The Washington times., 1894-05-02
THE CoXEY INCIDENT.


Well, the Coxey army came, saw, was
clubbed, and two Of the leaders hustled on to
the police station. For what2 For entering
the Capitol grounds as individuals, for enter
ing as citizens within the sacred area set
apart by the people for our representatives to
make laws in. Mr.. Coxey was the bearer OF
petition setting forth certain grievances.
He was stopped on the Capitol steps by a
policeman, to whom he announced his mis-
sion, and for insisting upon his constitutional
rights he was seized and hustled out OF the
grounds.
The sacred right OF petition has for the
first time in the history of our country been
not only denied. but denied by policeman.
This act will be received with loud acclaim by
the privileged classes, who have been and are
fattening upon the misery and priration OF
the great body of the people 1t is tenn
porary victory for might over right. A home
less and workless lot Of "hobos" and ''bums''
have marched across several hundreds Of
miles of American soil to ask our national
law-making bodies to give them some reliei
from destitution-from hunger and priva-
ton. They had intended only TO ask that a
system of public Improvements be inaugu-
rated SO they might get an opportunity to
work. policeman's club barred the way
and forbade II. They have been treated with
contumely, their chief representative hustled,
the next in authority clubbed and Jailed, and
the rank and file beaten until blood came.
Society and ''good government" can now
breathe more freely-perhaps.
For nineteen hundred years oppression
reigned supreme. A Man came to the
front who advocated the cause Of the
people He was cruciaed. Five hundred
years after He was .deifed, and to-day all
over the civilized world temples are reared
In His name.
For six hundred years the common people
OF France were the sport Of the nobility. The
revolution came.
Great Britain played fast and loose with the
people of the greatest of her colonies. She
lost continent.
Denis kearpey voiced the will of the peo-
pie OF our western coast. He was maltreated,
dragged to Jail numberless times, and his fol-
lowers mercilessly clubbed and bounded by
the police authorities and the classes were still
privileged to drag the Golden State n'the
mud for their personal aggrandizement. The
people rose and hurled both political parties
from power.
The sufferings of the people of Ireland
made no impression upon the privileged
classes of Great Britain until one day bomb
was exploded on London bridge. The Irish
question has been the principal question in
the.British Parliament ever since.
The aspirations of the Coxey movement are
not confined TO the four or five hundred foot
sore worn. destitute men who paraded Penn
sylvania avenue yesterday. Hundreds Of
thousands of Americans in every corner
Of our Union have been with them in
spirit every foot OF the way, and were with
Coxey in spirit when he was forcibly expelled
from public grounds. The blows inflicted by
the clubs OF the police on Browne and his fol-
lowers were felt by every lover Of humanity in
this land. Each was a blow iu the face Of lib
erty and violation of the Constitution under
which we live, The law has been trangressed
by its representatives. We shall attend to
them hereafter. The ides of November are
almost here.
The gentlemen now lolling in cushion ed
chairs in our national temple will all be held
responsible for the disgrace of yesterday.
Tnoy must clear their skirts. and soon. II
they do not, we promise them a worse club
b.ng next Fall at the polling places OF this
country than was administered to any men,
Der OF the Coxey army yesterday. We promise
this, not because We are an exponent ol
Coxey's views-we are not-but because in
his and his followers persons an unalienable
right belonging to all Of us equally has been
rrthlessly trampled upon.