Month: January 2017

Hellraisers Journal: Published! 10,000 Copies of Eleven-Volume Sets of Testimony Submitted to Congress by Commission on Industrial Relations

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Let the voice of the people be heard.
-Albert Parsons

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday January 31, 1917
Washington, D. C. – Government Printing Office Publishes Reports

From The Labor World of January 27, 1917:

COMPLETE REPORTS ARE BEING PRINTED
—–
Commission on Industrial Relations
Issues Volumes on Testimony
Submitted to Congress.
—–

(By DANTE BARTON.)

Commission on Industrial Relations, Original Members ab 1913

Frank P Walsh from Harper's Weekly of Sept 27, 1913, w name

NEW YORK, Jan. 25.—There has just been issued from the government printing office in Washington the completed volumes of the testimony submitted to congress by the United States Commission on Industrial Relations of which Frank P. Walsh was chairman.

One of the first of the important industrial acts of the Wilson administration was the appointment by President Wilson of this Industrial Relations Commission with the following membership selected by him. Frank P. Walsh of Missouri, chairman; John R. Commons of Wisconsin and Mrs. J. Borden Harriman of New York, representing the general public; John B. Lennon of Illinois, James O’Connell of Washington, D. C., and Austin B. Garretson of Iowa, representing organized labor; and Frederick A. Delano of Kentucky, representing employers. Upon the resignation of Mr. Delano, to accept a place on the Federal Reserve board, the president named Richard H. Aishton of Illinois, who finished out the term. [Note: The Labor World here neglects to name Harris Weinstock of California and S. Thruston Ballard of Kentucky, both representing employers.]

When the European war was in its beginning and at its height of public interest the news of it was shared on the front pages of all the daily newspapers throughout the country by the news of the hearings conducted by the Walsh commission. Of such tremendous importance were the facts brought out by the commission, so thorough, so inclusive of all phases of the national life and so all embracing in the character and interests of its witnesses were the hearings that the proceedings of the commission were as vital and absorbing of the public interest as was the contemporary news of the greatest world conflict in history.

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Hellraisers Journal: Minnesota Senate Passes Anti-IWW Bill; Is Expected to Pass State House of Representatives

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday January 30, 1917
From the Duluth Labor World: “I. W. W. Bill” Passes State Senate

I. W. W. BILL IS PASSED
BY STATE SENATE
—–
Amendment Limits It to Two Years-Fund
of $50,000 for Governor
—–

MN Miners Strike, Get Out IWW, Cartoon

The I. W. W. bill, which was introduced in the state legislature for the purpose of providing means for the suppression of the activities of that organization in the northern part of the state, passed the senate Wednesday morning with only Senators Rockne and Andrews casting negative votes.

The bill was amended in two particulars from the original draft. Instead of the emergency fund of $50,000 a year made available for the governor being perpetual with annual accountings and returns to the general fund, it was provided for two years, until the next meeting of the legislature; and another amendment provided that all deputies employed during similar trouble shall be residents of the state.

Expected to Pass House.

It is claimed that the bill will not have as easy sailing in the house as it did in the senate, although it is expected to pass. It came up in the upper house Wednesday morning on the calendar and was passed under suspension of the rules.

———-

[Cartoon from Duluth News Tribune added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From Everett Defense: Date Set for Trial; Gurley Flynn Speaks before State Federations of Labor

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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Quote, Charles Ashleigh, EDNL9, Jan 27, 1917

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday January 29, 1917
From Seattle, Washington: Everett Defense News Letter No. 9

Everett Massacre, Def News Letter 9, Jan 27, 1917

Everett, Wash, Jan. 27th.

The date of the first trial has been set! The first man to be tried is Fellow Worker Thomas H. Tracy and his case comes up on March 5th. This was decided yesterday in Everett when the 74 boys pleaded “Not Guilty!” The presiding judge was J. T. Ronald, of King County, who has been appointed by Governor Lister to hear the case, as prejudice was charged by our attorneys against the Two Superior Court judges of Snohomish county.

APPLICATION MADE FOR CHANGE OF VENUE.

Our attorneys gave notice of an application for a change of venue. They will now prepare affidavits proving that there is too much prejudice in Snohomish county to warrant the boys a fair and impartial trial. The affidavits will be submitted on Feb. 2nd and the motion for change of venus will be decided upon by judge on Feb. 9th.

OUR MEN IN GOOD SPIRITS.

The 74 boys made a fine showing in the court-room on Friday. They marched in heavily guarded by a swarm of deputies, but were entirely unabashed. They answered to their names and rose, one after the other, giving, in ringing tones, their plea-it sounded more like a statement than a plea-of “Not Guilty!” There was much favorable comment in the court on the clear-cut and self-possessed appearance of the prisoners.

