The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-21
A SERIOUS MATTER.

| N oLhAVOo MA Lhs
The recruiting at various points in
the United States of "armies mod
eled on the Coxey plan has passed, some
time since, the funny stage and is as
suming proportions and conditions that
are becoming serious and may be very
critical unless the local authorities at the
recruiting point-and the local authori-
ties are the only ones who can-effec-
lively prevent the movement FROM be-
coming a menace to the peace and pros
perity of the land.
Had Coxey's "army" been treated at
the outset as an aggregation of tramps
and the people along the route, instead
of feeding them and furnishing them
with supplies and transportation as well
as places to rest, had put them under the
same penalty that attaches to tramps and
other idle persons, the whole movement
would have been fiat failure.
But when it was seen that the "re-
cruits" were fed and cared for and that
cities were willing to submit to kind
of blackmail rather than
be inflicted with their presence
and take the trouble of dealing
with them properly. it became an easy
matter to start new "armies" at other
points where vast bodies of idle men
were wondering where they would get
their next meal.
The West promptly furnished its
various contingents, and the tactics of
those latter detachments became bolder
and more pronounced. From merely
tramping peacefully along country roads
and begging support demands were
made upon the railroads for trains, and
and when refused force was used and
trains were seized.
Now what does this amount to but
insurrection?
In Omaha yesterday 5000 workingmen
marched to Councils Bluffs and demands
were made for trains to carry the Kelley
Army" on to Washington, intimating
that if transportation was not furnished
trains would be seized. No trains being
forthcoming this idea was carried out.
AS the telegraph reports, the following
proceedings took place;
having three empty cars. The crowd made dash
Tor this engine and captured IL in iidy, and
omaha. The capture OF this iocomo.
tive inspired another crowd of sympathizers with
is pushed na srns Of ears nao ,sn S Ms
the mob rushed for and easily captured
rank Of .o.sy y9lns ~bn g wrs n the the front
ON the tender, where they triumphantly waved
an American nag. In less than a minute the
The in the lead frantically waved
their arms and shouted 10 the crowd but their
which was increasing in number though by magic
Dozens OF women we're in the crowd surging
knocked abont, but they pushed cheered or hooted
with the rest The engine and train was run up and
down ,he tracks with the engine bell changing and
its whistle blowing and the steam kissing from the
escape valves to the accompaniment of cheers from
then dismissed. Finally train consisting OF IL box
cars was made up, and loaded with sympathizers |
The progress OF the train, however was stopped
whch one mile west OF Weston. The railroads had |
sspt Sn out nS tea" Se track between Council
already gotten feveral rails up. number Of |
A, Kesys ,S mss aPpesred ard made the ,silroaders
Tor some distance ets Of Weston.
Kelley finally refused to accept the |
train and further violence was for a
time checked. The leader in this |
case happened to be a man of |
sense and with strength enough to |
control his men. Among other propo-
sitions made yesterday to force
the public and the authorities |
into furnishing food and trans
portation was one of dividing the |
army into detachments of 100 men, each |
who should tramp across the State at in.
tervals Of mile apart, in line 25 miles
broad, levying upon the people
for food, lodging and even horses and
carts, devastating the State" as the
proposer explained it. This, it was trium-
phatly asserted, would soon bring the
people to time and compel compliance
with the desires of the army.
in other words highway robbery and
pillage was to be inaugurated on a grand
scale and reign of terror instigated. to
escape which the people would be glad
to pay for food and teams to pass the
gang along to the next town.
The movement is dangerous one.
and 1t is amazing to see municipalities
and even states quailing before the
threats Of mere mobs who threaten
violence that they would not dare TO put
into action II met bya bold stand and
By officials determined to put down an
insurrectlon.
Their object is wrong and illegal TO
start with, that Of assembling at the
capital and compelling" the Con-
gress OF the United States TO pass