Author: Janet Raye

Hellraisers Journal: Fellow Worker James Gossard Dies of Pneumonia in Harvey County Jail at Newton, Kansas

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday November 24, 1918
Harvey County Jail, Newton, Kansas – Fellow Worker James Gossard Dies

From New Solidarity of November 16, 1918 comes the sad news that another Fellow Worker has died behind bars. The headline reads:

Member Dies While Incarcerated

I. W. W. member jailed in the raids of the Butler county [Kansas] oil fields died of influenza and pneumonia while incarcerated.

From the Newton Evening Kansan-Republican of October 30, 1918:

FEDERAL PRISONER PNEUMONIA VICTIM
—–
James Gossard, I. W. W., at Least
Passed Last Days In Good Hands
—–

WWIR, In Here For You, Ralph Chaplin, Sol Aug 4, Sept 1, 1917

James Gossard, aged about 25, whose home is at Urbana, Ill., died at the county jail this morning about 5 o’clock, and he was turned over to the Duff undertaking firm, pending instructions from the federal authorities.

And herein lies a human interest story of unusual setting.

Gossard was a federal prisoner, being held here at the expense of the government, pending trial in court as an I. W. W. disturber, having been arrested in the raids of the Butler county oil fields. When the recent term of federal court was adjourned and seven of these men were sent here for safe keeping, five of them were ill with colds. Gossard was not sick then. The five recovered under treatment of Dr. Bennett, government physician. Then Gossard became ill with influenza and pneumonia set in. Sheriff Smith and wife forgot that he was one of the despised I. W. W. gang. He was given the best bed in the jail building, and placed to himself on the second floor. Dr. Bennett visited him several times daily, and nothing that could be done to relieve him was withheld. His fellow prisoners nursed him with the greatest care and devotion, taking turns at watching at his bedside and giving the medicines.

“You don’t need to bother about doctoring me,” he said. “I feel just like my time had come, and I am certain I am going to die.”

He made good on his hunch. His relatives live at Urbana, and the disposition of his body is up to them and Uncle Sam.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: A. J. McKelway of National Child Labor Committee Reports on Efforts to Protect American Children

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Alabama Child Labor, AtR p2, Oct 24, 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday November 23, 1908
Report on Recent Legislation from the National Child Labor Committee

From the Duluth Labor World of November 21, 1908:

EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS CHILD LABOR EVILS
—–
Nine States Have Passed Remedial Measures
and Entire Country is Aroused.
—–
But Much Yet Remains to be Done
to Protect American Children.
—–

Mr. A. J. McKelway, secretary of the National Child Labor Committee for the southern states has recently published a report of the years’ progress in child labor legislation, from which we glean the following excerpts.

Child Labor, Trapper Boy MacDonald WV by Hine, Oct 1908, LoC

Progress in 1908.

The year 1908 was an off year in state legislative sessions, as thirty-eight states have their legislatures meet in 1909. The national child labor committee reports progress in nine states, in addition to the passage of the District of Columbia child labor bill, which had been agitated for several years. This act of federal legislation was not all that was hoped for by the friends of the cause, as the pages of the senate, though not of the house, and the children of dependent parents are exempted from the operation of the law. In other respects the law approaches the standard of the more advanced states.

New York State.

An important amendment to the New York child labor law was the transferring of the enforcement of the mercantile child labor provisions from the local boards of health to the state labor department, and the provision for a bureau of mercantile inspection. This amendment was bitterly contested by interested parties and Governor Hughes sent two special messages to the legislature concerning the necessity of this change in the law.

New Jersey and Ohio.

In New Jersey, the effort to forbid night work for children under 16 years of age failed, but a compulsory education amendment requires children from 7 to 17 to attend school, except that children of 15 who are regularly employed are excused from such attendance.

