Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-09
COXEY AT THE CAPITOL
This Time He Appears Before the Blouse
Committee on Labor.
He IL Not Able to Tell Exactly How
He is a Representative
of the People.

Of members of the House committee on
labor at its meeting today, drawn there
largely by the expectation that Gen" Cox
ey probably would be in attendance to speak
| on Representative McGann's resolution for
| the appointment Of a joint committee OF
| the Senate and House to investigate the
cause of the prevailing industrial depression.
In this they were not disappointed, for the
general was early at the Capitol, in COM
pany with Col. A E. Redstone, his local
agent in Washington Mr. Coxey presented
petition from the commonweai army that
| ne ana Carl Browne be permitted to address
the committee in behalf of the Coxey bills
Ior construction of good roads and for the
| issue Oh misunderstanding bonds
The Petition.
Chairman Mccain told Coxey that he re-
ceived the petition with the understanding
that it would be referred to,the committee
mentioned in the resolution should ;he lat
ter be adopted. The petition, signed by
members Of his band, is as follows:
CAMP TYRANNY, May g.
we, the undersigned citizens Of the Unit
| ed states, at present sojourning in the Dis
trict of Columbia. which is not only the
asylum of the oppressed of all nations but
our nations home, hereby respe ,tfully pc
tition your honorable body to allow Broth
ers CoXey and Browne to appear before YOU
TO voice our wishes as to proposed legisla-
/
washington, viz, the ]. S. Coxey good
roads and misunderstanding bonds bill,
which We believe, if passed by Congress-
would not only solve the present depression,
give employment to millions of men, but
would effectually provide against recur-
renee OF the extraordinary conditions exist
ing In the Industrial and business arteries
of the nation, which, 1t seems plain TO us IL
not soon remedied, will bring death to re-
publican Institutions or require force of
arms to maintain them, which fall must
deplore."
Then He Answered Questions.
Coxey supplemented the reading of the
petition with a brief statement and then
answered questions put to him by men,
bers OF the committee. He asserted that
the commonwealers had tramped to WASH
ington and now they wanted committee
appointed to hear them on the good roads
Dill and the non-interest bearing bonds
Dill. There are billions of dollars worth
OF improvements throughout the country
10 be made he said. and there are mil
lions OF men to make them. There is but
one thing standing in the way and that is
money. Ninety-nine per cent of the people,
ne asserted, ought to have the same privi-
leges that are granted to one per cent of
the people for twenty-eight years. VIZ me
national banking class. He asked the same
privileges for the people he represented and
asserted that the passage of stheodMo bills
above referred to would solve the Industrial
d IA.
Mr.. Dunn of New Jersey asked him II
he believed American institutions were
created for the purpose of resolving the
government into money lender. '..-'
That Is already the case with one per
cent of the community" answered Coxey
He represented the people and the 'otner 20
per cent ought to have the same privilege
as the one per cent. He was asked what
authority he had TO state that he repre-
scented ys per cent of the people; what were
his credentials" s'-
COxey's Authority Questioned.
Representative Ryan, democrat, of New
York, pressed the question upon -coxey as to
what warrant he had for saying. hes repre-
sented 80 per cent of the people;oo1 bs1o,o>j
Take the Farmers Alliance, the KNIGHTS
of Labor and other organizations said
Coxey, land they are all in sympathy with
this movement" - 'Ei'
But" pressed Mr. Ryan, don't you think
represented through their chosen members
in Congress-
Yes" said Coxey, but as a rule they are
misrepresented. instead of being repre-
sented."
We'll" queried Mr.. Ryan, have you any
showing to make. any proofs to offer, that
you represent 30 per cent of the people?"
NO" said Coxey, after thinking a mo-
ment; II don't claim that This closed
Coxeys hearing.
/. E. Dean, q member of the executive COM
mittee of the Farmers Alliance, followed
with a recital of the depressed condition Of
labor. --
Representative Ryan asked him If he was
farmer. He answered that he was not
but was associated with farmers. When
he explained that he came from the oil re-
gion of Pennsylvania, Mr. Ryan remarked
that in his country farmers did not choose
men from oil regions to voice their views.
Are They Genuine Workingmene
Representative Wells of Wisconsin then
took a hand at questioning ..,ga-.
Have Coxey's men ever made an honest
effort to get work." he asked b.. =, s,lo
Mr.. Dean said he could not answer. ~
Mr.. Wells said he was farmer. and that
the farmers would be glad to get more help
from Coxeys men or any other source 1t
would help them and bring down the price
of farm products Az.
Representative Dunn of New Jersey ask
ed: DO you believe that the American peo-
pie nave reached stage where they want
threats and coercion used against their leg
isators by these moving bodies?' ID,
No" said Mr.. Dean; mo threats are in
tended" -
Then" said Mr. Dunn, what can be ac-
complished by these steps equivalent to CO.
ercion?' 1870
You have a habit in Congress- said Mr..
Dean, "of consigning petitions to pigeon
holes and waste baskets. The object of
Coxey was to present to you a petition that
would be insured hearing" h.t. ~ q :,
And to present 1t" added Mr.. Dunn,
with an implied threat" -, ar, Il, =
1T should be petition and not threat, %
said Dean.
This closed the hearing. and as the COM
mlttee was about to go into secret session
Mr.. Coxey said: .
I'VE have thousands of petitions If we
orly have chance to present them"
I'VE Will give you a committee" said
Chairman Mccain, ITO receive them"
Messrs Coxey, Browne and their friends
withdrew n init or
the resolution Browne was not pleased
that he had not been accorded hearing
He said he had put aside his buckskin
suit in order to overcome prejudices yet
he was given no CHARGE to speak. With
Coxey and Browne were group of popu-
lists and Farmers Alliance leaders, includ-
ing Marion Butler, president OF the National
Farmers Alliance: Mr.. Dean of the execu-
tive committee, Chairman Taubepeck and
Secretary Turner of the peoples party
executive committee; N. d. Cumming, editor
of the populist organ, and Representatives
Pence, Boon and Bell of the populist dele
cation in Congress
SMALLPOX DANGERS.