The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-26
Thursday, April &c, 1894.
SYMPATHETIC COMMUNITIES.

The events of the past twenty four
hours in connection with the Montana
division Of Coxey's army will serve to
bring this state into greater prominence
than n other commonwealth that has
been afflicted with the presence or pas
sage of a body of these involuntary no
maids. That the forward movement to
Washington has received its first repulse
within the borders of Montana is a mat
ter for the citizens of this state TO o Il
graduate themselves on, even though
the power that stemmed the course OF
= what was presumably an irresistible u
rent. was the military arm OF the ma
tional government, and not the citizens.
Much has been said and will yet be
said of the people being in sympathy
with the movement, which, under Cox
ey's hare-brainer plans, has for its OBJ
iect the turning loose Of n hundred
thousand men n the city OF Washing
ton. but it is d noticeable fact that this
SO. called symp thy only lasts while the
particular Diet chment under considera-
ton is the nwelcome guest of some
community I at in self defense exerts it
self TO speed hem On their way with he
consoling r 1ection-not that they have
performed Christian duty. but that
they have id themselves of an incubus
whose pr sence was a. menace to all
rights guaranteed by that highly priced.
but ar times imperative organic law, the
constitution of the United States. \
case in point clearly indicates this. No
where in the country have the Coxeyites
received such an abundance of public
comfort and support, than at Butte, where
the Montana division organized. The
best men of the town fell over each
other in their haste to proclaim the in
the integrity of purpose of those enlisted
in it. and it is perhaps unnecessary TO
add that that the newspapers of the
town lent their columns 10 repeated
Mandatory expositions Of the same ideas.
Mark now the caange. The original
army" had left Butte. but its success
in getting free transportation and sub
~sistence. prompted the organization of
another corps. and at once the Butte
Miner kicks" in the following emphatic
strain:
The patriotism of the city has beer
expressed: the rights of the common
people have found representation in the
living petition which has gone forth:
every principle Of justice and equity has
been blazoned upon the skies of public
opinion. and the Miner. as a spokesman
of the common people. now calls a halt
on any future organization under the
name Of the Coxey army.
There is a limit to all things and pub
lie patience will not tolerate any wild or
indiscriminate organization in the name
OF a prostituted public order. Let us
have peace. Let every man do his duty
as a citizen of the best governmental the
people on earth and let the friends of
honest toll say by their actions that they
are ia favor Of d peaceable and law -abid-
ing agitation in The interest Of a Just
settlement Of the complex problems
which now confront US.
And there is no doubt but that the
Miner speaks now as fully for the people
as it has in the past few days. when it
represented the desire Of the CoxeyItes
to move forward, as not only reasonable
and just but pr~2iseworthy. The main
idea with the people and the newspapers
of Butte was to get them TO move on,
but nov hat the zeal displayed in fur
thering this desire. threatens to ripen
another crop of ''commonwealers," the
Miner calls a halt. This is a fair de-
monstratlon 2f the so called sympathy
that the tCoxey movement is receiving
all over the country.
1t is no doubt due to the leaders of
these various armies, to say that thus
far they have peer able to repress any
spirit Of lawlessness, and maintain a dis
cipline that exacts nothing but free grub
and free transportation; but how long
will they be able to do so. That is a
question that is yet to be solved, and
every detachment Of the army that is
passed on" to Washington, makes its
peaceful solution more difficult.