the cleveland era-第31章

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The　circumstances　of　the　tariff　struggle　greatly　increased　popular　discontent　with　the　way　in　which　the　government　of　the　country　was　being　conducted　at　Washington。　It　became　a　common　belief　that　the　actual　system　of　government　was　that　the　trusts　paid　the　campaign　expenses　of　the　politicians　and　in　return　the　politicians　allowed　the　trusts　to　frame　the　tariff　schedules。　Evidence　in　support　of　this　view　was　furnished　by　testimony　taken　in　the　investigation　of　the　sugar　scandal　in　the　summer　of　1894。　Charges　had　been　made　in　the　newspapers　that　some　Senators　had　speculated　in　sugar　stocks　during　the　time　when　they　were　engaged　in　legislation　affecting　the　value　of　those　stocks。　Some　of　them　admitted　the　fact　of　stock　purchases；　but　denied　that　their　legislative　action　had　been　guided　by　their　investments。　In　the　course　of　the　investigation；　H。　O。　Havemeyer；　the　head　of　the　Sugar　Trust；　admitted　that　it　was　the　practice　to　subsidize　party　management。　〃It　is　my　impression；〃　he　said；　〃that　whenever　there　is　a　dominant　party；　wherever　the　majority　is　large；　that　is　the　party　that　gets　the　contribution　because　that　is　the　party　which　controls　the　local　matters。〃　He　explained　that　this　system　was　carried　on　because　the　company　had　large　interests　which　needed　protection；　and　he　declared　〃every　individual　and　corporation　and　firm；　trust；　or　whatever　you　call　it；　does　these　things　and　we　do　them。〃

During　the　tariff　struggle；　a　movement　took　place　which　was　an　evidence　of　popular　discontent　of　another　sort。　At　first　it　caused　great　uneasiness；　but　eventually　the　manifestation　became　more　grotesque　than　alarming。　Jacob　S。　Coxey　of　Massillon；　Ohio；　a　smart　specimen　of　the　American　type　of　handy　business　man；　announced　that　he　intended　to　send　a　petition　to　Washington　wearing　boots　so　that　it　could　not　be　conveniently　shelved　by　being　stuck　away　in　a　pigeonhole。　He　thereupon　proceeded　to　lead　a　march　of　the　unemployed；　which　started　from　Massillon　on　March　25；　1894；　with　about　one　hundred　men　in　the　ranks。　These　crusaders　Coxey　described　as　the　〃Army　of　the　Commonweal　of　Christ；〃　and　their　purpose　was　to　proclaim　the　wants　of　the　people　on　the　steps　of　the　Capitol　on　the　1st　of　May。　The　leader　of　this　band　called　upon　the　honest　working　classes　to　join　him；　and　he　gained　recruits　as　he　advanced。　Similar　movements　started　in　the　Western　States。　〃The　United　States　Industrial　Army；〃　headed　by　one　Frye；　started　from　Los　Angeles　and　at　one　time　numbered　from　six　to　eight　hundred　men；　they　reached　St。　Louis　by　swarming　on　the　freight　trains　of　the　Southern　Pacific　road　and　thereafter　continued　on　foot。　A　band　under　a　leader　named　Kelly　started　from　San　Francisco　on　the　4th　of　April　and　by　commandeering　freight　trains　reached　Council　Bluffs；　Iowa；　whence　they　marched　to　Des　Moines。　There；　they　went　into　camp　with　at　one　time　as　many　as　twelve　hundred　men。　They　eventually　obtained　flatboats；　on　which　they　floated　down　the　Mississippi　and　then　pushed　up　the　Ohio　to　a　point　in　Kentucky　whence　they　proceeded　on　foot。　Attempts　on　the　part　of　such　bands　to　seize　trains　brought　them　into　conflict　with　the　authorities　at　some　points。　For　instance；　a　detachment　of　regular　troops　in　Montana　captured　a　band　coming　East　on　a　stolen　Northern　Pacific　train；　and　militia　had　to　be　called　out　to　rescue　a　train　from　a　band　at　Mount　Sterling；　Ohio。

