Why should the workingmen fight for
the robbers of Wall street?
Let them fight their own battles.
-Mother Jones
That old blood sucker,
the kaiser, ought to
be kicked off his throne.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday April 4, 1917
Des Moines, Iowa – Mother Jones Speaks Out on European War
Overnight, perhaps reacting to the War Resolution now before Congress upon the request of President Wilson for same, Mother reversed her stand regarding American involvement in the terrible slaughter now taking place between the waring nations of Europe. In an interview reported by the April 2nd edition of The Des Moines Register, Mother declared:
I hate war. We must not throw our American workingmen into olive drab uniforms, stick guns in their hands, and ship them over to France to be fresh slaughter for the cannons of the devilish kings of Europe.
If John D Rockefeller, Morgan, the Guggenheims, or Wall street wants to see Germany defeated, let them go over and fight in the allies’ trenches. Why should the workingmen fight for the robbers of Wall street? Let them fight their own battles, says I!
The next day, the Register reported that Mother had “abandoned her neutrality:”
That old blood sucker, the kaiser, ought to be kicked off his throne, and if he ever starts anything with this country we will lick hell out of him if I have to raise a regiment of 10,000 women myself.
Thus “Mother” Jones, firebrand speaker, abandoned her neutrality in a speech that held spellbound the miners of the thirteenth district, U. M. W. A., who were celebrating the nineteenth anniversary of the securing of the eight-hour day for miners at the Coliseum yesterday afternoon.
From The Des Moines Register of April 2, 1917:
MOTHER JONES AT WAR UPON ALL WAR
—–
“Idol of All Working Men” Here for
Miners’ Eight Hour Celebration.
—–DENOUNCES ALL WAR TAX
—–
No Reason for Laboring Man of
One Nation to Fight
Those of Another.
—–
She hates royalty, and yet she is a queen; her heart cries out against war and the consequent shooting down of millions of men and yet she is militant; she is 84 years old and wears a crown of silver white hair, and yet she despises “old fools who sit around doing nothing just to save funeral expenses.”
She is Mother Jones. A visitor found her last night in conference at the Elliott hotel with Iowa union officials, acting her part of “queen of the American miners,” and “idol of all working me.”
Mother Jones is vigorous and emphatic and strong voiced; but she’s old fashioned and gentle hearted, too.
She’s going to speak at 1:30 this afternoon at the Coliseum at the miners’ eight hour celebration.
You should have seen Mother Jones’ eyes flash and her hands thresh about gesturing and her voice rumble angrily when she was asked about universal military preparedness in America and the war in Europe.
She Hates War.
“I hate it,” she burst out in that strong voice of hers which seems to put an exclamation mark on every word she says.
I hate war. We must not throw our American workingmen into olive drab uniforms, stick guns in their hands, and ship them over to France to be fresh slaughter for the cannons of the devilish kings of Europe.
If John D Rockefeller, Morgan, the Guggenheims, or Wall street wants to see Germany defeated, let them go over and fight in the allies’ trenches. Why should the workingmen fight for the robbers of Wall street? Let them fight their own battles, says I!
They called that a patriotic parade in Chicago Saturday. nothing of the kind! A war parade, I call it-and that is a parade for hell. Why should we take the men out of the factories and the mines and the shops to go over and fight their brother workingmen in Europe? If our nation is invaded, that is a different thing. But nobody except that munitions-mad bunch of New York financiers believe Germany intends to invade the United States.
“Well,” interrupted the visitor, “others might invade this country; we need universal military service in readiness for them, don’t we, Mother? Now, there was Villa at Columbus, and-”
Will Not Be Invaded.
“No!” she exclaimed.
No, no, I say. We’re not going to be invaded, I tell you. And I don’t believe Villa ever raided Columbus, N. M. I know Villa. He’s a friend of mine. Villa never touched Columbus.
“Instead of turning American workingmen into soldiers to be murdered in the trenches, let them fight for industrial liberty, for better living conditions, for greater human happiness. That’s what they should fight for. And if the capitalists who are robbing the workingmen of what rightfully belongs to them want to see Germany or any other nation defeated in war, let them shoulder guns and fight.
Among the Iowa miners’ officials who called on Mother Jones last evening were J. C. Lewis, the new president of district No. 13 of United Mine Workers of America; J. H. Morris, vice president, and D. H. Watkins, member of the board of control……
From The Des Moines Register of April 3, 1917:
MOTHER JONES HAS PLAIN SPOKEN VIEW
—-
Makes a Few Remarks About the Kaiser
in Address to Miners.
