The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-04-07
Especial Correspondence. ]

j. S. COMFY.
ly lunatic and very likely a very dan
gerous one. He is far moro dangerous
than Carl Browne, his chief marshal,
for Browne gives visible evidence of be-
ing insane, while to the superficial OBJ
server CoNcy seems to be rational He
is of singularly engaging and cheerful
makeup, not prone to indulge i'll OK
travagant talk, neat in person and in
dress, and what he says on any subject
Is likely 10 receive respectful attention.
The fact that for years he has been
counted a successful business man has
added weight to his propositions and
has had all to do with whatever countc-
nance his scheme has received from sen
sible persons.
Need of J;cttrr Roads.
There is nothing cXtravagantly ridic-
ulouS about his notions regarding the
wagon roads OF the country. In fact, no
person of sense disagrccs with his CON
tcntion that first class roads are essential
to the thorough development of the bust
ness and social possibilities of the United
States No one denies either that if the
government We're to build the roads and
begin now vast numbers of men ut pres
ent unemployed would have plenty of
work to do. CoXcy'S plan of raising the
money to pay for the work by the ssu-
ing of millions of iiat currency seems the
height of folly TO some, but is not at i'll
Objectionable to those who hold that n
reserve OF gold or silver is not needed as
guarantee of the commences of the
nations circulating medium. If Mr..
CoNcy had confined his efforts TO the
propagation of these two ideas, he would
undoubtedly have securcd-in fact, he
has already sccurcd-thc adherence of a
very large number of earnest and in the
main sensible persons.
1t was probably the Joining of Carl
Brownies fortunes with his that switch
ed CoXcy upon the track which has de-
vclopcd the prcpostcrouS procession of
tramps that begun on Easter Sunday.
Browne is crazy cannot understand
how amy one can talk with him us | have
done repeatedly during the present re-
markablc parade Of he CT do wells with
out agreeing with me in this conclusion.
One look at the impossible pictures and
saclleSlous notices which are held aloft
Oh poles by the tranps who are follow
Ing Coxcy would permanently confirm
this opinion. 1t would require the most
commanding genius and the most vivid
imagination 10 fabricatc n story of moro
fantastic doinSs and sayings than are tho
deeds and words of the Coxcy contin-
gent.
Sayors Of Sncrilcgc.
" no bat crazy man could have con
cciEcd the notion Of making an outline
portrait of Coxcy, labelling it The Core
brull Of Christ and sticking it ON Il
pole TO be carried as IL sort of advance
banner? The cognato Of this preposter-
Gus banner among the score or moro
borne along by the stumbling "spinks''
WHO have been following Coxcy through
tllc mud of Ohio bears u picture of
Bro"nc, also produced by himself and
labeled the Ccrcbcllum of Christi In
conversation Browne sometimes exhibits
Us plainly as he did when he made the
banners that his mind is unbalanced.
and when he makes public address he
always does. His speeches are the mud
dlest sort of hodgcpodgo of Christian
1ty ana the doctrine of the rcincarnation
OF the soul that it has ever been tho lot
OF any one to listen to. The general
tenor OF what he says may be apprc-
hendcd from the fact that he states with
solemn carncstness his belief that Mr.
CoXey $ soul IS largely Il reincamation of
the soul of Jesus Christ, and that he
(Browne) is also possessed of portion
of the divine soul, although in lesser
degree than CoXoy.
Coxey's sympathizcrs along tho route
have daily filled up the notebooks Of
the correspondents with stories of prom
inent men who have intended to join
but who have most invariably failed to
materializc. The secretary of il political
organization III Canton, o., did Join,
and so did one or two members of a mill
tia company located at that town Ono
of the most interesting recruits who en-
tered the ranks at Alliance was John
Thrum, whose one eye and whiskers
made him marked man. He had letters
of Endorsement from two or three Popu-
list papers, and his intelligence was far
oh "a Nc III