Hellraisers Journal, Monday November 20, 1916
Pennsylvania Justice: Leslie Marcy on “Law and Order”
From the International Socialist Review:
And when the sky darkens and the prospect is war
Who’s given a gun and then pushed to the fore
And expected to die for the land of our birth
Though we’ve never owned one lousy handful of earth?
-Ed Pickford
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 19, 1916
From The Masses: Our Corporate Masters Prepare for War
Drawings by Art Young:
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 18, 1906
State of Idaho – Governor Gooding, Mine Owners’ Hero, Re-Elected
The Mine Owners’ Associations of Colorado and Idaho are rejoicing as their champion, Governor Gooding, wins re-election in the state of Idaho, and they now can easily imagine the leaders of the Western Federation of Miners swinging from the gallows. Jack London recently offered an alternative point of view, writing in the Chicago Daily Socialist that “Something Is Rotten in Idaho” (see below.)
From The Idaho Daily Statesman of November 13, 1906:
Colorado, Sends Greeting to Idaho
and Governor Gooding.(Denver Republican.)
Colorado, in the midst of rejoicing over its victory for orderly government, sends greeting to Idaho and Governor Gooding over the splendid victory achieved in the interest of good government and for the good name of the whole state, which like Colorado has suffered in the past from the rule of anarchy. From the Coeur d’Alenes to Cripple Creek is a near and fateful cry.
Because of the determined stand taken by Governor Gooding to clear the state’s escutcheon of the blot casts upon it in the foul murder of former Governor Steunenberg, he was made the center of attack in the recent campaign. His enemies sought his defeat that the assassins might go free. If not admitted, it was tacitly understood that his defeat meant the opening of the prison gates to the suspects. The Denver News no later than yesterday insisted that because the district court trial judge [Judge Frank J. Smith] in that state who had bound over Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone, had been defeated on the face of the available returns, the prisoners would be released; and, as the Patterson organs are the mouthpieces of the defense, the animus of the whole campaign is made clear. If Governor Gooding had been beaten through the debauchery of certain districts with Western Federation of Miners’ money, there would have been rejoicing in other places than Welton street…
My body? Oh, if I could choose,
I would to ashes to reduce
And let the merry breezes blow,
My dust to where some flowers grow.
Perhaps some fading flowers then
Would come to live and bloom again.
This is my last and final will,
Good luck to all of you,
-Joe Hill
Hellraisers Journal: Friday November 17, 1916
Seattle, Washington – “Christians at War,” a Blasphemous Song?
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer makes clear that the I. W. W. song, “Christians at War,” is blasphemous song and a “song of hate.” The “Intelligencer” warns that the song is found in the I. W. W. Songbook dedicated as the “Joe Hill Memorial Edition” and goes on to describe Fellow Worker Hill as “an I. W. W. sympathizer.” We proudly point out that Joe Hill was a card-carrying member of the Industrial Workers of the World. FW Hill was a world-famous songwriter, a poet, an artist, and a true blue rebel, dedicated to the principles of the One Big Union of all the workers.
WE NEVER FORGET
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of November 15, 1916:
1-Front cover of the I. W. W. Book of Songs, containing the “Hymn of Hate” and other seditious [?] verse. The volume is inscribed “Joe Hill Memorial Edition,” The “Joe Hill” being the notorious Joseph Hillstrom, an I. W. W. sympathizer who was executed in Utah for cold-blooded murder. The I. W. W. sought at the last moment to prove as alibi for the murderer, but the [attempt failed?]. Spry [Governor of Utah] declined to interfere, and the verdict of the jury and the sentence of the court was carried out. This I. W. W. book of songs is sold [?] in the Seattle local and wherever the organization is allowed to exist.
2-“Christians at War, “ a blasphemous song set to the music of “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” which was sung by the Seattle I. W. W. when they invaded Everett and fought the battle that resulted in six deaths, Sunday, November 5.
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday November 16, 1916
Mesabi Iron Range – Low Wages, Company Gunthugs, & Frame-Ups
Writing for the Duluth Labor World of November 11th, Harrison George describes the conditions under which the Mesabi Iron Miners earn their wretched living, the very conditions which led to the bitter strike of this past summer. George also points out how, in Minnesota as in Colorado, deputized company gunthugs can murder with impunity, and indeed the blame for the acts of these drunken brutes falls not upon the perpetrators, but upon the miners who went out on strike and upon the I. W. W. organizers who came to their aid.
