Month: November 2016

Hellraisers Journal: Patrick Quinlan, Hero of Paterson Silk Strike, Released from New Jersey Prison

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday November 30, 1916
From the New Jersey State Penitentiary: Patrick Quinlan Set Free

The Appeal to Reason of November 25th reported the happy news:

Will Parole Quinlan

Paterson Silk Strike, Pat Quinlan, Current of 1913

According to a telegram received from Mrs. Anna Sloan, of 88 Washington Place, New York city, we learn that Pat Quinlan will be paroled on Thursday, November 23. This report is written on Tuesday, so by the time the Appeal readers get this issue we will have final verification.

The long, weary months Pat Quinlan spent in the New Jersey penitentiary were his punishment for being loyal to the striking silk workers of Paterson, N. J. There is not the slightest doubt that he was railroaded to the penitentiary because he had aroused the ire of the silk capitalists and their cohorts. Quinlan was in no sense guilty of the charges made against him, as the evidence clearly demonstrates. Quinlan is supposed to have aroused sentiment for violence at a meeting-which he never attended!

Quinlan will come out radiant in spirit, ready to take up anew the fight for the oppressed toilers. But the prison sentence has had its cruel effect on his health.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Patrick Quinlan, Hero of Paterson Silk Strike, Released from New Jersey Prison” →

Hellraisers Journal: How the Steel Trust Gained Control of the Mesabi Iron Range Without Spending a Single Dollar

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday November 29, 1916
Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range – Under the Rule of the Steel Trust

MN Iron Range Strike, Tresca Scarlett Schmidt Button, 1916

Harrison George, in an article for the November 25th edition of the Duluth Labor World, describes how the Steel Trust came to rule the Mesabi Iron Range of northern Minnesota. This is same Steel Trust which steadfastly refused to bargain with its employees and now seeks to frame-up organizers for the Industrial Workers of the World who have stood with the iron miners and their families in their struggle for justice.

Harrison George says of this plot:

This is the firm that backs with its grimy millions, the persecution of brave men; the firm who desires the conviction on a framed-up murder charge of Carlo Tresca, Sam Scarlett and Joe Schmidt-organisers,-who brought their loyalty to labor into the miner’s strike and who are guilty of no other crime.

From The Labor World of November 25, 1916:

STEEL TRUST GRABS RANGE
WITHOUT COST
—–

By HARRISON GEORGE.

Special Investigator for The Labor World.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: How the Steel Trust Gained Control of the Mesabi Iron Range Without Spending a Single Dollar” →

Hellraisers Journal: Seattle Union Record Reports on Funeral for Everett Martyrs and Mass Meeting at Dreamland

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Don’t Mourn, Organize!
-Joe Hill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday November 28, 1916
Seattle, Washington – Labor Mourns Martyrs and Gathers in Protest

The Seattle Union Record, voice of the Central Labor Council, in its November 25th edition, carried an account of the grand funeral which was held on November 18th to honor Hugo Gerlot, John Looney and Felix Baran, three of the Everett Free Speech Martyrs, who were murdered at Everett Harbor on November 5, 1916. The same edition reported on the mass public meeting, held at Dreamland on November 19th, attended by thousands, and held to protest the murderous suppression of Free Speech on the day now known as Everett’s Bloody Sunday.

Free Speech Heroes Get Grand I. W. W. Send-Off:

EVERETT-KILLED WORKERS BURIED
—–

Simple but Impressive Ceremonies at Graves
of Victims of Battle of November 5
—–

Everett Massacre, Funeral Gerlot, Looney, Baran, Nov 18, 1916, WCS

Thousands of Seattle citizens viewed the impressive funeral cortege of three of the Everett free speech martyrs on Saturday afternoon.

Leading the funeral procession was an automobile loaded with floral tributes the most elaborate of which was a massive set piece of white carnations with the motto, “Workers of the World Unite,” in red. Another portrayed the spirit of the great crowd in one pregnant word “Solidarity.”

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Seattle Union Record Reports on Funeral for Everett Martyrs and Mass Meeting at Dreamland” →

Hellraisers Journal: Big Bill Haywood on the A. F. of L., the I. W. W., and Class Struggle

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Don’t Mourn, Organize!
-Joe Hill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday November 27, 1916
From the Review: Haywood on Revolutionary Industrial Unionism

From the International Socialist Review of November 1916:

ORGANIZE—ORGANIZE RIGHT!

BY WILLIAM D. HAYWOOD

(Note — The following letter was written by Fellow Worker Haywood, to a worker in Indiana. It so well explains the difference between craft and industrial unionism, that we reprint it here in full.)

Carlo Tresca & Big Bill Haywood, ISR, Oct 1916

YOU ask me to give you ten good reasons why any craft union should withdraw from the A. F. of L. Here they are:

If the membership of a craft union has no broader outlook on life than the narrow confines and limitations of their craft, there is no reason why they should withdraw from the American Federation of Labor, as that is the institution in which they belong.

But, if the membership of the said craft union has had experience and knocks enough to make them realize the class struggle that is going on every minute in present-day society, then there are reasons why they should change from the craft to the industrial form of organization.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Big Bill Haywood on the A. F. of L., the I. W. W., and Class Struggle” →

Hellraisers Journal: From the Northwest Worker of Everett, Washington: “More of Our Dead in Fight For Freedom”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Don’t Mourn, Organize!
-Joe Hill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 26, 1916
Socialists and Unionists of Everett Mourn Their Dead

Everett Massacre, Hdline OUR DEAD, NW Worker, Nov 23, 1916

Why? When?