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Hellraisers Journal: Anna Louise Strong on Everett’s Bloody Sunday: “Does Might Make Right—Legally?”

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday January 28, 1917
From The Survey: “The boys in jails are a cheerful lot.”

The boys in jail are a cheerful lot….When they disliked their food, says a conservative newspaper, they went on strike and “sang all night.” Sang all night! What sane adults in our drab, business-as-usual world would think of doing that? Who, in fact, could think of doing it but college boys or Industrial Workers of the World, cheerfully defying authority?

So says Anna Louise Strong in the latest issue of The Survey. The entire article from the January 27th edition can be found below:

Everett’s Bloody Sunday

A Free Speech Fight That Led to a Murder Trial

By Anna Louise Strong

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SEATTLE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES

Anna Louise Strong, 1885-1970, Spartacus

THE biggest “labor trial” in the history of the country is now on in Everett, Wash. Seventy-four men are accused of first-degree murder-seventy-four workers who participated in a conflict in which five workers and two deputies were killed. The side which lost the most men is also the side charged with murder. “Might makes right—legally,” explains the I. W. W.

Everett’s “bloody Sunday” is already a familiar word, almost a byword, throughout the labor press. Yet the occurrences in Everett are little noticed by daily papers or magazines of general circulation, much less the causes that led up to it.

Everett is a small city to the north of Seattle. Its main business is lumber. The big mill-owners control its Commercial Club. Eighteen months ago wages were reduced in the shingle mills of Everett, this in the face of the increasing cost of living. The promise was made that when the market improved wages would be raised again. Early last year shingle prices rose, but wages did not follow, and on May 1 the shingle-weavers went out on strike. The usual complications resulted: a group of employers refusing to meet the officers of the union; a picket line; imported strike-breakers, better known for their fighting ability than for their working skill; minor altercations in which the power of the law was used practically invariably against the workers. Such was the background of the I. W. W. free speech fight.

During all this time the I. W. W. organization had maintained a small headquarters in Everett, but had made little headway. It had no connection with the shingle-weavers, and had made little impression upon them. But the I. W. W. started a street-speaking campaign and leaped into public notice as soon as the police and special deputies began dragging them from their soap-boxes to jail. It is stated that the first arrest made was of a man who was reading from the United States Industrial Relations Commission report. “That sort of stuff don’t go here,” said the outraged policeman, overhearing the terrific indictment of working-class conditions in America. Arrested men were beaten and severely handled; they were made to run the gauntlet between rows of deputized citizens, and the old, old, always unsuccessful policy of suppression of speech by violence was attempted.

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Hellraisers Journal: Debs Indeed on Deck of Appeal to Reason, Calls for Action: “We Must Fight!”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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If they hang Moyer and Haywood,
they’ve got to hang me.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday January 27, 1907
From the Appeal to Reason: “We Must Fight! by Eugene V. Debs

HMP, We Must Fight, EVD, AtR, Jan 26, 1907

THE supreme court and the president of the United States have left us no other alternative. We have got to stand up like men or crawl on our bellies like cravens.

There is no compromise.

The class struggle is as clearly reflected in the supreme court decision and the president’s action as if traced in the skies in letter of fire. All the powers of capitalism, from Standard Oil down, are combined against Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone, and find expression along the political line all the way from Ruzvlt [Roosevelt] to McPartland [McParland] and along the judicial line all the way from the supreme court of the United States to a police magistrate in Idaho.

It is not a case of punishing crime that law may be vindicated, but the violation of law that crime may be committed.

The case against our comrades is notorious in court annals for the utter defiance of all law, state and national, statutory and constitutional, that has marked its proceedings from its inception. Indeed, the case, to be properly understood, must be traced back at least as far as the purchase by the mine owners and smelter trust of the legislature of Colorado, at the current Colorado rates per head, thereby defeating the eight-hour amendment which the people of that Guggenheim state by a clear majority of nearly 50,000 votes had commanded these political perverts to enact into law. This was followed by the military despotism of the infamous Peabody and his sodden satraps, who emblazoned the escutcheon of his murderous administration with the immortal shibboleths: “To hell with the constitution,” “To hell with habeas corpus” and “To hell with any court that decides against us.” These are some of the foundation stones of the fabric of law and order which Ruzvlt sent Taft out to Idaho to commend to the people of that state.

This law and order cry issues from the brazen throats of political hirelings, the tools of capitalism, to conceal its own crimes.

