The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-05-04
CoxeY at the Capitol.

Washington was wild on Tuesday. At
10 O'Clock the army of the Commonwea1
broke camp five miles from the Capitol
and took up their line of march. Up
Pennsylvania Avenue, two abreast the
army moved to the beat of a bass drum.
Miss Coxey on white horse led the pro-
cession, robed in white riding dress.
The army of peace carried in the process
sion the national flag, and each soldier of
the Commonwea1 of Christ, bore small
white flag fastened to an oak staff. In
order to preserve the line of march
knotted rope with cross stick about
every four feet was carried by the line
which arrangements prevented struggling
and steadied the unbroken line. Their
dingy wagons were divided at intervals
along the line. Up Pennsylvania Avenue
the procession of the unemployed"
came, band oflaboring men whose griev-
ance was they could find no work to do
and whose purpose was to state this too
well known fact to the men who consti-
tute what is technically known as the law
making power of this great empire of the
western world. Wall Street is the actual
law maker.
AS the procession moved it was cheered
by the crowds which lined the side walks
i'll tens of thousands the army" waving
their banners, returned cheer for cheer.
At about half past twelve the head of the
army reached the first entrance to the
Capitol grounds and was refused entrance
by the police. The line of march was
continued round to the east front of the
capitol which by this time was black with
thousands of people, who swarrned over
the porticoes and steps of the huge white
building, line of blue coats stationed
about half way up the steps waving the
crowd to keep back, while behind them
the crowd was as dense as in the front.
i Coxey assembled the steps to where the
police stood and told the Captain he wish
ed to deliver an address from the portico.
The Captain refused to allow any address
to be delivered. Then Mr.. Coxey told
the officer he wished to make a public
protest against this denial of the right
guaranteed to American citizens to peace
ably assemble and petition for redress
of grievances The Captain informed him
that he couldn't permit that either Then
Coxey presented copy of his address to
the Captain of police, and asked the
police for protection. This cool, peace
able proceeding on Gen. Coxey's part
took the wind out of the sails of the be-
ligerant police, who hoped to make or be
given an opportunity to start row and
commit blood shed, when all the plutocra-
tic papers in the country would have an
nounced in scare-heads bloody riot Great
ed by the cramps" resisting the lawful
authorities.
The police then opened a way through
the dense mass of people for General
Coxey to reach his Commonwealers who
were resting on their arms or rather
legs, out on B street below the Capitol
Having found no pretext at all to arrest
and club Coxey who Immediately placed
himself under their protection when he
was refused the privilege, or more proper
ly speaking the right to address the
multitude from the steps of the Capitol
who were all anxious to hear his address,
they bounced on Browne, who was about
go feet away from the steps in the crowd
and whom the police easily singled out
by his dress. Without word or move
ment on his part three or four of the police
seized him and beat him over the head
with their clubs and hurried him off to
the station. The newspapers reported
that Browne made desperate resistance,
which is lie. The assault was brutal,
unprovoked outrage on the part of the
police, who were spelling for row. Two
hundred extra police had been sworn in
to meet this formidable and dangerous
procession of 400 working men, without
a weapon. The ordinary police force was
all that was necessary whose duty is to
keep the crowd on such occasions in
order and protect the weaker members
from accidental injury.
In addition to this extra army of police,
there were concealed in the basement of
the Capitol 500 militia armed with repeat
ing rifles, This whole wicked proceed
ing on the part of the plutocratic powers
which hold high carnival at the nations
capital is clear case of 1.-The wicked fee
ing when no man pursues.''
In 1861 we saw this same class of men
who followed Coxey to the capital, march
ing in long serted ranks with glittering
bayonets, all over these same capitol
grounds They had rallied from field and
work shop to save the capital from capture
by the soldiers of an aristocratic insurrec-
ton. Now a third of a century later we
find the capital in the control of Wall
street gang of gold gamblers, allies of the
class whose red coated soldiers fred on
working people at Lexington 100 years
ago, and who at the out break of the
Shareholders rebellion were plotting trea-
son with their English gold ring allies
against the life of the nation. The des-
cendents of their ancestors in class and
instinct hide their soldiers in the nations
capitol to fire on the descendants in class
i and DatriOtiSfu of the uorb,; ,,,o.. t.