Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-05-25
LICENSED VAGRANCY.
THE ARMY" AS SEEN BY A TRlB-
uNE CORRESPONDENT.

ONE CORRESPONDENT
Misguided Men Led by Skrewd
Rascals-Vagrancy and Lawless.
ness Sanctioned ny the LenIency
OF the Authorities.
There ought to be no illusions left
concerning the character of the move
ment started by Mr.. Coxey. A cor
respondent of the New York Tribune
visited the camp at Washington where
these men were quartered before they
were ordered TO move by the health Of
ficers of the District of Columbia.
According to his statement, that Or
der was entirely justified by the Cir
cumstances. He discovered precisely
the same condition of things to be
found wherever q band OF tramps stop
over night, only that the circumstan-
ces were aggravated by the number of
men and the length OF their stay in
one place. All the surroundings OF
this camp were filthy in the extreme.
Pools of foul water stood about every
where. The men could not be induced
to give the place the semblance OF
decency, or to do any work except to
unload supplies that were brought in
by contributors. OF the 700 said to
be encamped here, 200 were lying
around. playing cards with each other
or doing away in the tramps' ideal
paradise. The remaining 500 were
scattered over the city of Washington,
levying ON the inhabitants for the
commissary department. If an ordi-
nary beggar does this, he is liable to
arrest and punishment for vagrancy.
But the singular paralysis OF the law
that occurs wherever these "armies"
appear, granted them immunity.
There is, according to this account,
every evidence from the Washington
encampment that the Coxey con-
tingent is a rabble Of men determined
to live without working. And all OF
them express determination to get
something out OF Congress, with tone
of menace in case of failure running
through all their speeches.
So much for these men as they ap-
pear to keen observer on the spot.
There is better testimony at hand,
supplied by man who ought not
to be open to the suspicion OF in
sufficient sympathy with labor. 1t
will be remembered that, on the occa-
sion OF the Homestead troubles, Mr..
Hugh j. O'Donnell was the ablest
and most trusted leader of the strik-
ing men. He accompanied this
Coxey band a part of the way on its
trip to Washington, as a newspaper
correspondent, and has written de-
tailed report OF their appearance and
quality. His evidence is conclusive,
because he has been associated with
laboring men all his life and is in full
sympathy with their aims. Of course
he thinks, being an Intelligent man,
that their errand is an utterly Chi
merical one, and that their leaders
are not cranks, but shrewd rascals who
are making the most OF this absurd
and criminal movement for their own
profit in the way of notoriety and
comfortable support. As he says, call
that Co1ey stands for is Coxey, and
all that Browne stands for is Browne"
More valuable in his judgment of the
rank and file of their followers. For
it is on these men, as almost desperate
but honest fellows, out OF employment,
that public sysmpathy has been and
is still being expended. He says, cit
is altogether hopeless, helpless, pitia-
BILE crew, with the chief of fakirs and
bombasts for leader" "The men
under them stand for nothing at all,
though the shrewder OF them may
have some lingering hopes in their
clouded minds OF fame and fortune in
the dime museum" And he denies
in the most vigorous way that the
movement has any connection with
honest labor or represents it in any
shape whatever. He says that he
made it his business to 20 into the
shops on the way to Washington
everywhere and see what the men en-
ployed thought of it. All without ex-
ception condemned it, and he "did
not find single respectable work.
man who would have thought for an
instant of leaving his place, however
poor it might have been, to join in
such q demonstration" These vag-
rants have received consideration and
are being heard before committees at
Washington on the assumption that
they represent unemployed labor.
Licensed vagrancy and law-breaking
is what they represent; and every day
that they are allowed to remain at
large and UNPUBLISHED in proclaiming
their absurd and fraudulent status, is
day of Insult to the man who is
earning an honest living.
A LARGE force of men are at work
rebuilding the Union Pacific shops al
Starbuck, which were recently de-
stroyed by fire. The main building
will be 4OxlOO feet, and will be sup.
piled with five lathes, two planers, two
drill presses, q bolt-cutter and shaper.