In Ohio two efforts to weaken the child labor law failed and an eight-hour law was passed for boys at work under 16 and for girls under 18. This puts Ohio abreast of the most advanced states in this regard.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: Free Photo of Mr. Debs & Poetic Tribute by Horace Traubel

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote Horace Traubel re Debs, AtR p6, Nov 21, 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday November 22, 1908
Eugene Victor Debs: Photo, Signature, & Poetic Tribute

From the Appeal to Reason of November 21, 1908:

Free Photo with Signature:

EVD Photo, AtR p3, Nov 21, 1908

“Debs” by Horace Traubel:

EVD Poem Debs by Horace Traubel, AtR p6, Nov 21, 1908

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Hellraisers Journal: Poem by Anise: “Fighting with One Fist,” on Action, Political & Industrial-The Ohio Socialist

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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As long as the BOSS
Uses BOTH fists
And pays detectives to do it,
I don’t see the sense
Of TYING UP
One of OUR ARMS.
-Anise

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

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday November 21, 1918
“Fighting with One Fist”-Poem by Anise

From The Ohio Socialist of November 20, 1918:

Vote, Fighting with One Fist by Anise, OH Sc, Nov 20, 1918-Anna Louise Strong

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Hellraisers Journal: Charles Moyer at Laredo Labor Conference: Half-Truths & Untruths re IWW & Big Bill Haywood

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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BBH Quote re May Day, AtR p2, Apr 27, 1907
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday November 20, 1918
Laredo, Texas – Charles Moyer Spews Bitter Venom at Bill Haywood

With great sadness we report and correct the half-truths and untruths spewed by Charles Moyer at Big Bill Haywood during the recent Pan American Labor Conference held at Laredo, Texas. Charles Moyer knows what it is to face the persecutions of the ruling class. He nearly lost his life in the 1913 Michigan Copper Miners strike when he was kidnapped, shot, and deported from the strike zone by company gunthugs.

From the Chicago Day Book of December 29, 1913:

M13, Moyer in Hospital, Day Book p29, Dec 29, 1913

He nevertheless returned to the strike zone after his release from the hospital, and was greeted by thousands of cheering strikers and their families. That this hero would now turn on his fellow workers brings deep disappointment and sadness.

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Hellraisers Journal: Charles Moyer Denounces I. W. W. & Big Bill Haywood at Laredo Pan American Labor Conference

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday November 19, 1918
Laredo, Texas – A. F. of L. Defeats Plan to Assist I. W. W.

From El Paso Morning Times of November 16, 1918:

DEFEAT PLAN TO ASSIST
MEMBERS OF I.W.W.
—–
Labor Leaders at Pan-American Labor Conference
Attack Resolution Offered by Mexican
Delegates That Was Intended
to Aid Imprisoned Men.
—–

GOMPERS AND MOYER DENOUNCERS OF MOVE
—–
President of Mine Workers Bitter
in His Arraignment of Haywood,
Secretary of Organization,
Who Is Serving a Sentence
for Espionage.
—–

By Associated Press.

HMP, Pettibone Moyer Haywood, AtR, Feb 16, 1907
From the Appeal to Reason of February 16, 1907

Laredo, Texas, Nov. 15.-An attempt by Mexican delegates to the pan-American labor conference to have adopted a resolution aiming at the release from prison of Industrial Workers of the World today brought forth an attack on that organization by American labor leaders, who defeated the plan.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mine Operators Meet Demands of Virden Miners; Formal Agreement Ends Bitter Coal Strike

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones re Virden Martyrs, Daily Worker, Oct 22, 1925~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 18, 1898
Bitter Strike of Miners at Virden Ends in Victory

From the Chicago Daily Inter Ocean of November 16, 1898:

VIRDEN STRIKE ENDS
—–
Mine Operators Agree to
Meet Demands of Men.
—–

TO PAY UNION WAGES
—–
Conference Is Held at Company’s
Chicago Offices.
—–

Leaders of Coal Miner’s Organization
Rejoice at the Outcome of
the Bitter Fight.
—–

WNF Virden, O'Neill House, Chg Intr Ocn p2, Oct 15, 1898
Striking Miners Gather at O’Neill House after Battle of Virden

The conference between the representatives of the Chicago-Virden Coal company and the striking miners, held yesterday, resulted in an agreement which ends the Virden strike. The demands to the miners have been acceded to in full. The scale agreed upon is 40 cents per ton for hand mining and 33 cents for machine mining.