Coxey's　own　army　never　amounted　to　more　than　a　few　hundred；　but　it　was　more　in　the　public　eye。　It　had　a　large　escort　of　newspaper　correspondents　who　gave　picturesque　accounts　of　the　march　to　Washington；　and　Coxey　himself　took　advantage　of　this　gratuitous　publicity　to　express　his　views。　Among　other　measures；　he　urged　that　since　good　roads　and　money　were　both　greatly　needed　by　the　country　at　large；　the　Government　should　issue　500；000；000　in　〃non…interest　bearing　bonds〃　to　be　used　in　employing　workers　in　the　improvement　of　the　roads。　After　an　orderly　march　through　parts　of　Ohio；　Pennsylvania；　and　Maryland；　in　the　course　of　which　his　men　received　many　donations　of　supplies　from　places　through　which　they　passed；　Coxey　and　his　army　arrived　at　Washington　on　the　1st　of　May　and　were　allowed　to　parade　to　the　Capitol　under　police　escort　along　a　designated　route。　When　Coxey　left　the　ranks；　however；　to　cut　across　the　grass　to　the　Capitol；　he　was　arrested　on　the　technical　charge　of　trespassing。　The　army　went　into　camp；　but　on　the　12th　of　May　the　authorities　forced　the　men　to　move　out　of　the　District。　They　thereupon　took　up　quarters　in　Maryland　and　shifted　about　from　time　to　time。　Detachments　from　the　Western　bands　arrived　during　June　and　July；　but　the　total　number　encamped　about　Washington　probably　never　exceeded　a　thousand。　Difficulties　in　obtaining　supplies　and　inevitable　collisions　with　the　authorities　caused　the　band　gradually　to　disperse。　Coxey；　after　his　short　term　in　jail；　traveled　about　the　country　trying　to　stir　up　interest　in　his　aims　and　to　obtain　supplies。　The　novelty　of　his　movement；　however；　had　worn　off；　and　results　were　so　poor　that　on　the　26th　of　July　he　issued　a　statement　saying　he　could　do　no　more　and　that　what　was　left　of　the　army　would　have　to　shift　for　itself。　In　Maryland；　the　authorities　arrested　a　number　of　Coxey's　〃soldiers〃　as　vagrants。　On　the　11th　of　August；　a　detachment　of　Virginia　militia　drove　across　the　Potomac　the　remnants　of　the　Kelly　and　Frye　armies；　which　were　then　taken　in　charge　by　the　district　authorities。　They　were　eventually　supplied　by　the　Government　with　free　transportation　to　their　homes。

Of　more　serious　import　than　these　marchings　and　campings；　as　evidence　of　popular　unrest；　were　the　activities　of　organized　labor　which　now　began　to　attract　public　attention。　The　Knights　of　Labor　were　declining　in　numbers　and　influence。　The　attempt；　which　their　national　officers　made　in　January；　1894；　to　get　out　an　injunction　to　restrain　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　from　making　bond　sales　really　facilitated　Carlisle's　effort　by　obtaining　judicial　sanction　for　the　issue。　Labor　disturbances　now　followed　in　quick　succession。　In　April；　there　was　a　strike　on　the　Great　Northern　Railroad；　which　for　a　long　time　almost　stopped　traffic　between　St。　Paul　and　Seattle。　Local　strikes　in　the　mining　regions　of　West　Virginia　and　Colorado；　and　in　the　coke　fields　of　Western　Pennsylvania；　were　attended　by　conflicts　with　the　authorities　and　some　loss　of　life。　A　general　strike　of　the　bituminous　coal　miners　of　the　whole　country　was　ordered　by　the　United　Mine　Workers　on　the　21st　of　April；　and　called　out　numbers　variously　estimated　at　from　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　to　two　hundred　thousand；　but　by　the　end　of　July　the　strike　had　ended　in　a　total　failure。

All　the　disturbances　that　abounded　throughout　the　country　were　overshadowed；　however；　by　a　tremendous　struggle　which　centered　in　Chicago　and　which　brought　about　new　and　most　impressive　developments　of　national　authority。　In　June；　1893；　Eugene　V。　Debs；　the　secretary…treasurer　of　the　Brotherhood　of　Locomotive　Firemen；　resigned　his　office　and　set　about　organizing　a　new　general　union　of　railroad　employees　in　antagonism　to　the　Brotherhoods；　which　were　separate　unions　of　particular　classes　of　workers。　He　formed　the　American　Railway　Union　and　succeeded　in　instituting　465　local　lodges　which　claimed　a　membership　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand。　In　March；　1894；　Pullman　Company　employees　joined　the　new　union。　On　the　11th　of　May；　a　class　of　workers　in　this　company's　shops　at　Pullman；　Illinois；　struck　for　an　increase　of　wages；　and　on　the　21st　of　June　the　officers　of　the　American　Railway　Union　ordered　its　members　to　refuse　to　handle　trains　containing　Pullman　cars　unless　the　demands　of　the　strikers　were　granted。　Although　neither　the　American　Federation　of　Labor　nor　the　Brotherhoods　endorsed　this　sympathetic　strike；　it　soon　spread　over　a　vast　territory　and　was　accompanied　by　savage　rioting　and　bloody　conflicts。　In　the　suburbs　of　Chicago　the　mobs　burned　numerous　cars　and　did　much　damage　to　other　property。　The　losses　inflicted　on　property　throughout　the　country　by　this　strike　have　been　estimated　at　80；000；000。

The　strikers　were　undoubtedly　encouraged　in　resorting　to　force　by　the　sympathetic　attitude　which　Governor　Altgeld　of　Illinois　showed　towards　the　cause　of　labor。　The　Knights