GOT $12.70 WEEK, RANGE MINER
SAYS IN AFFIDAVIT
—–BY HARRISON GEORGE,
Special Investigator for The Labor World.
At the invitation of Mr. Downing, the superintendent, the writer recently visited the workings of the Bennett mine on the Mesaba Iron Range of Minnesota.
It was the plain intention of Mr. Downing to absolve himself and his firm, a so-called independent concern, from the general blame and disgrace attached to all Mesaba Range operators as a result of the industrial tyranny brought to light by the recent miners strike.
Giving this concern all due credit for the modern sanitary and safety devices used and the humane spirit Mr. Downing seems to have, together with the rates of wage paid; it was self-evident that this mine was what others in the district could be and were not; that the wage rate was only a reasonable compensation which others would not give and that altogether; the miners recent strike was for demands companies could easily grant and still make a good profit from its toilers.
They came, that none should trample Labor’s right
To speak, and voice her centuries of pain.
Bare hands against the master’s armored might!—
A dream to match the tolls of sordid gain!
-Charles Ashleigh
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday November 15, 1916
Seattle, Washington – I. W. W.s Transferred to Everett
From The Seattle Post-Intelligencer of November 11, 1916:
41 I.W.W. TAKEN TO EVERETT
ON MURDER CHARGE
—–Men Accused of Firing on Everett
Citizen Deputies Removed
Without Protest.
—–
COUNSEL FOR DEFENSE ARRIVES
IN SEATTLE.
—–
Claim Will Be Made That Everett Men
Killed or Wounded Were Struck
by Bullets Fired by Members
of Their Own Posse and
That No Shots Came
From the Verona.
—–Special to The Post-Intelligencer.
EVERETT, Nov. 10-The forty I. W. W.’s arrested when the steamer Verona docked at Seattle Sunday following the battle on the Everett dock, who were charged yesterday with first-degree murder, were brought back to Everett under a heavy guard tonight, taken off the car and taken to the county jail without as many as six people on hand to watch it. It was feared in Everett that there might be a crowd here at the interurban station when the special car came in and extra precautions were taken to keep the time of the arrival of the car secret. So well was it kept secret that the only persons on hand when the car, with every blind down, reached the station at 7:40 that no one but a deputy sheriff and two city plain clothes men were present.
Song on his lips, he came;
Song on his lips, he went;—
This be the token we bear of him,—
Soldier of Discontent!
-Charles Ashleigh
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday November 14, 1916
Everett’s Bloody Sunday: Making Facts Known in Interest of Justice
From the Seattle Union Record of November 11, 1916:
I. W. W. NOT TO BLAME FOR FIGHT
—–Prominent Attorney Investigating Case Believes
“Citizens Committee” Is Entirely at Fault
in Everett Affair
—–By THOMAS R. HORNER
So many untruthful statements have been published concerning the I. W. W. trouble last Sunday [November 5th], at Everett, that in the interest of justice the facts should be made known, and when the facts are known the public will see that the blame of the trouble rests wholly on the “Citizen’s Committee,” organized by the mill owners to put down by force and bloodshed the Shingle Weavers and Longshoremen’s strike at that place.
The I. W. W. did not go armed to Everett. They were admonished by their leaders to go unarmed. There may have been a very few who had weapons, but the vast number were without them. This statement is proved by a circumstance that cannot successfully be denied:
When the shooting occurred the boat had just been tied to the dock alongside, and about twenty feet from the broad side of the warehouse. There is unanswerable proof there were at least three parties of deputies entrenched so as to be comparatively safe themselves, yet so they could rake the boat from three angles.
Only Few Bullets From Boat
It is plain that practically all the shots that were fired from the direction of the boat must have struck the warehouse; yet the warehouse shows that only a very few bullets came from that direction. But the riddled condition of the boat shows that the vigilantes fired hundreds of times. Moreover, the splintered sides of the warehouse show that a number of shots were fired blindly from the inside of the north warehouse, where some of the vigilantes were ambushed, thus giving good grounds for the belief that when the trouble started they became panic-stricken and began madly to fire through the board sides, and possibly wounding their own men. At the same time they were firing blindly into a regular passenger steamboat without even distinguishing between “the dreaded” I. W. W.’s and the other passengers and members of the crew who were on board the Verona.