A formal agreement will be drawn up this morning, which will be signed by President Loucks of the coal company and President Hunter of the Illinois Mine-Workers’ union. The men who have been idle at Virden since April will return to work immediately.

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Hellraisers Journal: “Women as Sex Vendors” by Mary Marcy & R. B. Tobias: “If you can stand the truth, read it.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mary Marcy, Women as Sex Vendors, p22, 1918

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

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday November 17, 1918
New Book: Women as Sex Vendors by Mary Marcy and R. B. Tobias

From The New Appeal of November 9, 1918:

“If you can stand the truth, read it.”

Women as Sex Vendors is authored by Mrs. Mary Edna Tobias Macy and her brother, Roscoe Burdette Tobias.

Ad, Women as Sex Vendors, Mary Edna Tobias Marcy, AtR p3, Nov 9, 1918

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Hellraisers Journal: “Our Unfortunate Sisters” by Theresa Malkiel: on Low Wages, Poverty and Prostitution

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote T Malkiel, Sisters Arise, Sc Woman p10, July 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday November 16, 1908
Theresa Malkiel: “Prostitution is very seldom a voluntary choice…”

From The Socialist Woman of November 1908:

Our Unfortunate Sisters

THERESA MALKIEL

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

Theresa Malkiel 1874-1949, wiki

It has been estimated that there are six hundred thousand women in the United States who sell their bodies for a living. I know that many of you will shudder reading of this number of unfortunates and will think of them with hatred and disgust.

But be merciful, women, those sisters of yours are not bond slaves like the prostitutes of ancient times, nor are they aliens like the medieval woman of the street. They are gathered from your very midst, from the girls who have by adverse circumstances been impelled to turn to prostitution as a means of livelihood.

Like ourselves, these unfortunates have been carried under a mother’s heart, like ourselves they have been born and destined for an honest life, but victims of force and fraud, or economic conditions, they soon reached the point where society held out nothing better for them than the life of shame.

Prostitution is very seldom a voluntary choice on the part of the fallen. Girls do not elect to cast themselves away, they are driven to the haunts of vice. A young working girl is an easy mark for a man’s designing. And the designers are not wanting. Their most fruitful recruiting grounds are the stores where girls work long hours for small pay; the homes that have few comforts and no pleasures; the streets where girls are often cast while still unknown to sin, but are in want and without shelter; in places where distress and temptation stand ever present.

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Hellraisers Journal: From Montana News: Eugene Debs on Red Special and “true spirit of Socialist comradeship…”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Yours for the next battle,
Eugene V. Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday November 15, 1908
Eugene Debs on the Campaign’s “true spirit of Socialist comradeship.”

From the Socialist Montana News of November 12, 1908:

TO OUR COMRADES: GREETING
—–

By Eugene V. Debs.

EVD Debs Hanford Campaign, AtR p4, May 23, 1908

The campaign is ended and my very first thought is of the kindness shown me and the loyal support given me in every part of the country. While at times the exactions were trying I was sustained every hour by the loving care and unflagging support of comrades. To me this was the most beautiful and satisfying feature of the campaign. It expressed the true spirit of Socialist comradeship which is the making of our movement and which will sustain it through every ordeal till it is finally triumphant.

The one incident we all deeply regretted was the illness of Comrade Ben Hanford. With all his heart he yearned to be where he always has been, in the thick of battle, but he had given himself too freely all his life, utterly forgetful of self, until at last his physical powers succumbed and he was compelled to see others on the firing line while he was reserved for less strenuous service that he might have some chance for physical recuperation. His very illness bears testimony to his many years of service in the past when it required courage and sacrifice to be a Socialist, and all of us join most fervently in the hope that he may recuperate his impaired powers and again take his wonted place in the activities of the movement.

Truly this has been a magnificent campaign for the Socialist Party. Our meetings from coast to coast have been the marvel of all, and such enthusiasm has never been displayed in any political campaign.

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