Everett Massacre, Why When, NW Worker, Nov 23, 1916

Note: Disturbing photographs below the fold.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Northwest Worker of Everett, Washington: “More of Our Dead in Fight For Freedom”” →

Hellraisers Journal: Haywood Wins Thousands of Votes for Governor of Colorado While Facing the Gallows in Idaho

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Have courage and energy;
they may put us in jail,
but imprisonment is not defeat.
Yours for economic freedom,
Ada County Jail, Boise, Idaho.
-WILLIAM D. HAYWOOD.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 25, 1906
Colorado Socialists and Unionists Cast Their Votes for Haywood

Colorado Election Results from the Montana News of November 22nd:

COLORADO

Haywood for CO Governor, AtR, Aug 25, 1906

Returns very incomplete. Enough to show more than 20,000 for Haywood and the Socialist ticket. Grand Junction goes 500 for Haywood, Telluride over 450 for Haywood. Great frauds every where, especially in Denver, where Socialist watchers were thrown out. In some places Socialists were prevented from voting.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Haywood Wins Thousands of Votes for Governor of Colorado While Facing the Gallows in Idaho” →

Hellraisers Journal: Hunger in America: Attorney General to Investigate As Working Men, Woman and Children Ask for More

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday November 24, 1916
Washington, D. C. – Investigation of Hunger to Commence

From the American Socialist of November 18, 1916:

Uncle Sam and Hunger, Am Socialist, Nov 18, 1916

INVESTIGATING HUNGER.

Attorney General Gregory announces that he will investigate the “abnormal and suspicious increases in the prices of the various necessities of life, especially coal.”

If it is found that such increases are due “to conspiracy and other unlawful action,” the department will invoke the severest penalties which the law prescribes.

When hunger stalks abroad in the land, when America is starved to pile up profits for private gamblers who feed the war in Europe, the attorney general promises an investigation that will change nothing whatever in the general situation and will not put one single piece of bread into one hungry mouth. There is no law passed by any old party that prevents any business man from charging for his goods what “the traffic will bear.”

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Hunger in America: Attorney General to Investigate As Working Men, Woman and Children Ask for More” →

Hellraisers Journal: Minneapolis Elects Socialist Mayor: Thomas H. Van Lear, Member of Machinists’ Union

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Organize! Oh, toilers, come organize your might;
Then we’ll sing one song of the workers’ commonwealth,
Full of beauty, full of love and health.
-Joe Hill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday November 23, 1916
Minneapolis, Minnesota – New Mayor Is a Socialist Union Organizer

From the American Socialist of November 18, 1916:

Elections of 1916, Am Socialist, Smashing Victories, Nov 18

Elections 1916, London & Van Lear, Am Socialist, Nov 18

For the first time in the history of the nation a Socialist congressman has been re-elected. Meyer London has been sent back to Washington for two years more by the twelfth New York district to speak for labor in the national capitol.

For the second time a Socialist has been elected mayor of a large city against the combined opposition of all the old parties. Thomas H. Van Lear has been chosen chief executive of Minneapolis, Minn., the metropolis of the northwest.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Minneapolis Elects Socialist Mayor: Thomas H. Van Lear, Member of Machinists’ Union” →

Hellraisers Journal: Mass Meeting Held at Seattle’s Dreamland Park; Remarkable Solidarity Between Rival Unionists

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Hold the fort for we are coming.
Union men, be strong!
Side by side we battle onward;
Victory will come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday November 22, 1916
Seattle, Washington – Solidarity! A. F. of L. Stands by I. W. W.

This past Sunday there was a demonstration of remarkable solidarity when the Central Labor Council of Seattle (A. F. of L.) joined together with the Industrial Workers of the World to demand justice for those killed in the murderous assault upon the Verona as it attempted to land in Everett on November 5th. The ship, on that day, was carrying members of the I. W. W. whose only crime was that they were about to attend a Free Speech Meeting planned for that afternoon. The Wobblies soon learned that the sentence for practicing Free Speech in the city of Everett, Washington, is Death.

The Seattle Star of November 20th reported that this was “the largest mass meeting ever held in Dreamland pavilion:”

Everett Massacre Dreamland Mtg 11/19, Stt Str, Nov 20, 1916, p1a
Everett Massacre Dreamland Mtg 11/19, Stt Str, Nov 20, 1916, p1b

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Mass Meeting Held at Seattle’s Dreamland Park; Remarkable Solidarity Between Rival Unionists” →

Hellraisers Journal: Funerals Held in Seattle for Young Everett Martyrs; Mourners Sing “The Red Flag”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

With heads uncovered, swear we all,
To bear it onward till we fall;
Come dungeons dark, or gallows grim,
This song shall be our parting hymn!
-Jim Connell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday November 21, 1916
Seattle, Washington – Funerals Held for Three of the Everett Martyrs

On Saturday, November 18th a public funeral was held for three of the five martyrs of the Everett Massacre of November 5th, known as Bloody Sunday. Those buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, in a service attended by thousands of Seattle citizens, were Felix Baran, Hugo Gerlot, and John Looney. Their comrade, Abraham Rabinowitz, died singing “The Red Flag,” and that same song of courage was sung by the mourners as they threw flowers upon the coffins of the three young men, whose names are now added to roll call of Labor Martyrs.

WE NEVER FORGET

Charles Ashleigh Speaks:

Everett Massacre, Funeral Baran Gerlot Looney, Nov 18, 1916, UW

Fellow Workers Honored:

Everett Massacre, Funeral Felix Baran, Nov 18, 1916, UW

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Funerals Held in Seattle for Young Everett Martyrs; Mourners Sing “The Red Flag”” →