St. Paul daily globe., 1894-06-24

mana that another congress shall rer.
form the duty that this one undertook,
rbut failed In doing"
COXEYISM Is DEAD.
The end OF Coxeyism is at hand. The
main army Of the commonweal. under
command of the orig inatOr of the
scheme. has been at Washington and
accomplished nothing. Its leaders spenE
"a month in Jail for trespass. and have
returned to their homes, leaving the
rank and file to shift for themselves.
There are score of vagrant bands
scattered over the country, ostensibly
sen route for Washington. but evidently
lafraid to approach its inhospitable bor-
ders. They are being knocked about
( from pillar to post by the communities
they Invade. An ungracious welcome Is
extended them here and there, but as a
rule they are ordered to make them
selves scarce-t0 stay not upon the order
OF theil going, but go at once = on
penalty of being set at work IN the chain
gangs or in the warehouses;. None are
found so poor as do them reverence.
Gradually the bands are being decimated
by desertions. The jails along their
routes are gaining inmates, and by the
time the goal is reached scarcely a
corporal's guarf of all the thousands
who started on the pilgrimage will
answer to their names. il they have any.
1t IS estimated that something over
eight thousand men have, at one time
or another since the beginning of the
movement. been members of one or the
other of the armies of the commonweal i.
Ihls number, though large, is much
smaller thaa might have been expected
in times like these and in a nation of
seventy million souls. Few of the num-
Der were ''stayers." They tramped for
few days until the novelty of the affair
had WORN off. and then dropped out of
the ranks. Where they went no. one
seems to know or care. That they have
been swallowed up-h have lost their
identtty-in the mass of humanity that
comprises tue cities is all that is known
OF them. But the fact that an army of
such numbers and such a character
could be recruited in the country gives
cause for grave concern. It was not in
a truthful sense the ''army of the un-
ployed, but the army of incDrrigible
and constitutional vagrants. Hundreds
OF thousands of worthy citizens are out
OF employment. but they are too honest
and too self-respecting to join gang of
professional vagrantS on fools errand
to the national capital They have
families to protect and care for. and.
although they may be of little assist
ance at present. they scorn the dishonor
OF deserting them in their hour of need.
They will suffer and starve with them
if need be. but will die while struggling
to obtain for them the means of exist
ence.
The failure of Coxeyism proves that
we as nation have little to lear from
that element of our population. 1t has
been necessary only in few instances
/ to call out posse to restrain them or to
protect the communities through which
they passed. The communities have
shown their ability to protect them
selves, and have. Withal, manifested an
utter lack of sympathy with the move
IDent that betOkens an abiding health
fainess of public sentiment that is as
f6assuring as 1t is cOmmendable. Cox
eylsm was lawless, and found no place
in the sympatbies of the masses of the
people. Coxeyism was socialistlc and
anarchistic. and met only frowns and
blows from law-abiding citizens. Cox.
eyism was Incidence and vagrancy per-
'sonified.~ and encountered the disap-
proval of all industrious citizens, no
matter what their own grievances were.
The fact was recognized that unlawful
means were being employed for pur-
pose presumably worthy, and that the
livery of honest industry was being
used to ciothe dishonest and self-seeking
men.
Doubtless the numbers engaged in
this movement approximate the num-
Der of those in the country who are
ready to follow any leader on enter
prlses of lawless character, regardless
OF consequences SO far as loss OF reputa.
tion Is concerned. OF this they have
none to lose. But there were no des-
peradoes, no fighters, among them.
They would all doubtless engage with
ardor in stOrming hen.roost. but
would shrink in abject fear before
line of muskets, and scatter like sheep
at the discharge of cannon. There
were no heroes among them, even of
the dime-novel variety. They were too
cowardly for such uses. In petty
thievery they may have been adopts;
for schemes of robbery they were use
less.
The country will be the better for the
Coxey movement. Its utter failure will
demonstrate to the world the fact that
the American people cannot be made
the dupes of every designing knave who
may hold out promises OF added pros
perity by the abrogation of law and the
intimidation of lawmakers. 1t will
prove that the people have respect for
the rights of all men, whatever their
condition, but have no regard for those
who would overthrow the established
order Of things without offering some,
thing better in exchange. If Coxeyism
had lived. social and civil order would
have died. There are no tears to shed
over the new-made grave where the
ga unit form of social and political dis
order lies buried.
Legend of Spirit Island.
Around the falls of st. Anthony clus-