C’est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous et demain
L’Internationale
Sera le genre humain.
-Eugène Pottier – Paris, June 1871
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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday March 31, 1898
Paris Commune Celebrated Annually by Socialists
From The Social Democrat of March 1898:
THE COMMUNE OF PARIS.
The 18th of March, the anniversary of the Paris Commune, is annually celebrated by Socialists throughout the world. The Commune of Paris is an event unique in history. It was the first working-class government that the world had ever seen. For the first time the working people had seized the reins of government, and taken into their hands the administration of a great city. No wonder the possessing classes were alarmed; no wonder all the forces of “respectability,” of reaction and obscurantism, rallied to the government of the “little man,” Theirs, and his gang of Imperialist mouchards and Royalist ruffians at Versailles. The revolution of the Parisian proletariat was not a mere political movement, it was a menace to all those interests which live and thrive by the enslavement, the exploitation, and the plunder of the workers.
The history of this epoch-marking insurrection is an oft-told tale. Who, among Socialists, does not know of the desertion of Paris by the reactionary Assembly; of the measures for disarming the Parisian National Guards; of the attempted seizure of the guns on the heights of Montmartre in the morning of the 18th of March; how that attempt was frustrated, and how the troops sent to carry it out fraternised with the National Guards, and shot the officer who ordered them to fire upon the people?
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday March 30, 1918
From The New York Call: A Letter from the Atlanta Pen
The New York Call on March 24th published a letter written by Ammon A. Hennesey who, having been convicted of distributing literature against the draft, is now serving a two-year sentence at the Atlanta Federal Prison. Hennesey began serving his sentence on July 31, 1917. He hales from Columbus, Ohio, and is described as an “Irish America Socialist.”
Imprisoned with Hennesey is John T. Dunn, a Socialist from Providence, Rhode Island, who was sentenced to twenty years having been convicted under the Espionage Act of 1917.
Described also is William V. McCoy, a “Virginia mountaineer” from big Stone Gap, West Virginia who was convicted of conspiring to seize U.S. property and oppose the government. McCoy was sentenced to five years in prison and began serving his sentence on August 17, 1917. Despite the fact that he is sixty-one years old Mr. McCoy was sent to “the hole” in January and remains there at this time.
You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday March 29, 1908
Providence, Rhode Island – Miss Flynn Speaks to Textile Workers
From The Industrial Union Bulletin of March 28, 1908:
The Flynn Lectures
Enclosed find clipping from Providence Journal giving report of Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn’s lecture. The Providence Tribune printed her picture and a full column report of the meeting, but the editor’s fine Italian hand shows clearly throughout the article; it is evident that in his opinion the kind of talk dealt out by Miss Flynn is not good reading, unadulterated, for readers of the Tribune. This was the bumper meeting of a series of lectures run every Sunday evening by Textile Union 530, I. W. W. The first one, with Organizer Thompson as speaker, drew a large audience, and it grows larger at every meeting, rain or shine. The last meeting taxed the seating capacity of the hall. The speakers are limited to an hour and a quarter, after which the floor is thrown open for questions and remarks, with a five-minute limit, and no one is given the floor twice until all who wish to speak are done. There is no doubt that it is this feature of the meetings that draws the crowd. As speakers we have had, so far, two professors from Brown University, a lawyer with “radical” ideas, a high school principal who believes in Socialism, a couple of single-taxers, two Socialist party men, Frank Bohn, who gave a fine lecture, “The Working Class in American History,” and Miss Flynn. I understand that Organizer Thompson is on the docket for next Sunday, with the “Materialistic Conception of History” as the subject.
The following is from the Providence Journal:
Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn addressed a large gathering in Textile Hall, Olneyville square, last evening under the auspices of Textile Local 530 and spoke on “Industrial Unionism.” Her coming had been the topic of discussion of local textile workers for several days and the hall was filled in spite of the disagreeable weather. She was received with enthusiasm. After her address several of those present plied her with questions and there was a general debate on the labor question.
Solidarity Forever
For the Union makes us strong.
-Ralph Chaplin
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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday March 28, 1918
Kansas City, Missouri – General Strike Is Spreading
Workers of Kansas City, both union and non-union, are rallying to the aid of laundry drivers and laundry workers who have been on strike now for about five weeks.The employers have repeatedly refused to bargain with their employees, and have even refused to meet with the federal conciliators sent by the U. S. Department of Labor.
From The Leavenworth Post of March 27, 1918:
GREAT STRIKE AT KANSAS CITY
NOW WELL UNDER WAY
—–
Walkout Began at Eight o’Clock This Morning
With Barbers, Bartenders and Brewers
in the Forefront of the Fray.
