Hellraisers Journal – Monday February 24, 1913 Updates on Three Strikes: Merryville, Little Falls and Akron
From the Spokane IndustrialWorker of February 20, 1913 -Covington Hall on Merryville, Louisiana, Lumber Workers’ Strike -Joseph J. Ettor on Prisoners of Little Falls, Massachusetts, Textile Strike
From Solidarity of February 22, 1913 -“20,000 Rubber Workers Revolt in Akron! I. W. W. in Full Control.”
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 23, 1913 Paterson, New Jersey – Silk Workers Vote with Great Enthusiasm for General Strike
From the Paterson Morning Call of February 20, 1913:
GENERAL STRIKE DUE NEXT WEEK? ———- Labor Committee Will Decide on Date at Tonight’s Meeting. ———-
Newark Evening Star February 20, 1913
Two meeting rooms were necessary in Turn hall last night to accommodate all the silk workers that attended to take action on a proposed general strike throughout the industry in this city. When more than a thousand had crowded into one hall and the police prohibited any additional people there, the committee from local 152, Industrial Workers of the World, under whose auspices the mass meeting was conducted, opened a smaller hall, where between two and three hundred stood while they listened to urgent appeals on the part of the labor leaders to join the walkout, which they claimed to be inevitable now. Men and women continued going and coming during the entire evening, so that it is safe to assume there were more than two thousand who heard all or part of the speeches at least.
After all the speakers had concluded, the chairman of the meeting asked what decision the people had arrived at and what they considered doing in the matter of the movement to do away with the three and four-loom system in Paterson. One man to the rear of the hall yelled “strike” in no uncertain tones, and the hundreds applauded.
“How many vote to have this striker?” asked the chairman, and then requested that all in favor of going out raise their right hands. The people had been worked to a white heat of enthusiasm by the addresses and many of them raised both hands and then jumped on chairs to make their approval the more pronounced. After joining in huzzas for the period of a minute or more the people filed out.
Whether this spirit is a lasting one will remain to be seen when the executive committee of the local 152 call upon the workers to strike. It was evident last night that the men were more than interested in the matter, but even sanguine labor leaders would not vouch for their support. Such action by the people was expected after the oratorical fireworks that had been presented, but there was no indication that the same line of action would be adhered to when the privations consequent to the loss of work and wages are met with.
Between 500 and 600 of the workers that crowded the two halls last night did not wait until the vote was taken, and their presence might be accounted for by assigning curiosity as the cause. They made no expression of their opinion one way or another, and while their support is banked upon, there is no positive assurance that the support will be there when wanted.
A Polish speaker named Lauer, an Italian speaker, Organizer Kaplen, who spoke in Yiddish, and Miss Elizabeth Flynn made up the list of talkers that had been brought into the city for the meeting. When it became necessary to open the second hall, several of the local leaders jumped into the breach and made addresses on the situation as they sized it up.
One thing is certain, a general strike will be called.The executive committee of local 152, I. W. W., will hold a closed meeting this evening in Turn Hall, where manifestos will be brought up and translated into several languages. As soon as they are taken from the press they will be distributed directly to the silk workers.
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 22, 1903 Rochester, New York – Eugene Debs Speaks on Socialism and the Labor Movement
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (New York) of February 9, 1903:
SOME PHASES OF LABOR MOVEMENT ———-
ADDRESS OF EUGENE V. DEBS AT FITZHUGH HALL. ———-
THE WORKINGMAN’S HOPE ———- Socialistic Programme Set Forth as the Need of the People-The Tool of Production -Reflections on Trusts-Panic Prophesied. ———-
Eugene V. Debs, of Denver, Col., the prominent labor leader and Socialist, spoke at Fitzhugh Hall yesterday afternoon, under the auspices of the Labor Lyceum. His subject was “Some Phases of the Labor Movement; or, Socialism and Civilization.” Mr. Debs was given an enthusiastic reception, and for two hours he had the close attention of the audience. The seats on the floor of the hall were filled and but few were empty in the gallery.
Phillip Jackson presided at the meeting and made a few remarks, after which he introduced Mr. Debs. In his eloquent address, Mr. Debs said, in part:
The labor question broadly stated is the question of all humanity and upon its just solution depend the peace of society and the survival of civilization. The central and controlling fact of civilization is the evolution of industry.
