Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1894.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 99, 30 April 1894, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1894.

There was a time when the adoption of a Republican form of Government was supposed to bo a cure for all the ills that aflUcfc mankind. The United States were pointed to as an ideal country where work was plentiful and wages were high, and where wealth was better divided than in the worn-out monarchies of the old world. Now, however, things havo changed. The fortunes of the richest Americans are larger than have ever existed in Europe, the clamour of poverty is louder, the war of claasea is fiercer, and it has become apparent that such matters do not depend on mere forms of Government. The United States have an enormous territory which allowed the people to spread and acquire land easily, but now in many parts ©f the country there have grown great manufacturing towns, with the people living under conditions somewhat similar to those existing in such towns in England. The 3trike at the Carnegie works in Pennsylvania was followed by private warfare on an unexampled scale, showing that the gravest discontent muat have existed in the minds of the workmen. The movement which is now going on in the United State 3 amounts to civil war. What is called Coxey's Army is a body of men out of employment, j from all parts of the country, formed to march on Washington, and extort by threats from, the General Government relief on an enormous scale. The demands include the distribution of 500,000,000 dollars in relief money, and the emj ployment of the idle on making roads, including a great highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, The telegrams from America have informed us that already there have been attempts to concentrate on Washington, that trains have been seized, and that there has been some serious fighting. Whatever laxness of administration o£ the law there may be in certain parts of tho United States, open deiiance of the authority of the Government has always been put down with groat sternness. No Government in the world would, if it could help it, allow some hundreds of thousands of men to march on the capital to make extortions by throats. Though many of tho men are doubtless really industrious workmen in distress, they are sure to be accompanied by a large number of truculent and uaelesH vagabonds. In the United States there are a large number of what are called tramps, who wander all over the country bogging and stealing, and who never even try to got work. The march of Coxey's army would give Buch men a line opportunity which few of them would bo likely to neglect. Tho news by tho Sau Francisco mail said that it was feared that Washington would bo over-run with bad characters. Tho machinery for suppressing disorder in the Unitod (States soems to bo tlifUcult to sot in iinotion, and riots and disturbances make considerable headway before tho Govornmeut puts forth its strength. It would be better for the country and more merciful to those who create disturbance if steps to repress it wore taken more quickly. The United States Government, however, is essentially a strong Government, with the great body of tho nation at its back, and tho«o who defy its authority may be some that in the long run they will be compelled to submit.