—–
TROUBLE REPORTED THIS AFTERNOON
—–
Sympathetic Strike, Called to Aid Laundry Drivers,
Brought Out 700 Card Men
From Other Unions in First Call.
—–
Kansas City, March 27.-Kansas City today was in the midst of a general strike, the exact extent of which was unknown this afternoon. The strike began at 8 o’clock this morning and although labor leaders declared it would result in a virtual tie-up of all industry by tomorrow night, best reports indicated that so far only 700 union men, including brewers, bartenders, barbers and members of certain building trades unions had quit work. Men from other crafts were walking out this afternoon, however, it was said. No disorders had been reported to the police. The strike was called to support the walkout of laundry workers and drivers.
Street cars were still operating this afternoon and reports were current that members of the Street Railway Employes’ union had voted not to strike.
Late News Tells of Violence.
The first violence in connection with the strike occurred at 2 o’clock this afternoon when a crowd estimated at one thousand persons rushed a crowd of police reserves who had arrested three men in connection with the overturning of a laundry wagon. The officers used their clubs freely and the crowd responded with stones and fists. A number of persons were injured, none severely it was reported. The prisoners escaped during the tussle and only one of them was recaptured it was said.
Reports late this afternoon indicated that the strike was spreading slowly.
———-
[Inset is from Chicago Daily Tribune of March 27th.]
Working sisters, fix your own hours of labor!
Organize!
You will need no laws to save you from coming
to work before 6 and leaving after 9.
-Rose Schneiderman
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Hellraisers Journal, Friday March 27, 1908
Stirring Appeal to “Working Sisters” by Rose Schneiderman
As the Women’s Trade Union League continues its work on behalf of working women (see below), we pause to recall a fiery speech by one of our favorite union organizers.
We are free, truly free, when we don’t need to rent our arms to anybody in order to be able to lift a piece of bread to our mouths. ―Ricardo Flores Magón
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday March 26, 1918
Las Angeles, California – Publication of “Manifesto” Leads to Arrests
The publication of a “Manifesto” by Mexican Revolutionaries, Ricardo Flores Magón and Librado Rivera, in the March 16th edition of Regeneración has led to the arrests of our Mexican Comrades. According to the plan outlined below, they will be tried under the federal Espionage Act.
From The Los Angeles Times of March 22, 1918:
Ricardo Flores Magon and Librado Rivera
AN INVESTIGATION by government agents was begun yesterday in the ramifications of a plan to foment a local Mexican insurrection, following the arrest of Ricardo Flores Magon and Liberado [Librado] Rivera, kingpins of the local anarchistic group and editors an publishers of Regeneracion, organ of the Los Angeles Bolsheviki [this is, of course, absurd as the Bolsheviki are not anarchists]. United States Commissioner D. M. Hammack fixed the bail in each case at $25,000.
Magon was picked up on the street in front of the Federal Building by Deputy United States Marshal Dolph Bassett, and just before noon, the same officer grabbed Rivera in the courtroom of Superior Judge Willis, where he was a witness for the defense in the Palma murder trial.
As Rivera was taken down the steps he scattered a number of sealed copies of Regeneracion, that had been addressed to followers of the unpatriotic cult. Enrique Flores Magon, the brother of Ricardo, was also in the courtroom and smiled when he saw Rivera taken away. For once he was outside the Federal net.
To Charles M. Schwab,
It is our aim to enlighten all members of the human family
in regard to the new order of things…
We wish to assist you in every way and to prepare you,
and your class for industrial democracy.
-Big Bill Haywood
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Hellraisers Journal, Monday March 25, 1918 The Liberator on Schwab’s Heresy by Art Young
I want to say to this jury that before Harry Orchard got religion he was bad enough, but it remained to religion to make him totally depraved. -Clarence Darrow
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday March 24, 1908
Denver, Colorado – Ernest Mills Reacts to Statement of Judge Wood
From the Boise Idaho Daily Statesman of March 19, 1908:
I want to say to this jury that
before Harry Orchard got religion
he was bad enough,
but it remained to religion
to make him totally depraved.
-Clarence Darrow
From the Boise Idaho Daily Statesman of March 19, 1908:
ORCHARD IS SENTENCED TO BE HANGED
ON FRIDAY, MAY 15
“I am more than satisfied that the defendant now at the bar of this court awaiting final sentence has not only acted in good faith in making the disclosures that he did, but that he also testified fully and fairly to the whole truth, withholding nothing that was material, and declaring nothing which had not actually taken place.”-From Judge Wood’s Address.
JUDGE WOOD MAKES RECOMMENDATION
THAT SENTENCE BE COMMUTED
—–
TALK BY JUDGE WOOD CAUSES SENSATION
—–
Positively Believes Orchard Told the
Truth Fully, Unreservedly.
—–