A little over a century and a quarter ago, the American colonists were compelled to declare their political independence. The people were then engaged largely in agricultural pursuits, what they manufactured was produced in simple and primitive ways and they used with their hands the tools with which they did their work. The problem of making a living was a comparatively easy one. Each man could with the product of his own labor satisfy his own wants.
Long ago the too simple tool of those days was touched by the magic want of invention, until its mechanism has now become marvelously complex. In the great modern industrial evolution, the workingman has suffered, and because of his ignorance has allowed the tool of production to pass from his grasp. The cunning that was in the hand of labor has passed into the machine. As competition has become keen, handicraft has been succeeded more and more by the machine work, until skilled labor has become common labor; the struggle for existence became so hard that woman was forced into the labor market and become a factor in industrial conditions.
As the evolution of machinery has continually progressed, it has been found that many of these could be operated by the deft touch of children, until now 3 million of these have been forced into the labor market in competition with men and women.This has resulted from the system that makes profit the all-important consideration and life of little importance. There must be cheap labor in spite of its effects on the lives of human beings.
The state of Alabama once had a law against child labor. The time is coming, however, when competition will force manufacturers to operate their factories where the raw materials are produced. This has already been done by the New England manufacturers. They went to the lawmakers of Alabama and said: “We must have cheap labor if we are to compete in the markets of the world, and in order to do this, we must employ the children in our mills. You have a law against the employment of children in this state. We should like it to come here, but, if this is enforced, it will compel us to go elsewhere.” What was the result? Today there is no law against the employment of children in Alabama.
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday February 20, 1913 Rochester, New York – Ida Braeman, 17-Year-Old Striker, Shot Down by Boss
From the Chicago Day Book of February 6, 1913:
KILLS GIRL STRIKER WITH SHOT GUN
Rochester, N. Y., Feb. 6.-Ira Braeman, 17 years old, was shot and killed in cold blood by Valentine Sauter here last night.
Ida Braeman was a girl of the garment workers’ strike. Sauter is a clothing manufacturer.
Every labor union in Rochester will unite in the effort to push the charge of murder in the first degree against Sauter.
Sauter was in his shop when a group of strikers gathered outside and called to the strikebreakers within to quit work and join them.
Sauter picked up a shotgun and went to a window. He fired point-blank into the little group of girl strikers.
Ida Braeman was killed instantly; three others were wounded.
Sauter’s shot scattered the strikers, but when they saw the body of Ida Braeman lying in the street they came back, and only the arrival of the police prevented Sauter’s shop being torn down about his head. On the way to the station, the police had to use their clubs to protect the man.
Sauter says he fired because he thought his property was in danger.
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday February 19, 1913
Charleston, West Virginia – Strike Leaders Seek Civilian Trials
From the Pittsburg Gazette Times of February 18, 1913:
Paint Creek Strike Heads Seek Release
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“Mother” Jones and Other Military Prisoners Subjects of Habeas Corpus Writs. ———-
THEY WANT CIVIL TRIALS
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(SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO GAZETTE TIMES.)
CHARLESTON, W. VA., Feb. 17.-On account of the issuance of writs of habeas corpus, returnable forthwith, against Gov. William K. Glasscock, Adjt. Gen. Charles D. Elliott, Maj. James I. Pratt, president, and the four other members of the military commission appointed to try cases in the martial law district, the military commission has been stopped in the trial of persons under arrest as members of the commission must appear in court tomorrow to argue the writs.
“Mother” Jones, Paul J. Paulson [Paulsen], Charles Boswell and Charles Batley, for whom the writs of habeas corpus were asked today, have not been brought to Charleston and will not likely be brought here unless the court tomorrow insists on their presence while the question of whether the prisoners shall be turned over to the civil authorities is being argued. This action compels the military authorities to produce what evidence they have against the prisoners for the court to determine whether the military commission has jurisdiction. The right of the governor to declare martial law and cause a military commission to be appointed to try all cases, is also to be determined.
The question of the governor’s right to declare martial law was decided in the affirmative in the Charles Vance case, but the right of the military commission to try persons arrested outside of martial law territory has not been determined. Attorneys for the accused believe the court will hold that the military commission has no authority in such cases and that the accused must be tried by the civil authorities, although the alleged offense was committed in what is now a martial law district, previous to the declaration of martial law.
The provost marshal, Capt. John C. Bond, reports no disturbances in the district today. It is known, however, that the militia is searching for persons wanted in connection with some of the recent disturbances.
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