Hellraisers Journal, Monday November 13, 1916
Seattle Central Labor Council to Support I. W. W. Defense
From the Seattle Union Record of November 11, 1916:
SEVEN DEAD AND MANY WOUNDED
IN SECOND LUDLOW ENACTED AT EVERETT______________________________________________________
Central Labor Council to Co-operate in Mass Meeting
—–
At the meeting of the Central Labor Council of Seattle and Vicinity Wednesday evening the Everett situation was thoroughly discussed and a committee, consisting of Business Agent Charles W. Doyle, Secretary James A. Duncan and Editor E. B. Ault, appointed to co-operate with the committee defending the imprisoned members of the I. W. W. The committee was given power to act in the name of the council, and $100 was set aside for their use. In addition an appeal has been sent to each local to contribute to the defense fund, sending all money to the secretary of the Central Labor Council. The following resolutions were adopted:
Whereas, It appears to this council that, following a lockout and open-shop campaign by Roland H. Hartley and others of Everett, Wash., the police and businessmen of that city have attempted to ruthlessly and lawlessly suppress all street speaking and demonstrations by labor organizations, and that many unarmed men have been brutally beaten and terrorized, and the death of seven or more men and the wounding of many more, and
Whereas, A fair inquest should be held to fix the responsibility for this crime, and it appears that this has not been done, but that only witnesses favorable to the posse have been heard;
Therefore, we demand another inquest, free from control by the forces opposed to labor, and a change of venue, if that be necessary.
At a joint meeting of the committees representing the Central Labor Council and the I. W. W. on Thursday steps were taken to enforce the demand for a coroner’s investigation and plans laid for a mass meeting of Seattle citizens to be held Sunday, November 19, at 2:30 p. m. Place to be announced later.
______________________________________________________
He kept us out of war.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 12, 1916
Duluth, Minnesota – Leading Labor Paper Rejoices
From The Labor World of November 11, 1916:
WOODROW WILSON RE-ELECTED
IN HOTTEST FIGHT SINCE
CIVIL WAR
The election of President Wilson at this writing seems certain. Considering the character of the opposition to his re-election the victory is wonderful. The power of plutocracy in America has been destroyed. Special privilege is doomed. The forces that have strangled justice and robbed the people for 50 years back are crushed. A new nation is born. A new freedom permeates the atmosphere. Human rights will take precedence over the claims of the dollar.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE THEIR FACES TURNED TOWARD THE MORNING SINGING NEW SONGS OF LIBERTY.
It is the historic mission of the working class
to do away with capitalism.
-The IWW Preamble
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 11, 1906
From The Labor World – I. W. W. Doomed, According to Max Hayes
From the Duluth Labor World of November 10, 1906:
MAX HAYES CLAIMS I. W. W. IS DOOMED
—–
Leading Trade Union-Socialist Says That
Industrial Workers Have Split.
—–
Convention Breaks up in a Row-
Riot Calls From the Police-
Much Havoc.
—–
Max Hayes, editor of the Cleveland Citizens says that the I. W. W. is doomed. [He?] sizes up the situation like this:
The Industrial Workers of the World appears to be doomed, and once more Dan DeLeon plays the role of chief smasher. After weeks of battle the Chicago convention finally wound up in a split, and while the few tired delegates who remained to the end were homeward bound the Sherman and Trautman factions had a beautiful scrap to see who would [hold?] the fort. There was slugging, police calls and injunction suits started, and at this writing Secretary Trautman, who is DeLeon’s man, seems to be trying to pick himself together in the ditch of defeat while President Sherman, who was deposed by his opponents, is grinning at the luckless secretary from a national office window.
It is a difficult matter to sift the facts from the sea of words that are printed in DeLeon’s Daily People, the circulars that have been issued by the Shermanites and the communications that have been rushed into print by the interested parties. It looks as though there was a lot of faking right from the beginning; that some of the so-called departments were on paper; that legally elected delegates were kicked out of the convention and contestants who represented nothing or organizations not in good standing were seated; that the constitution was flagrantly violated in a number of instances; that the delegates usurped the rights of the rank and file conferred through the referendum; that there were financial transactions that looked suspicious; that organizers manipulated to obtain funds for forming paper unions and loafing, etc., etc.
Very few of the prominent men who assisted in forming the I. W. W. last year were present at the second convention, and the Western Federation of Miners was the only important organization represented. It is quite likely that the miners will secede and thus leave DeLeon master of all he surveys. The latter is never happier than when he has smashed something and is permitted to “clarify” things according to his own notions until only the great and only Dan is left with a few retainers who crawl about on their bellies and shout “Allah be praised:” Dandelion DeLeon is a daisy.
