Evening star., 1932-06-11
BONUS ARMY HAS PRECEDENT
IN'1NVASION" OCCURRING IN 1888
Original Group Instrumental in Forcing
Congress to Move Capital From
Philadel phia to District
History is being repeated by the bonus
army now camping in the National Cap-

History is being repeated by the bonus
army now camping in the National Cap
ital. Congress Is not having its first
experience with soldiers demanding
money, and results Of the present inva-
sion will have to be serious indeed to
react as strongly on the Nations his
tory as did the first bonus invasion"
The first bonus army, which besieged
the Continental Congress at Philadel-
nhia in June, 1888, was instrumental In
forcing Congress to establish the pres
ent seat Of the Federal Government In
the District Of Columbia.
Appeals Of Congress in 1888 to the
local authorities for protection against
the soldiers went unanswered The
army of 1888 finally became so hostile
and threatening that Congress moved
itself and established the seat of gov
ernment at Princeton, N. j.
Except in numbers, the first bonus
army probably .resembled very closely
the Bonus EXpeditionary Force of today.
There were only about 800 bonus march,
ers in 1888, but they were vigorous
and determined crew; ragged, dirty and
hungry. They camped on the door
steps Of Congress and waylaid the men,
bers in rougher manner than do the
modern members of the B. E. F. Their
acts had more far-reaching conse-
quences than they could have known;
they were in some measure the fathers
of the National Capital Of today.
Soldiers Long Unpaid.
w. B. Bryan, In his history Of the
National Capital, explains that the
members Of Congress were considering
the matter of establishing a permanent
seat for the Federal Government
The Battle of Yorktown had been
fought -and won in 1881. Since that
time the Army had been inactive and
SO had the paymasters. The soldiers.
long unpaid, became hungry and tired
pay Disbanding Of the Army by fur
loughs had begun. but there was no
money to pay the men. Their situation
became desperate.
The Pennsylvania troops in the bar
racks in Philadelphia early in June,
1888. expressed their discomfort by pre-
senting petition to Congress, to which
that body made no response, according
to Bryan. The feeling was quieted
down by influence Of members of Con-
gress, who personally went to the bar
racks and appealed to the soldiers.
Lancaster Group Led Way.
This had hardly been accomplished,
however, when a number of soldiers of
the Pennsylvania line at Lancaster mu-
tinted and started for Philadelphia to
demand of Congress the money that
was due them. The mutineers left Lam
caster June II, 1888, In command of a
sergeant OF the 120 who started, some
40 dropped out along the way. but when
Philadelphia was reached enough new
Sympathizers from the goth Pennsyl-
vania Infantry joined them to make
their number reach about SOC.
Congress. alarmed, called for assist
ance, but the executive council of Penn
sylvania refused to provide the desired
protection. Congress adopted a resolu-
tion calling for protection, In which 1t
was stated that the authority of the
United States had been grossly insulted
by the disorderly and menacing appear
ance of body of armed soldiers about
the place within which Congress were
assembled" and that the peace Of the
city was endangered
The Executive Council, however, re-
fused, and, in the language of James
Madison, expressed the belief that the
bonus marchers would probably not be
willing to take arms before their re-
sentiments should be provoked by some