The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-05-18
Friday. May is, 1894.
Coxey's Financial Scheme.


MIDLAND JOURNAL. will be found the two
bills which Coxey proposed to lay before
Congress, and urge their adoption by
speech explaining their provisions, first
to the twenty thousand people which
crowded the ground east of the capitol
steps, and afterwards before committee
of Congress.
This is what is Familiarity known as
lobbying for the passage of a specific law,
but differed from the ordinary mode.
Coxey got together a few hundred OF
destitute people who are out of work and
consequently are out of grub, and march
ed them to Washington to serve as an
''obiect lesson" for that body, and also
as an animated petition favoring his bills.
This animated petition of Coxey's repre-
scented several millions similarly circum-
stanced people.
Coxey reasoned that, the Chamber of
Commerce, Protective Leagues, liquor
associations, railroad and other corpora
tons that desire congress to enact laws
specially favoring their interests, always
send delegations to Washington to influ-
ence and instruct congress in favor of the
proposed laws they desire to have enacted.
The latter differ in form from Coxey's
mode, and also somewhat i'll principle.
The delegations or lobbies for the corpor
ate associations go in palace cars and
carry with them plenty of money, the
latter a persuasive kind of eloquence
and argument which is said to have the
most powerful influence of any other
known power over majority of Con-
gresham, who work their way to con-
gress through old party methods and the
saloon. These corporation 1obbies do not
herald their movements nor advertise the
amount of money they carry and use in
their efforts with congress, but endeavor
to keep them secret as possible.
Coxey OH the other hand did not have
palace cars for his delegation to ride to
Washington in and had to foot it. Neither
had they any money to persuade congress.
Neither had they script nor took thought
of the morrow, believing that sufficient to
the day is the evil thereof. Neither did
Coxey endeavor to conceal the object of
his mission, but proclaimed it from the
house tops, so to speak, and told it in the
streets. Nor did he urge his mission in
the interest of a corporation or class but
as universal benefit and for the national
good or veal. This also differed from
anything congress had ever before
known; the movement being in favor OF
a common, instead of special veal.
And although the political principle
actuating the corporation lobby and
Coxey's lobby was exactly the samoan
appeal to congress for specific legislation
the methods were so different, and
ultimate results promised to be so widely
different, that congress looked upon the
latter as little short of revolutionary.
CoXey's petitioners were denounced as
tranps and buns, "hobos," &c.-They
bore no gifts for needy Congressman,
were clothed in homespun, walking on
foot, living on scanty fare, the bounty OF
sylnpathizing, people. The corporation
and bank lobbies are styled scientific
experts and fnanciers," are clothed
in purple and fine linen, ride in palace
cars, fare sumptuously every day and bear
rich gifts for Congressman.
Having compared the two classes OF
petitioners, the one for the special veal,
which constitute the corporations, ex-
plotting, specializing, gambling and
largely non-produc!ng class, the other the
commonweal, or millions of workers
whose unaided, weary industry produces
all, let us examine, Coxey's bills and
their proposed object.
The first bill requires the Secretary of
the Treasury to have engraved plates and
issue $500, 900, 900 in small denominations
of legal, tender notes, the same as the
present greenback notes which have been
i'll circulation upwards of 80 years. This
new issue of greenbacks is to be appro-
priated to making a system of public
turnpike roads, the roads ODE constructed
and money expended under the direction
of the Secretary of War, the wages to be
paid laborers being prescribed in the bill.
This bill is, as near as possible, identical
with the law of 1923 for the issue of our
famous greenback, and the expenditure
is placed i'll the hands of the same class
of government officers the purposes only
differing. The first was for the main
tanning of armies i'll the field and furnish.
ing them needed supplies to prosecute the
carnage and waste incident to war. The
second issue of greenbacks, is to employ
the same class of men as armies of peace,
to make the best roads in the world for
the use of the whole people, which would
add greatly to the material wealth of the
country as we'll as promote a christian
izing and civilizing influence upon the
entire population.
In 1923 there were $3.50, 1000
greenbacks issued. This money when
expended i'll payment of the armies and
for supplies, was returned to the govern
ment, or the Secretary of the Treasury,
partly through taxes collected from the
people, and partly through an issue of
bonds. These bonds were placed in the
1,opde IF Inv Cool & co for ca1a 'The,,