The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-05-15
"a FRAUD AND A SHAM"
A Lively Discussion I'm the Senate
Sherman POurs Hot Shot into CoXcy.

sherman l'OuFS IaOt onOl into SoAcy
WASHINGTON, May 9.--At the open
ing OF the session OF the Senate the re-
solution presented on Monday by Soma
tor Allen, (Pop.), of Nebraska, for the
appointment OF o select committee to
investigate the police assault upon the
army of CoXey, Browne and Jones In
the Capitol grounds on the first of May,
was laid before the Senate and Soma
tor Allen made an argument in sup
port of it. He had expected, he said,
that the senior senator from Ohio
(Sherman) would have introduced u re-
solution looking to the investigation of
that "outragc," but, as the senator
from Ohio had takon no such step, he
(Allcn) had been moved to do so. He
had doomed it his duty, although it
was not pleasure by any means, to
offer resolution for the making OF o
thorough and complete investigation
of the remarkable scene.
COXey had come to Washington as
was stated by tho press (if that was to
be replied upOn) for the purpose of ex-
ercising his constitutional right of Pc
titioning the Senate for the redress of
what he considered agrievance of him
self and many millions of people in
common with him. He (Allen,) had
taken various occasions to say that
with the purpose of tho CoXcy move
ment he had not and never had had
the slightest sympathy. He did not
believe that it would be wise for Con
gress to appropriate money for the
construction Of highways in the States
That portion Of Coxeys mission found
no sympathy with him, but he had to
deal with him and with the unfortunate
and perhaps misguided men who ac-
companiod him simply in the light of
American citizens coming to the Capt.
tol of the nation on the purpose of pub
licly petitioning Congress for redress
OF grievances. Senator Allen went on
to read tho address which CoXcy had
tried to read from tho Capitol stops
and which he had been prevented from
doing by the police who laid violent
hands upon him and drove him from
the Capitol grounds"
Are you not tho counsel of Mr..
Coxey?" Daniel (Dem.) of Virginia
asked.
"No, sir" Allen answered.
Has not" Daniel further asked,
"CoXey full legal remedies for any
wrong which he may have suffered 2"
81 hope" Allen said, "that the
Senator from Virginia will not under
take to divert me from the course
which L have marked out"
81 do not desire to divert the Sena-
tor" Daniel said, but want to judge
rs to the propriety of the Senate acting
in this case; if the man has been in
jured and If he has legal remedy for
the injury"
Allen went on to say that il was not
true that he was or ever had boon
counsel for COXey. He had been called
in consultation with two Representa-
tives, Hudson Of Kansas and Pence Of
Colorado, as to CoXey's rights and he
had gone to the police court in connec-
tion with the matter. He wanted to
say to the Senator from Virginia that
it was n rule OF his life to go wherever
his duty required him, and he should
do so regardless Of whether it pleased
or displcased the Senator from Virgin
ia. But the rough hands that had becn
laid upon Coxcy had been laid on tho
rights of 70,00O,000 of American citi-
zens. 1t was for their rights that he
spoke today.
"Tho policemcn's clubs which had
been aimed ut tho devoted heads of
these three men had been aimed at the
head of every American citizen who
saw tit to raise his voice in defence of
his constitutional right. The blow
aimed at them was u blow at free
speech, at the right of free asscmblage;
and it wac for those great rights that
he stood"
Hc described the occurrence at the
Capitol grounds on the first of May as
sceno worthy of having taken place
in st. Petersburg or in the capitol of
some Eastern monarchy, and entirely
out Of place in representative ropub-
lie. These men had not come armed.
They had not been backed by mob,
and had no show of military force.
They had come simply law-abiding
peaceablc, but perhaps misguided citi-
zens for lawful purpose.
Allen ridiculed the charges on which
CoXey, Browne and Jones had been in
dicted in the police court--treading on
and injuring the turf of the Capitol
grounds-and spoke with derision Of
the sacred SSH of those grounds being
trodden on by the vulgar feet of peo-
pie who were not residents of Wash
ington. But there was not, he said, a
Senator or an American citizen, who
did not know that the real charge
against those men was their attempt
to exercise their constitutional right
of peaccaOle nsscmblago and of free
speech on tho Capitol grounds of the
nation.
He traced back the right Of petition
to the year 1915, when Magma Charta
was wrested from the King of England, +,
and said that there had never been q
time since then when the right Of
peaceablc aSscmblage and the right
of petition had been assaulted, and
while they had no particular sympa-
thy for Coxey, Browne or Jones, they
would demand at the hands of the SEN
ate close and religious recognition
of the right of every American citizen
to come to the Capitol grounds and pc
titiOn for u redress Of grievances. I'M
i, portant as the tariff was, it was of no
importance If the constitutional rights
OF tho people were taken from them.
Whenever the rights of American citi-
zens to stand anywhere under the flag
of his country, and to proclaim his OPP
inions in peaccable and lawful man
ner, was stiiled, and whenever he was
deprived OF the right of petitonng for
d redress OF grievances, then liberty
was lost in this country, and the right
of the people was swept away by the
usurpation OF powor.
Senator Sherman expressed his
great regret that when important
business was pressing this resolution
should bo brought before the Senate
and occupy it's time. The whole thing,
he asserted, was u mere sham and pre-
tense without n shadow OF foundation
Nobody, Senator Sherman said, had
ever denied the right of tho petition
Coxey know that any member Of tho
Senate of House would present his
petition and the petition of tho mon
who were with him..
a leading citizen OF Ohio had called
upOn him (Sherman), and asked him if