Evening star., 1935-03-17
Political Panacea Peddlers

motive Firemen. A Democrat orig
inally, he became a Populist and later
Socialist
Debs was imprisoned twice. once for
his part in the Pullman strike and
again for anti-draft utterances during
the World War. Sentenced for 10
years to Federal prison, he was par
doned in 1921 and permitted to return
to his native city. He received pro-
longed ovation. Thousands marched
in procession through the streets. The
inmates of Atlanta Penitentiary had
adopted hiEa as q guide and prophet
Few persons Of his cult have had so
large a following.
COxey's March to Washington.
Grievances of the farmer and Ia
borer we're capitalized for demon
stration by Gen. Jacob S. Coxey in
1894. when he started to Washington
at the head of his army Of the un-
employed. He had promised to ar
rive with no less than 100000 follow
ers, but only few hundred were in
that tatterdemalion legion which
trailed, weary and foot-sore, into the
Capital.
Gen" Coxey was able to hold the
attention of malcontents of all classes
and often spoke of another pilgrim
age He retired in his 80s to
Massillon, Ohio, of which he was
elected mayor. He maintains that
suggestions he made were virtually the
same as those included in the alpha
betical New Deal.
The Rev. James r. Cox, rector of
ST. Patrick's Cathedral in Pittsburgh
and long a champion of the laboring
unemployed to Washington. Father
Cox by the way. was the candidate
of the Jobless party in the last presi-
dental election.
Appealing to the public by his ad-
mirable personal traits was the late
Henry George, journalist and econ
omist. who believed that the land
should bear all the burdens Of taxa
tion. His book. Progress and Pow
erty," gained an enormous sale and
helped him build up a large follow
ing throughout the country Had
he lived in the broadcasting age, he
NOuiu lldNC GllC VI
millions. for he was a fluent and
eloquent speaker and made many
economic converts.
One OF his chief supporters in this
city was Rev. Edward McGlynn, a
prominent priest, who openly advo-
Gated the single-tax doctrine, even
when ordered by his superiors to
desist. He was removed as rector Of
st. Stephens by the archbishop and
was ordered to go to Rome to explain
to the Pope.
An Early Father Coughlin.
His refusal to do so resulted in his
accommodation He was absolved
several years later by Msgr. Satolli,
apostolic delegate to the United
States, and restored to the priest
hood. Father McGlynn then became
pastor Of church in Newburgh
N. Y, where he died in 1900. He
was a convincing speaker, popular
with all faiths He might well be
called the Father Coughlin Of his
generation.
In more recent times the United
States has not lacked radically in
clined leaders OF new theories Of
economics, finance and the social
sciences.
Technocracy was thrilling the coun-
try in 1882, with Howard Scott as its
chief impresario. Apparently the
term was coined in 1919 by Cali
fornia engineer to denote a system
whereby all the resources of a coun-
try could be utilized for the common
good. BY this means private man
agement would be unnecessary. The
rather vague projects faded away,
but there are those who see its
image in he New Deal and the
brain trust"
There have been Utopia, Ltd; the
Townsend plan for old-age pensions
on gigantic and liberal scale, and
Upton Sinclair, novelist. who tried
to be Governor with his E. P. I. c.
plan-gaited and geared to End Pow
erty in California"