When such monsters as Peabody and Gooding and such misshapen degenerates as McPartland talk about law and order in the lurid light of their own crimes, and President Ruzvlt sends his fat special emissary to the scene of these crimes to give them the backing of the national administration, all in the name of law and order, and this in the very shadow of a dungeon in which innocent kidnaped American citizens are guarded by criminal body-snatchers-when it comes to this, then, indeed, has justice fled to brutish beasts, all law is miserable mockery, and even hypocrisy, used as she is to sickening saturnalia, is nauseated and deserts the scene.

That our comrades have been kidnaped and are unlawfully held by legalized brute force is admitted; there is no question about it, not even by the supreme court. That the preconceived purpose is to do them to death, regardless of their innocence, has been apparent from the start.

It is not as individuals that these workingmen are to be murdered, but as the incarnation of class-conscious organized labor that they must be annihilated.

That makes the issue my issue and their cause my cause.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones to Mrs. Palmer, Remembers Lattimer: “In this fight I wept at the grave of nineteen workers…”

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday January 26, 1907
From Chicago, Illinois – Mother Jones Writes to Mrs. Palmer

The following letter, from Mother Jones to Mrs. Potter Palmer, Chicago socialite, was published in the January 24th edition of the Miners Magazine, official organ of the Western Federation of Miners.

43 Welton Place, Chicago, Ill.,
January 12, 1907

Mrs. Potter Palmer,
100 Lake Shore Drive,
Chicago, Ill.
Dear Madam:

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

By the announcement of the daily press I learn that you are to entertain a number of persons who are to be present as representatives of two recognized classes of American citizens-the working class and the capitalist class, and that the purpose of this gathering is to choose a common ground on which the conflicting interests of these two classes may be harmonized and the present strife between the organized forces of these two classes may be brought to a peaceful and satisfactory end.

I credit you with perfect sincerity in this matter, but being fully aware that your environment and whole life has prevented you from seeing and understanding the true relationship of these two classes in this republic and the nature of the conflict which you think can be ended by such means as you are so prominently associated with, and with a desire that you may see and understand it in all its grim reality, I respectfully submit these few personal experiences for your kind consideration.

I am a workman’s daughter, by occupation a dress-maker and school teacher, and during this last twenty-five years an active worker in the organized labor movement. During the past seventy years of my life I have been subject to the authority of the capitalist class and for the last thirty-five years I have been conscious of this fact. With the years’ personal experience-the roughest kind best of all teachers-I have learned that there is an irrepressible conflict that will never end between the working-class and the capitalist-class, until these two classes disappear and the worker alone remains the producer and owner of the capital produced.

In this fight I wept at the grave of nineteen workers shot on the highways of Latterman [Lattimer], Pennsylvania in 1897. In the same place I marched with 5,000 women eighteen miles in the night seeking bread for their children, and halted with the bayonets of the Coal and Iron police who had orders to shoot to kill.

Lattimer Massacre of 1897, Locomotive Firemen's Mag, Nov 1897

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Hellraisers Journal: Families Gather at Mouth of Primero Mine As Search for Bodies Continues

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Mother Jones,
quoting a mine superintendent:
“Dagos are cheaper than props.”

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday January 25, 1907
Near Trinidad, Colorado – Explosion at Primero Mine

Primero Mine Explosion, Ottawa (KS) Dly Rpb, Jan 24, 1907

From the Cherryvale, Kansas, Daily Republican of January 23, 1907

TWENTY MINERS KILLED.
—–
Explosion in C. F. & I. Mine
at Primero, Colorado.
—–

By the Associated Press.

Trinidad. Colo., Jan. 23.-An explosion occurred in the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co., mine at Primero early this morning. Twenty miners, all believed to be foreigners, are reported killed. The explosion was in the main entry and is supposed to have been caused by a windy shot. The roof of the mine later caved in making it impossible for rescuers to enter. Great excitement prevails among women and stricken relatives of the entombed men who are gathered at the mouth of the pit.

—–

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Hellraisers Journal: “The Dream of Debs” by Jack London, Fictional Account of a General Strike

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

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

Hellraisers Journal Wednesday January 24, 1917
From the International Socialist Review: A Story by Jack London

The pen of Jack London, perhaps our greatest Socialist writer, was silenced by death last November. And, therefore, we were pleased to find London’s fictional account of The General Strike republished in this month’s edition of the Review.

