The Industrial Army Marches
Unemployed men organize in Seattle to march on Washington, D.C., as part of a national labor movement.
The story, cleaned up
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The Industrial Army continues to grow in Seattle and now numbers over 600 members. Preparations are underway to travel to Washington City to present the demands of the unemployed to the president and Congress. The group has secured the Armory for a fundraiser ball on April 21st and has begun organizing into companies, including a planned 'colored company.' Supporters have donated supplies, and the men are surviving on 'Mulligan stew.' The group is seeking public aid to cover transportation costs for their journey.
“The men are being formed into companies; during the next two days they will be supplied with badges and on Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock they will parade the principal streets.”
This story describes a 'Coxey's Army' affiliate, part of a massive 1894 protest against the economic depression. It mirrors modern debates over the visibility of the unhoused and the power of organized labor to demand national attention to local crises.
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