The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-01-20
"GET OFF The GRASS"
General COXey Tells Of His Famous March
TO Washington.
SCARCITY OF REAL MONEY
This Brought on the Crusade--Gener-
al Coxey Wants To Do Away with
National Banks.

Gen aral j. s. Coxey the famous advocate
of the common people whose name VIII 20
associated for all time TO come with The
patch of grass in the neShborhood OF the
capitol building in Washington city, dis
cussed the money question before a small
audience of admirers at the Columbia last
Tuesday night.
incidentally he rchearsed the story of his
celebrated march from Massillon, O., To
The seat of government.
THE purpose of this march," said Gen
eral Coxey in his lecture last night, was
TO divert the minds of the American people
from the tariff issue and TO fix 1t upon
the norey question, especially in its appli-
cation to the laboring classes of this coun-
try The enterprise succeeded beyond tho
most sapguine hopes of those VINO We're
Interested in the success of the movement.
The newspapers took up the subject and
the matter was discussed in the Local
and editorial columns of all the leading
metropolitan journals. In one OF these /
was represented as trying to break into
iuuatfc asylum. Ridicule was heap5d upon
me and ! was made the target OF aDuse
and criticism from all directions. but TINS
only helped to advertise the march and 70
brin1, about the main result LOT "hlch the
army was organized.
General Coxcy stated that the distance
Intervening between Massillcn, ., ana
Washington city was about tour hundred
mil, \ lie calculated making the trip
with his followers in thirty-iive days ana
succeeded with close approximation IN
reaching the capital within That limit The
privations and diseouragements encounter
ed along the way were very great, but they
were stimulated by the assurance that the
eyes of the country were upon them ana
that Washington city. would soon be
reached.
Before arriving at the capitol, said
General Coxey, Il LEFT the army about SIX
miles from the capital and proceeded IN
advance 10 Washington for the purpose
CT making ali necessary arranSemy nts. /
called to see Nj. Crisp, who was then the
speaker OF the house OF representative
he wanted to know the object OF my WISH
ana / explained the situation 10 him ass
fuIly as | could told him that l wanted
10 advocate the Notwithstanding BOND
i'm and to make a strong appeal TO con
press on behalf OF the laboring men OF the
| country / told him / thought these I'm
| employed men should be put TO work py
/ Tho Government and that the money should
nav them. He laughed at the idea, but
gave him to understand that i the united
| States could issue greenhaeka IN lSt3 Tor
| Tho purpose Of putting muskets INTO the
hands of the people the government could
also issue them for the purpose Of putting
picks and shovels into the hands of the
| honest laborinS men OF the l"tu- 40 'iii9
lie said nothing.
General Coxcy then stated that after con-
ferring with Speaker Crisp and Vice Presi-
dent Stevenson he left Washilt ton and re
;oincd his followers. Then be ny. The march
into the city The general dSribed the
march 10 the capitol and thd starference
of inc police officers, who reTelv, to lis
ten to his protest. ne and 'uy lowers
were thus denied the oopsttutt\ nd Eht Of
! gt..F. fasrf n
making a petition Is congry 1Senera
/ Coxey referred to the characterf his trial,
| declaring it to be the greatest firce OF the
! century.
''The twenty days which I spent In pris-
| on" said General CoNey, were the happl-
est days Of my life. ] felt that the sympa-
| thies Of the country were with me in my
| troubles and that persecution would 2c-
| complish more for the cause | represented
than any petition which / might have had
| the privilege of making to congress / was
not wrong in this supposition. The attan-
ton of The country was successfully DIVERT
| Cd from the tariff to the money question:
/ The people OF the land could not resist the
appeal of starving men, nor OF those who
| were made victims of persecution by es-
/ housing their cause" General CoXey stated
| that a hundred and fifty thousand men We're
/ in the labor procession as it marched to
! the capitol.
Explaining the origin Of the panic of 1893.
I General Coxey ascribed its cause to the
scarcity OF real money, chiefly brought
| about by the repeal OF the purchasing
clause Of the Sherman act lie scored
/ President Cleveland as the agent of the
| goldbugs and money gamblers, and paid his
| respects with equal severity to both the
| democratic and republican parties lie de-
| clared that Mr.. Cleveland had made a
| trade with those who voted for the repeal
| ola % IN