The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-05-16
.COXEY GIVEN A HEARING
He DEFENDS HIS BILLS BEFORE
HOUSE COMMITTEE,

The Labor Depressiors to be Ibvesti
| gssed.
WASHINGTON, May 9.-CC :ey ap
peared on the floor of the House today
before the hour Of business under es
cort of Representative Pence of Cello
rado. Some Of the representatives
who were earlier il their seats crowd
ed about him, but when their curiosity
was satisfied they dropped away one by
one, and left him alone with Pence. Al
II o'clock CoXey appeared before the
House Committee on Labor.
COxey laid before the committee a
petition bearing the signatures Of his
| followers, the character Of their occu
pations and their place Of residence. II
was written on paper bearing the let
ter head of the army of the common
veal. At the top of the page were
printed in bold, black letters, the mot
toes, "Good Roads" "Good Money
Good Work" Beneath this appeared
a single line-"CommonWeal of Christ
The petition is dated at Camp Ty-
ranny, in the field, Washington, D. c..
Nav 1884" and reads as follows: I'VE
the undersigned, citiZens Of the United
States of America. now soJournlng IN
the District of Columbia, which is not
only the asylum of oppressed by all ma
tions, but our natural home, do hereby
respectfully petition your honorable
body to allow Brother J. 5. Coxey, OF
MassiloD, Ohio, and Carl Browne OF
Calistoga, Cal, to appear before you as
our spokesmen, to voice our wishes in
regard to tho proposed legislation fol
which we made the march TO Washing.
TOD, namely, the J. S. Coxey good roads
and non.interest bearing bond bills
and which we believe, If passed by
Congress, would not only solve the
present prevalent business depression.
give employment to us, representing as
we do all branches of industry OF many
millions more like US all over the un'
ion, but would effectualy, we believe,
provide against any possible recur'
renee of the extraordinary CONDITION
now existing in the industrial and
business arteries of the nation which
it seems plain to US, if not remedled,
will bring death to republican institu-
tions or revolution to maintain them
by force OF arms, which all must de.
plore."
Coxey's petition was read by the
clerk. the members of the committee
following the reading carefully. Carl
Browne came IN as the clerk hnlsned
and seated himself beside CoxeY.
Mr. McGann, the chairman OF the
c0mmlJCee, said the petition Would
have to go to the special committee,
which they hoped to have formed TO
Investigate tie entire subject Of the 10
dustrial depression. Coxey then took
the floor and started to address the
committee. He had only proceeded
a moment when the members began
questioning him. His replies to these
Queries were rambling and unsslsfac
Lucy. Tue impression made by him upon
thecommiLtee was obviously Dot Hat
Lering one. lie WAS treated c0urteously
and held the floor for ten minutes, but
be said nothing that was eliher orlgl-
nal or profound, or that added 10 any
manner to the knowledge desired by
the committee. He began By saying
that billions of improvements ought TO
be made throughout the country and
that millions of people are ready to
make thsm. The only thing needed
was money.
eve claim" be said, "Jhe same privi-
leges that one per cent. Of the people,
the national bankers, have had to issue
money based on the wealth Of the State,
country and municipality" =.
Dun (Dem.) of New jersey asked II
our institutions were to be turned into
banking powers. .
Coxey replied that the National
Banks had that privilege for twenty
years.
Ryan (Dem.) of New York: "You
claim to represent ninety-nine per cent.
Of the people Of this c0untry?'
Coxey: Eyes sir"
Ryan: "Oa what do you base that
claim?'
Coxey: Il claim that ninety nine per
cent. of the whole people ask the same
privileges that one per cent, the na-
Jional bankers have had for twenty
eight years. That one per cent. have
had monev at a cost of one per cent"
Ryan: "The information I desire is
by what warrant Of authority you
claim to represent ninety-nlne per
cent. of the people OF the country?"
CGxev: 81 will answer you in this
way. You can take the Farmers ALI
ance, the Knights of Labor and other
organizations and you will find IN
their preamble that they want money
Issued directly without interest. All
the orders are demanding that. 1t IS
true .hey have not been voting the
way they have been thinking. will
acknowledge that"
Ryan: Don't you believe that more
than one per cent. of the people are
represented in Congress
Coxey: "Yes, | believe they have
been misrepresented. There is but one
per cent. Of the people represented"
Ryan: Il would like to know by
what authority you say you represent
Ginety-nine per cent. OF the people.
Coxey. Il came here to request that
this ninety-line per cent. Of the people
be given the same privilege under the
ConstitutioD-Which guarantees equal
and exact justice to all the people that
the one per cent have had for twenty
eight years"
Ryan: Il understand you TO say you
came here representing 80 per cent: OF
the pcop.e OF course If that be the
case we would like to have the proof Of
1t, so that Congress Can act, as | pre-
sumo Congress woulG act with the re-
quest of SO per cent. Of the people.
How can you show that you represent
90 per cent. of the people,"
Coxey: 81 do not claim that, sir.
This closed the hearing Of Cvxry.
He was followed by |. Z. Dean OF
PenGsy lvaDia, d member Of the eXecu.
tive committe of the Farmers Alliance.
He urged the appointment Of special
committee to Investigate the whole
subject of the Industrial depression,
and said that such &C ion on the part
of Congress would inspire great conf
dence among the people Dean also
was subjected to 3 course Of question
ing which did not result more 10 his
satisfaction or to the enlightenment
III. than did thar of