Coxey's Army

Posted by ESC on October 07, 2000

In Reply to: Cox's army posted by ron twilla on October 07, 2000

: Can anyone explain the derivation of phrase "enough food to feed Cox's army"?

COXEY'S ARMY - "The Panic of 1893 (1893-97) was the worst depression the U.S. had ever known up to that time, with widespread unemployment and industrial unrest. Several 'armies' of the unemployed marched to Washington to demand relief. Today the best known of these is Coxey's Army, 500 people who in 1894 marched from Ohio to the Capitol under quarry owner Jacob Coxey (1854-1951). He favored federally funded community public works and building programs as a solution to the panic. A large crowd gathered in Washington; but before Coxey could address it he was arrested for 'walking on the grass' (after the march Coxey ran for various public offices, including the presidency, but only became the mayor of Massillon, Ohio, 1931-33)." I Hear America Talking: An Illustrated History of American Words and Phrases by Stuart Berg Flexner (Von Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1976).