The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-21
WORDS OF PRAISE.
A Remarkable Endorsement
Given Gen. Kelly
By General Manager st. John OF
the Rock Island.
Saws He is Honest and Thor
oughly in Earnest
BUT STILL NO CARS
If Transportation is Not Fur
nished By Morning,
Kelly's Command Will Move
Eastward on Foot.

DEs MONIES, Iowa, April 2l.-General
Manager St. John of the Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific railway who passed
through this city last night from Council
Bluffs talked differently from some other
railway men about the "commonweaF'
army, its purposes and the menace 1t is
to the country. In fact he does not think
the people have anything to fear from
the army in passing through the country.
1T is made up of sober, intelligent,
determined men," he said "They
are nine-tenths of them American
born. They are respectable, honest
and remarkably well organized.
There are no buns among them The
statements that have been sent out about
their being tramps and all that sort of
thing are utterly untrue. Their leader
is man of brains and character and
great determination, and he is religi-
Gus man, too. He is a perfect gentleman
and thoroughly honest
"He will never permit any outrages to
be done by any Of his men if there should
be any inclination in that direction,
which there certainly is not now. He
will not permit any tramp or disreputa-
BILE person to enlist in his army, and he
will remove the first one he can find He
has absolute control over his men, which
he could never have over a
body of tramps, or disreputa bles.
never go back under any circumstances.
They are going to Washington in some
way, OF that / am sure. we may be
wrong Kelly said to me, but we are de-
termined to go to Washington and pre-
sent living petition to congress; one
that cannot be thrown into waste paper
basket We think we are right and
nothing can stop u.s.
What they can accomplish, I do not
see, but they are bound to make pro-
found impression. There will be 100. 900
people in Washington by the tenth day
of May on this mission. And what can
we do about it. Nothing, but treat them
kindly and let them &C. The more Op-
position they meet the stronger they be-
come. The laboring classes all over the
country are in sympathy with them. If
they have few more days of such treat
ment they have had the past few
days, l trem BILE to think what may hap
pen. You can not tell what man will
do when he is hungry and hunted
down"
"Did you see the men?" was asked.
"Yes, stopped at Weston at the re-
quest of Gen. Kelly and saw the men
there. They are of the better class and
l wouldn't be one bit afraid to take them
to Chicago or any other city, for they
will do no one any harm. They are mostly
educated men, mechanics and a number
of railroad men. They have left families
in California and they are hoping
many of them to get back
east where they came from and
find something to do to get their families
back. They will never return to the
west, for there is nothing for them to re-
turn to. They have been starving there.
They are desperate men. desperately in
earnest
This thing is gathering like whirl-
wind. 1t is very similar to the French
revolution. 1t is a terrible thing, and it
made me sad to find that there were
1900 respectable, we'll meaning men re-
duced to such desperate straits in this
country. We expect these things in the
old countries, but it is no part of the pro-
gramme of republic 1t makes US feel
that there is something wrong with the
government"