—–UNION IN BIG CELEBRATION
—–
Iowa District Observes Nineteenth
Anniversary of Securing
Eight-Hour Day.
—–
That old blood sucker, the kaiser, ought to be kicked off his throne, and if he ever starts anything with this country we will lick hell out of him if I have to raise a regiment of 10,000 women myself.
Thus “Mother” Jones, firebrand speaker, abandoned her neutrality in a speech that held spellbound the miners of the thirteenth district, U. M. W. A., who were celebrating the nineteenth anniversary of the securing of the eight-hour day for miners at the Coliseum yesterday afternoon.
Coliseum Crowded.
The Coliseum main floor was packed with representatives of the locals in all parts of the district which contains 17,000 miners.
Mayor MacVicar spoke briefly in congratulation and in welcome to the miners. He was followed on the program by J. C. Lewis of Albia, who took office yesterday as president of the thirteenth district; Vice President J. H. Morris of Des Moines; J. H. Strief of Sioux City, president of the Iowa State Federation of Labor, and W. H. Rogers of Albia, past president of the district.
Mrs. Jones was the principal speaker. She touched upon many subjects, and did it with a manner all her own. The eight-hour day and the other aims of labor were interrupted occasionally with a temporary attention to other vital subjects. On prohibition she declared:
If I had my way there would be no liquor brigade. It would be running along through the gutters, and there would be a tincup on every lamp post.
She was cheered repeatedly by an enthusiastic audience.
Resolution Adopted.
The following resolution introduced by John Gray, secretary-treasurer of district No. 13, was adopted:
Whereas, in the recent trial of Tom Mooney, Edward D. Nolan, Israel Weinberg and Warren K. Billings at San Francisco, wherein they were convicted and Tom Mooney sentenced to death on a trumped up charge; and
Whereas, we believe that this trial was nothing else but a frame-up for the purpose of railroading the defendants to the gallows and to cast reflections on the labor movement of the United States, therefore
Be it resolved that this body in mass meeting assembled requests the United States senate to make an investigation of the entire situation, for the benefit and protection of the citizens of the nation.
———-
[Photograph added.]
From The New York Times of April 3, 1917:
President Calls for War Declaration,
Stronger Navy, New Army of 500,000 Men,
Full Co-operation With Germany’s Foes
———-MUST EXERT ALL OUR POWER…..
Special to The New York Times
Washington, April 2 — At 8:35 o’clock tonight the United States virtually made its entrance into the war. At that hour President Wilson appeared before a joint session of the Senate and House and invited it to consider the fact that Germany had been making war upon us and to take action in recognition of that fact in accordance with his recommendations, which included universal military service, the raising of an army of 500,000 men, and co-operation with the Allies in all ways that will help most effectively to defeat Germany……
———-
The War Resolution Now Before Congress
This resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives last night by Representative Flood, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, immediately after the President’s address:
JOINT RESOLUTION, Declaring that a State of War Exists Between the Imperial German Government and the Government and People of the United States and Making Provision to Prosecute the Same.
Whereas, The recent acts of the Imperial German Government are acts of war against the Government and people of the United States:
Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and
That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to take immediate steps not only to put the country in a thorough state of defense but also to exert all of its power and employ all of its resources to carry on war against the Imperial German Government and to bring the conflict to a successful termination.
[Photograph added.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCES
The Des Moines Register
(Des Moines, Iowa)
-Apr 2, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/130545981/
-Apr 3, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/130546055/
The New York Times
(New York, New York)
-April 3, 1917
“Must Exert All Our Power”
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A02E6D7143AE433A25750C0A9629C946696D6CF&legacy=true
Text of President’s Address; the War Resolution Now Before Congress”
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9802E6D7143AE433A25750C0A9629C946696D6CF&legacy=true
IMAGES
WWI Dead All On Our Side, Ryan Walker, Nw Wkr, Mar 22, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/64453951/
Mother Jones, UMW D13 8HD, Des Moines Register, Apr 2, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/130545981/
Mother Jones, Garment Strike, Chg Dly Tb, Feb 26, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/28698633/
Woodrow Wilson, Elected, Labor World, Nov 11, 1916
https://www.newspapers.com/image/49876698/
See also:
This Day in History: April 2, 1917
“Wilson asks for declaration.”
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wilson-asks-for-declaration-of-war
For view of full front page:
On This Day: New York Times of April 3, 1917
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0402.html
Mooney-Billings Case
http://spartacus-educational.com/USAmooneycase.htm