Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-05-01
COXEY'S ARMY.
Purpose Of the Army Explain
ed by Its Organizer.
The Good Roads Scheme and
Non-IntercSt Bearing Bonds
Discussed.
4 Crank's Novel Method OF Attracting the
Attention Of Congress and the
Country.
COXEY'S ARMY.

Country.
rs is we'll known to all readers of .
current events. for two months past +
here has been a great deal written and .
,aid about Coxey and his army. Ac-
,ording to common report J. 5. CONey.
Who is the self-chosen commander-in-
thief of the organization which he has
The Army of the Com
i an Ohio Democrat. whose
business is that of stock-raiser or
horse trader. Becoming sorely disap-
pointed at the way his party Is improv-
ing its "chancc." and being deeply i'm
pressed 10y the general financial de
preston and enforced idleneSS of thou
sands Of laborers. Gen" CoXey con
ceived the novel idea Of emphasizing
the situation 10y publishing his inten-
ton of organizing a huge army Of the
unemployed. gathered from every Sc
ton Of the country. and marching 81
Washington 10 present II person t1e.-
grievances to the assembled statesmen
of the Nation. instead Of II the old
method Of resolutions and petitions. -
often ignored heretofore. OF course
Coxey's scheme. which The LEADER re
CARDS as decidedly hair Drained" and
fraught with much possible danger TO
the peace of the country. has been the
butt of no end of ridicule and not
little malicious misrepresentation. The
following. however, is condensed from
a letter written by Gen" CoXey him
self under date of April 2lst to the st.
Louis Republic and may be accepted
as
AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT
of the character and object of the
CoXey movement:
With Peace on earth. good will to
man" as a motto. and with confidence
in the success of its mission, the Army
of the CommOnweal is approaching
Washington. Our plans are matured
and we are working with a purpose.
The aim and object of this march to
Washington has been to attract the
of the whole people to sense
of immediate relief to the 100000 of
unemployed men in the United States
and their immediate families, consist
ing of about 100000 persons more,
and to the pressing need of legislative
action looking to the relief of the I'M
employed and ultimately the benefit of
the country at large. We left Massil-
lon on Easter Sunday. We started
with about 100 men. The army now
numbers 80. The total distance from
Massillon to Washington by the route
chosen is 100 miles, and the march has
been 50 timed that the Army of the
COmmonweal will arrive at the capital
on May !. When we reach there it IS
our present intention to go into camp
on Senator Stewards place in the
suburbs
Senator Stewart has kindly given the
army permission to do this. and has
Simplified our work When we get
thoroughly settled in Washington we
expect Congress to do something. One
idea of the maSsing of the army of the
unemployed there is to force Congress
to do something. We expect that from
100000 to 100000 persons will congre-
gate there on May |, and that ia this
manner they will bring the strongest
impression to bear upon Congress, be
ing the strongest representation of the
common people given up to similar
mission in the history of this country.
SO long as Congress can keep the
people isolated from each other all
over this country they will never grant
them any relief. but when they come
in body like this, peacefully to dis
cuss their grievances and demand I'M
mediate relief, Congress can no longer
turn deaf ear, but will heed them
and do it quickly
Senator PETER has introduced two
measures inspired by himself one the
good roads bill, the other nOn-interest
bearing bond bill. The former pro
videS that Congress shall issue and APP
propriate S500,OO0,0OO of full legal ten
der treasury notes to each State and
Territory pro rata with the number of
miles of road in each State and Terri
tory. at the rate Of S2O.OOO,O0O per
month. for the improvement Of the
public roads and to give employment
to the unemployed in making these
improvements. The non-interest bond
bill grants to all States, counties,
townships, municipalities or villages
the privilege to issue twenty-five year
bonds. in return fOT which
the government will issue paper money
to the face value Of these bonds in
small denominations. minus ] per cent
Treasury charges. This will bring iH-
to circulation more money and allevi-
ate the distress of the masses while
the whole people.
1t is not necessary to have the equiv
alent or any part Of the S5OO,OO0,O00
paper money for the Improvement OF
the roads deposited i'll the Treasury.
This government is great enough to
vouch for currency of its own issue.
| believe in the characterization Of both
gold and silver and i'll the gteepback
theory. The issue of 350o,O0O,Oo0 OF
new money will bring the country
back to prosperity and keep it there
Tor two years. BY that time the peO-
pie will realize the immense good to be
derived from the adoption of this sys-
tenn of currency as permanent policy.
The people now have IA chance to make
known their wishes to Congress the
chance OF lifetime. We expect to alb
,orb all the scattering bands of labor