Month: December 2018

Hellraisers Journal: News from Spokane, Washington: IWWs Ready for Jail in Fight for Right to Hold Street Meetings

Janet RayeFree Speech Fights
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Quote Thomas Paine re Liberty n Home, Age of Reason Into, 1908

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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday December 31, 1908
Spokane, Washington – I. W. W. Plans Free Speech Campaign

From The Spokane Press of December 28, 1908:

ALL GET READY FOR JAIL
—–

INDUSTRIAL WORKERS WILL HAVE 500 SPEAKERS
ON TAP TO BE ARRESTED FOR
MAKING TALKS ON CITY STREET
—–

IWW Emblem Label, IWWC 1906

Another problem similar to that of jailing all the saloonkeepers in town will be presented the police department when an attempt is made to enforce the ordinance recently passed to prevent public speaking on the street. The Industrial Workers of the World have organized systematic opposition and yesterday they asked the socialists to join them.

The Industrial Workers already have a list of 50 speakers, and expect to secure a total of 500 out of their membership of 1,500 in this city. These speakers will be numbered, a street meeting started and as soon as one speaker is confiscated by the police another will take his place. The industrialists hold the ordinance an invasion of the rights of free speech, and say they would rather go to jail than abide by its provisions.

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Hellraisers Journal: James Connolly, Editor of The Harp, Speaks on Socialism, Religion, and Conditions in Ireland

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Edit Irish Socialist Federation, James Connolly, NYC 1908
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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday December 30, 1908
Trenton, New Jersey – Irish Socialist, James Connolly Speaks

From the Trenton Evening Times of December 28, 1908:

IRISH SOCIALIST MAKES ADDRESS

James Connolly, 1902, Multitext of U College Cork

J. C. Connelly [Connolly], an Irish Socialist, and editor of the Harp, of New York, addressed a meeting of the Trenton Socialists last night in Arcade Hall. Mr. Connelly spoke of the conditions in Ireland as regards the two great classes, the capitalist and the laborer.

He stated that the capitalist there, and in all other countries, disregarded the question of race and religion. He said that the Irish people were beginning to realize the folly of attempting to liberate the Irish race and on the very next day to find it necessary to [beg?] the capitalist for means of sustenance; that, although Cardinal Logue and other eminent men of the Catholic Church have scouted the idea of Socialism in Ireland, nevertheless there are many Socialist clubs in Ireland.

He said that the revolutionist of Ireland is taking the same stand as the Socialist, that religion is a private matter; that clerical leaders will not necessarily be safe guides in politics whatever they might be in theology.

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Gompers, Mitchell, and Morrison Sentenced for Contempt of Court in Bucks Stove & Range Case-Continued

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
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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday December 29, 1908
Samuel Gompers on the Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press:

Samuel Gompers addressed the Court, December 23rd, before being sentenced to one year in prison, and said, in part:

[T]he freedom of speech and of the press have not been granted in order that men may say the things that please, but to say the things that displease, which may convey the need of change and the unaccepted thought….

If in monarchical England these rights can be given, they ought not to be denied to the theoretically free citizens of this Republic.

From the Washington Evening Star of December 23, 1908:

Bucks Stove n Range, Morrison Gompers Mitchell, WDC Eve Str p3, Dec 23, 1908

From The Washington Times of December 23, 1908:

Bucks Stove n Range, AFL Leaders Sentenced, WDC Tx p1, Dec 23, 1908

[Continued.]

Defendants Before the Court.

All the while the reading [of Judge Wright’s opinion] proceeded the three defendants sat in the courtroom directly in front of Judge Wright. All were composed, betraying at times slight evidence of restlessness, but listening closely to the words of the court. When he had concluded his opinion, Justice Wright announced he was ready to pass sentence, and after the customary fashion, the defendants were ordered by the bailiff to stand up.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Gompers, Mitchell, and Morrison Sentenced for Contempt of Court in Bucks Stove & Range Case-Continued” →

Hellraisers Journal: Gompers, Mitchell, and Morrison Sentenced for Contempt of Court in Bucks Stove & Range Case

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 – Monday December 28, 1908
Leaders of American Federation of Labor Flayed by Justice Wright

From The Washington Times of December 23, 1908:

Bucks Stove n Range, AFL Leaders Sentenced, WDC Tx p1, Dec 23, 1908

FEDERATION’S HEAD IS GIVEN ONE YEAR
BY JUSTICE WRIGHT
—–
Vice President Gets Nine Months
and the Secretary Six Months
in Bucks Stove and Range Case.
Give Appeal Bond.
—–

DEFENDANTS FLAYED FROM THE BENCH
—–
Court Declares Violation of Order as to Boycott
and “We Don’t Patronize List”
Is Flagrant and Deserves Severe Punishment.
—–

Bucks Stove n Range, Gompers, Mitchell, Judge, Morrison, WDC Tx p1, Dec 23, 1908

President Samuel Gompers of the American Federation of Labor,  Secretary Frank Morrison of this organization, and John Mitchell, former president of the United Mine Workers, were today sentenced by Judge Wright of the District Supreme Court to the District jail for contempt of court.

