch
comes, as it was sure to come, there are
millions of men in the United States
willing to work, but for whom there ia
no work to do. Added to all this is
vicious financial Legislation of all kinds.
Now if out of this bad mess we can
weather the storm without experiencing
any great disturbance we shall be for
tunate. But the most Indifferent cannot
fail to see that We are approaching a
serious crisis.