Jack London with sig 10-28-1915, ISR January 1917

ISR Dream of Debs by J London, January 1917

I awoke fully an hour before my customary time. This in itself was remarkable, and I lay very wide awake, pondering over it. Something was the matter, something was wrong-I knew not what. I was oppressed by a premonition of something terrible that had happened or was about to happen. But what was it? I strove to orient myself. I remembered that at the time of the Great Earthquake of 1906 many claimed they awakened some moments before the first shock and that during these moments they experienced strange feelings of dread. Was San Francisco again to be visited by earthquake?

I lay for a full minute, numbly expectant, but there occurred no reeling of walls nor shock and grind of falling masonry. All was quiet. That was it! The silence! No wonder I had been perturbed. The hum of the great live city was strangely absent. The surface cars passed along my street, at that time of day, on an average of one every three minutes; but in the ten succeeding minutes not a car passed. Perhaps it was a street-railway strike, was my thought; or perhaps there had been an accident and the power was shut off. But no, the silence was too profound. I heard no jar and rattle of wagon wheels, nor stamp of iron-shod hoofs straining up the steep cobble-stones.

Pressing the push-button beside my bed, I strove to hear the sound of the bell, though I well knew it was impossible for the sound to rise three stories to me even if the bell did ring. It rang all right, for a few minutes later Brown entered with the tray and morning paper. Though his features were impassive as ever, I noted a startled, apprehensive light in his eyes. I noted, also, that there was no cream on the tray.

“The Creamery did not deliver this morning,” he explained; “nor did the bakery.”

I glanced again at the tray. There were no fresh French rolls-only slices of stale graham bread from yesterday, the most detestable of bread so far as I was concerned.

“Nothing was delivered this morning, sir,” Brown started to explain apologetically; but I interrupted him.

“The paper?”

“Yes, sir, it was delivered, but it was the only thing, and it is the last time, too. There won’t be any paper to-morrow. The paper says so. Can I send out and get you some condensed milk?”

I shook my head, accepted the coffee black, and spread open the paper. The headlines explained everything-explained too much, in fact, for the lengths of pessimism to which the journal went were ridiculous. A general strike, it said, had been called all over the United States; and most foreboding anxieties were expressed concerning the provisioning of the great cities.

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Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn for Everett Defense: “Now is the time to defend yourselves in the persons of those 74.”

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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The heritage we leave to
the next generation
will be in the conditions
that we make now.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday January 23, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Miss Flynn Speaks at Dreamland Park

From The Seattle Star of January 22, 1917:

MORE THAN 5000 HEAR
ELIZABETH GURLEY FLYNN
—–

EGF, Everett Northwest Worker, Jan 18, 1917

Before a record-breaking crowd at the Dreamland rink, Sunday afternoon, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, noted woman labor speaker, and H. Scott Bennett, former labor member of the Australian parliament, spoke under the auspices of the Everett Defense league, in behalf of the 74 I. W. W. held for murder.

Charles Ashleight [Ashleigh] presided.

Forceful, vigorous, speaking with intense feeling, Miss Flynn fired volley after volley against the capitalistic system, which, according to her, permitted the murder of five I. W. W. at Everett.

Bennett also carried tremendous force in his remarks as he reviewed the labor struggle.

Resolutions asking a federal investigation of the affair at Everett were passed, and a collection netted $331.52 for the defense fund. More than 5,000 attended the meeting.

A dance in the evening netted $200.

———-

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Expects to Die Fighting “in the trenches, with my boys, facing the machine guns.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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My whole life has been spent
on the economic field
fighting the battles of the workers,
and it will close there.
-Mother Jones

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday January 22, 1917
From The New York Call: Letter to the Editor of the Forum

The following letter from Mother Jones was published yesterday in the Forum section of The New York Call:

Indianapolis, Indiana

Editor of the Forum:

Mother Jones, Colorado Military Bastile, March 1914

My attention was called to an article that appeared on December 9 [17th] in the New York Call, written by one Edward Meyer. It seems that he had a spasm and called for house cleaning in the Socialist party. His criticism was entirely misleading. He said that while languishing in the prison cells I had asked the Socialists to secure my liberty. I have never in my life asked the Socialists for any personal favor, and I have never received any that I know of.

He further said that I solicited votes for Woodrow Wilson. That is not true. I made some speeches in Indiana coal camps for Senator Kern. I would do it again, if every one in the United States stood against me. In my opinion he is one of the truest and noblest of men within the walls of the nation. I did incidentally pay my respects to President Wilson for leaving the White House and going down to the Senate and notifying the committee that they could not adjourn until the clild labor bill was passed. I would do that again and apologize to no man.

The child of today is the future citizen of tomorrow; and any man, whether he be president or otherwise, who considers the welfare of the child against dollars will receive my indorsement to the end.

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