The Washington herald., 1913-11-26


war, but there are already intimations
that the drift is away from any fantastic
propositions of the Progressive sort and
In favor OF sending Driscoll back to Con-
gress. Before Driscoil came along Frank
Hiscock and ]. ]. Beiden represented the
district many terms, Hiscock coming TO
the Senate for six years Driscoll kept
coming for over a dozen years until the
close margin OF last year. but he has
not forgotten that even Belden In good
old Republican days made miss one
year. letting in Poole, a Democrat, for a
single term. The Driscoll ardor 10 not
abated. and he has hopes Of joining his
old colleagues. Luther Wright Matt.
George w. Fairchild. and Serene Payne.
all in adjoining districts. by the time the
sixty-fourth Congress is called to order.
Think of Cincinnati OF all cities on the
map, with 100 saloons put out of business
on one dire day by one dire law, enacted.
too. by a Democratic legislature domi-
mated by Democratic governor.
The new license system worked this
ences and while several thousand saloons
remain in Cincinnati, the 400 owners put
out Of business cry out "confscation,"
'suInptuary legislation" and much else
not found in dictionaries.
Besides, the State and local treasures
lose $4,000 a year, the tax being loo
for each saloon, but the kitchen cabinet,
doing business at Columbus, apparently
thinks friendship first and then the State.
The woe of thesfejected Cincinnati sa-
loonkeepers recalls how they resented the
mid tax Of 800 and 500 a year thirty
years ago.
They arose in wild rebellion and kept
Ohio Democratic for two years because a
Republican legislature had passed such a
law. Then came the inevitable reaction,
a return of Republicans to power. under
Foraker, and a fiat tax Of $50. which stood
for years. Then came local option and
voting out of saloons almost at the
rate OF one an hour and the liquor peo-
pie promised to be good and pay any
amount OF tax IL allowed to do business
The tax kept going up to A,ooo and then
license at the same rate, with $4,000
worth of worry about being able to keep
open at all The party in power is prob
ably OVERRIDING it, as usual, and another
year promises the inevitable reaction
that viii hardly help the saloonkeeper,
but make him feel that he has punished
the party that gave him such time or
stress. The appointment of license COM
missioners throughout the State gives
opportunity for a big political machine,
but with a dozen candidates for each
place, the rejected ones will build ma
chine OF their own, when II comes 20
spanking the present administration at
the polls year hence.
Who lived in Washington when Coxey's
army threatened invasion during the
spring of 1894 and forgets the apprehen-
sion of seige. the laying up OF provisions
in pantries, the dread almost Sf impend-
ing battle with ruthless sacking of the
city? The scare subsidized quickly enough
when Gen. CCxey and his adjutants were
thrown in Jail for not keeping on the
grass but it was something Of a scare
before the collapse.
All this was recalled at the Willard last
right when the redoubtable CoXey and
his fidus achates, Carl Browne. came
through the corridor and met some loyal
constituents of Senator Myers, the long
headed statesman from Montana, who
were conferring with the Senator on the
probable keeping OF Montana in the path
way of Democratic righteousness Sen
ator Myers and his home friends remind
ed Gen. Coxey that Montana, even II
far to the west OF the original army's
mobilization, raised a battalion. and also
It became hungry and devastated things
generally.
There was a general exchange of light
and airy persifage over the collapse of
the army, and then Gen. Coxey. with the
true Napoleonic spirit. reminded that the
original propositions back OF the march
on Washington had been wonderfully en-
dcrsed and approved by statesmen high
up. and philosophers of somber brow in
each year that has elapsed.
The original CoXey declaration in
time of Industrial depression. men out
of work and all that sort Of thing usually
incidental to a Democratic tariff. was
that the unemployed should be put at
work building roads. That idea has
been wonderfully commended since,
and especially since the automobile in
dustry has developed so rapidly. There
were possibly a dozen automobiles in
Washington that year as against dozen
thousand or more today. Then the initi-
ative and referendum was another Coxey
hobby made prominent in the eloquence
of himself and fellow orators in the ranks
Of his army. and he points now with
pride to the remarkable approval of his
pioneer proclamations on that proposition
as the years have gone by. The Mon
tana contingent had to admit that Coxey
had been a bit early, but could view the
outcome with some satisfaction. 1t might