The Washington herald., 1913-04-13
The Crazy Man Of Twenty Years Ago. He Says, Demanded
the Initiative, Referendum, and Recall Free Delivery
Of Rural Mail and the Parcel Post-For
Non-interest Bearing Bonds.

81, and s. each-money, you understand
and would make the notes a full legal
tender for all debts, public and private.
ut was an entirely sound and safe
proposition. No one could lose cent.
The bonds would be paid in twenty-five
years by small tax on property, and
the notes issued against them would be
sent back to the United States Treasury
and withdrawn from circulation. I had
found a way, as / thought. to start pub
lie improvements in our States and mu-
inequalities and to give employment to
several million hungry and ragged men.
sprang out OF bed with the idea and
explained II to Browne. Starving people
can't wait for five or ten years for the
slow process of ordinary legislation.
Something unusual, / thought, had to
be done in order to catch and hold the
serious attention of the American people
We would send petitions all over the
United States, have them signed, and
then at the head of an army of idle
workmen carry the petitions to Wash
ington and present them to Congress.
The Army starts for Washington.
1T was to be a dramatic undertaking.
not that I desired personal notoriety. but
that wanted my idea and my purpose TO
excite the interest and gain the co-opera-
ton Of the whole country. 1t was to be,
as We. called it. a. petition in boots.
Names came to us in the mail by the
thousand. We marched out of Massillon
on Easter Sunday, 1894 Armies as they
were termed, were forming in the West
and were to join us in Washington. Some
OF them took possession of railroad trains
in order to reach the National Capital on
May /, the day / meant to present the
petitions to Congress.
My own column, the main army, YOU
understand. was composed of about fifty
men, not including thirty-ive newspaper
reporters and two Western Union tele-
graph operators in buggies. / rode in a
phaeton drawn by a team of bay horses.
Three of my best stations were ridden
by my staff officers. Our baggage and a
circus tent were loaded on wagons. The
brass band was transported in what was
humorously described as chariot. We
soon ran into snowstorm. There were
assertions from and additions to the army
as We went along. Cities and towns gaze
us provisions. We camped in fields by
the roadside and farmers often supplied
us with food and our horses with corn
and hay. A dealer in Pittsburg furnished
the army with shoes. We crossed the AL
leghany Mountains with $50 men. Then
recruits began to fall into line. When
We camped at the edge of Washington
having been on the road thirty-five days
and having travelled more than 400 miles.
We were called tramps, whereas most Of
US were workingmen. and the residents Of
Washington really thought we meant to
loot the city.
81 was denied the privilege of march
ing my soldiers of the commonweai
into the grounds surrounding the Capt.
to- So I left them in the street and at
/ - oh 20 h.
sembIed thousands who had come to
witness the presentation of our petition.
Browne and I were arrested the next
day-for breaking the shrubbery and
walking on the grass. 1t was trumped
up charge of course. A half dozen Pop