Their offense is the violation of the injunction issued some months ago by Judge Gould prohibiting the American Federation of Labor and its officials from publishing the name of the Bucks Stove and Range Company in the “We Don’t Patronize List” of the federation as it had appeared in the American Federationist, the official organ of the American Federation of Labor.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Liberator: “About the Second Masses Trial” by John Reed, Drawings by Art Young

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote John Reed, Rebellious People, Ten Days, 1919
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Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 27, 1918
New York, New York – Jack Reed & Art Young on Second Masses Trial

From The Liberator of December 1918:

-Defense Attorney Seymour Stedman by Art Young

2nd Masses Trial Oct, Stedman by Art Young, Liberator p4, Dec 1918

SEYMOUR STEDMAN, attorney for the defense, in his eloquent summing up, referred as follows to the fact that the Masses editors asked an injunction compelling the Post Office to mail the very magazine for publishing which they were later indicted:

Do men who are committing a crime go into a Federal Court and face a District Attorney and ask the privilege of continuing it? A strange set of burglars! A strange set of footpads! A strange set o smugglers! A strange set of criminals! I ask Mr. Barnes to tell you when before in his experience, men in the City of New York came in and filed an appeal, opening all their proof and all their evidence and all their testimony and said, “if the Court please, we insist on the right to continue this deep, dark, infamous conspiracy, and have it sanctified by an advocate of the United States Court.” History finds no parallel that I know of in any criminal procedure which has ever taken place.

-John Reed on Second Masses Trial

About the Second Masses Trial

by John Reed

IN the United States political offenses are dealt with more harshly than anywhere else in the world. In the amendment to the Espionage Act [the Sedition Act] it is made a crime equivalent to manslaughter to “criticize the form of government.” The sentences in Espionage cases run anywhere from ten to twenty years at hard labor, with fines of thousands of dollars.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Charleston Labor Argus: Trade Unions Are Toilers Only Hope for Protection and Safety

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t Mourn, Organize!
-Joe Hill

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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 26, 1908
National Elections Pass into History; Hardships Continue for Toilers

From the Charleston Labor Argus of December 24, 1908:

Trade Union Are Toilers Only Hope
—–

Only Protection and Safety for the Working
Masses is Organized Labor
-Politicians Are But Tools of the Trusts.
—–

Labor Argus p4, Frank W Snyder, Charleston WV, Dec 24, 1908

Now that another national contest has, passed into history and the working people can take a sober view of the economic situation, the Cleveland Citizen calls attention to the fact that the labor problem was not solved on Nov. 3, 1908.

While the unsuccessful politicians are now in the dumps and the victors are celebrating their acquaintance of the spoils of office, the workingmen are confronted by exactly the the same conditions that they were to face the day before election.

The problem of unemployment for some and overwork for others, the evils for cheap women and child labor, the introduction of labor-displacing machinery, the threats of wage reductions, the attacks of union smashing open shoppers and similiar questions are here today just as they were here last week, and they must and considered for the reason that they cannot lie dodged.

Since there is no likelihood that the victorious politicians will establish the millennium week after next or next year or the year following, what are the working people going to do for their own betterment? Sit on their haunches and suck their thumbs. Go into a trance and give up the few advantages that they still possess?

We believe not. Down in their hearts the workingmen and women know that their only protection and safety lies in organizing-in combining the toilers into trade unions for offensive and defensive purposes.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Crisis: “The Flight Into Egypt” by William E. Scott and the Beautiful Story by W. E. B. Du Bois

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote WEB DuBois re Egypt Land of Freedom, Crisis Dec 1918

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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday December 25, 1918
“The Flight Into Egypt” by William E. Scott and W. E. B. Du Bois

From The Crisis of December 1918:

-Cover Art by William E. Scott

The Crisis, Flight into Egypt by William E. Scott, Dec 1918

-The Beautiful Story by W. E. B. Du Bois

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT

YOU remember, do you not?—the beautiful Bible story in the simple words of Matthew, telling of the departure of the Three Wise Men:

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

They were poor, humble, ignorant people,—albeit the blood of kings burned in their veins. They were ragged and unkempt and black. Long years they had plodded faithfully to earn their daily bread in sweat and pain; then one night, beneath the stars, came Three Strangers, crying: “Where is He that is Born?” The mother lifted Him up tenderly and they gave him gifts,—Candy and a Fairy-tale and a piece of Gold.

Joseph and Mary looked at the gold-piece in amazement. Never had they seen so much money before, and as they looked they dreamed. Egypt! the Land of Freedom; Egypt! the Haven of the Oppressed; Egypt! where there was Learning and Wages and Honor. While here? Here there brooded a Shadow and a Fear.

Stealthily they arose by night and took the old lantern and walked and ran till they crossed the river. The dawn found them wet and weary, crouching in the moss-swept under brush of the swamp; but their faces were set North—that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,—that the fairy-tale might come true.

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Hellraisers Journal: Debs in Omaha, Believes Workingmen Will Soon be Ready for Economic Revolution by United Ballot

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD, Modern Wage Slave, Terre Haute May 31, 1898, Debs-IA

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Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 23, 1898
Omaha, Nebraska – Eugene Debs Tells Old Story of Wealth and Poverty

On Wednesday December 21st, Eugene Debs was interviewed in Omaha and said, in part:

It is the old, old story—economics—the concentration of industry. The middle class of middlemen are being obliterated; they buy goods in small quantities and pay more than the department stores which buy by the carload. The department store advertises cheap goods, gets the laboring man’s cash, and the little corner grocery has the “credit” business. The small dealer is crushed: labor is pinched and suicides have increased 200 percent in the last ten years…..

I believe the present system, so destructive to the better elements of mankind, is soon to be eradicated, and that by the workingmen. They are beginning to think, and from the products of their minds is developing an economic revolution.

From the Omaha World-Herald of December 22, 1898:

Morally I Mean to Pay Them
[Interview with Eugene Debs]

EVD re Social Democracy, SLTb p3, Feb 9, 1898

No, I did not attend the [A. F. of L.] convention at Kansas City. I am in deep sympathy with the meeting and wanted very much to go, but my lecture engagements prevented. I have been speaking every night for two weeks.

With what success?

At Boone, Iowa, I had a fair audience, but usually through Iowa my audiences were not large. You know, the railroads and other corporations have no love for me, and it is given out cold to the men, and many of them who would attend stay away, fearful of incurring the displeasure of the powers that be. Especially is this true in railroad towns. However I cannot complain: I speak and the papers report and thus I reach the masses.

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Hellraisers Journal: Kansas City Railway Company’s Ad: Scabs Wanted, “Those with no previous training also desired.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones Raising Hell, NYT p1, Oct 6, 1916~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 22, 1918
Kansas City Street Car Strike Continues, Scabs Wanted

Of the 2700 strikers, members of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes of America, Division 764, on strike in Kansas City since December 11th, 157 are conductorettes. The conductorettes have been on the picket line beside their brothers and not one of them has crossed the line and returned to work. Meanwhile the company advertises for scabs, “no previous training” needed.

From the Kansas Junction City Union of December 21, 1918:

KC Street Car Strike, Scab Ad, Jctn Cty KS Dly Un p5, Dec 21, 1918

It should be noted that ever since the cars have been operated by non-union men, accidents and deaths on the street car lines have dramatically increased. Yet, the Company prefers to hire inexperienced scabs rather than implement the cost-of-living award granted to their employees by the War Labor Board.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones News for November 1918 -Favorite Authors: Voltaire, Hugo, and Thomas Paine

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones re Hugo, Montgomery WV, Aug 4, 1912~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 21, 1918
Mother Jones News for November 1918
-American Revolutionary, Thomas Paine, Among Favorite Authors

From The New Appeal of November 30, 1918:

Mother Jones and Debs

J. A. Wayland, of AtR, 1895-1912

This morning’s mail has brought The New Appeal Book Dept. orders for Voltaire’s “Candide” from Mother Jones and Eugene V. Debs. Mother Jones writes:

I want Voltaire’s greatest work, “Candide.” You know he is a very great writer. He and Victor Hugo and Thomas Paine were my favorites when the late J. A. Wayland and I used to sit up at night and talk these great writers over.

Mother Jones knows that Voltaire’s “Candide” is worth reading. Do you? If you don’t, then be sure to order this beautifully printed and exquisitely bound edition, which we are selling, postpaid, for only 80 cents. This is a low price and cannot remain that low very long. But we will fill your order if we receive it in the near future.

[Photograph added.]

Ad for Voltaire’s Candide:

Appeal Books, Voltaire, AtR p1, Nov 30, 1918

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