Category: Hellraisers Journal

Hellraisers Journal: “The Red Special Goes East” -School Children Come Through the Rain to Meet with Comrade Debs

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD re SPA aims re Child Labor, AtR p4, Oct 10, 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 19, 1908
The Red Special Heads East, Debs Speaks to School Children

From the Appeal to Reason of October 10, 1908:

RED SPECIAL GOES EAST.
—–
Speech to Young Americans at Trenton, Ohio,
That was Not on the Program,
but Enjoyed by All.
—–

Special Telegram to Appeal to Reason.

EVD Said by Debs I, AtR p4, Oct 10, 1908EVD Said by Debs II, AtR p4, Oct 10, 1908

Rochester, N. Y., Oct. 2.-The eastern trip of the “Red Special” has begun in dead earnest. As if to mark the change, the weather man has dumped us precipitately from the broiling heat of mid-summer to the freezing cold of mid-winter. This has had its effect upon some of the meetings as it is entirely too cold for outdoor assemblies and this doubtless keeps many people away. But still the crowds are large and the enthusiasm remarkable.

At Dunkirk, where the trust locomotive works are located, a large number of employes took advantage of the noon meeting and heard and applauded the speakers. When Roosevelt was at Dunkirk he was invited to the locomotive works, which were shut down so that the thousands of wage slaves could be impressed with the beauties of capitalism by one of its big chiefs. One enthusiastic worker who had voted the republican ticket all his life, announced yesterday that he had had enough and was now a Socialist, and was cheered by the crowd. A remarkable feature of all the meetings is the loud demonstration that is made when Roosevelt is stripped naked and shown up as a cheap politician, hypocrite and corruptionist.

When the Alton deal is laid bare Roosevelt’s connection with it established and the Appeal’s five thousand dollar offer is added, there is the liveliest kind of cheering as evidence that the people are at last awakening to the fact that instead of a bold and brave man being in the white house, the executive chair is being held down by the lowest type of a demagogue and rat-hole politician.

The New York meeting will shake up Gotham like an earthquake. Fifty thousand people are expected at the east side demonstration.-Theordore Debs.

—–

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for September 1918 -West Virginia Miners and Families Hold Massive Labor Day Celebrations

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Fear Not Organize, Rkfd Mrn Str p3, Mar 19, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday October 18, 1918
Mother Jones News for September 1918
-Mother Found in West Virginia’s Fairmont Coal Field

From the Fairmont West Virginian of September 2, 1918:

On September 2nd Mother Jones spoke to 10,000 West Virginia miners and their families of the Fairmont Coal Field who gathered at Traction Park for a massive Labor Day Celebration.

DAY DEDICATED TO LABOR OBSERVED
BY MINE WORKERS
—–
Thousands of Them Attending
Six Big Picnics.
—–

TRACTION PARK CROWDED
—–
Many Organized Miners Walked
There From Monongah.
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

More than fifteen thousand organized miners of the Fairmont coal district are today celebrating Labor Day at six picnics held in this section of the state. Celebrations are being held at the following points in the Fairmont region: Traction Park, Enterprise, Jamison Mine, Flemington, Reynoldsville and Clarksburg.

Practically all of the United Mine Workers locals in this region are participating in the big celebration at Traction Park, which is expected to be the biggest Labor Day celebration in the state. It is estimated that fully ten thousand miners will attend the celebration at Traction Park today. In addition to the miners there will be many families, because practically all of the miners have made arrangements to attend the celebration with their families, taking with them filled baskets prepared to spend the entire day.

Miners from the Dakota, Rivesville, Robinson and Barnesville shaft mine assembled this morning at 7:30 o’clock, marching all the way from Rivesville to Fairmont, arriving here about 9:30 [a.m.] As they marched up Main street, accompanied by the Ira L. Smith drum corps, each miner carried an American flag, some carrying United Mine Workers flags. The body departed for Traction Park on special cars leaving for Traction Park at 10 o’clock. Reports from Dakota are to the effect that there will be 800 members of that local attend the Traction Park celebration, more than 300, from the Shaft mine, and a proportionate number from the other miners in that section. The mines along the Minnington line and between here and Clarksburg will be represented as well, each local attending in a body and making an effort to have a fine showing. The Monongah local, of about 800 members, the Everson local and other organizations only a short distance from the park will have a full attendance.

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Hellraisers Journal: “To-day was the saddest in Mount Olive’s history.”

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 – Sunday October 16, 1898
Mount Olive, Illinois – Funerals Held for Virden Martyrs

From the Springfield Illinois State Journal of October 15, 1898:

Mount Olive Mourns
—–

Schools and Stores Closed on the
Day of Miners’ Funerals.

Virden Martyr ernst Kaemmerer, Keiser Union Miners Cemetery at Mt Olive
Ernst Kaemmerer

Carlinville, Ill., Oct. 14-To-day was the saddest in Mount Olive’s history. Every business house in the town and the public schools were closed by proclamation of Mayor Fuchs. Not a shaft in the district was operated. The funeral services over the remains of Ellis Smith, Joseph Gitterle and Ernest Kamerer, the Mount Olive miners killed at Virden, were held in the opera house at 2 o’clock. Private services had been held earlier by the pastor of each denomination to which the dead miners belonged. The opera house was thronged. Services were conducted by W. D. Ryan, state secretary of the United Mine Workers. Attorney Thomas Williamson delivered the funeral oration. The line of march was taken up, headed by the Mount Olive band, followed by hearses with the three corpses. Two thousand visiting union men from Staunton, Gillespie, Hornsby, Litchfield, Sorrento, Worden and Glean Carbon, city officials, school children bearing flowers, and citizens. It was the largest procession of the kind ever known in Mount Olive and grief manifested was heart-rending.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Strikebreakers Brought to Virden and Pana from Alabama Were Threatened by Company Guards

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Men in a locked car are not free men, but prisoners.
These men were prisoners without authority of law.
They were under no criminal charge, had not been tried,
and were entitled to go and come at their pleasure.
-Governor John Riley Tanner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 15, 1898
Birmingham, Alabama – Miners Recruited as Scabs Were Deceived

Virden Massacre, Wanted Colored Miners, Poster ab Sept 19, 1898

That the miners recruited in Birmingham, Alabama, to mine coal in Virden and Pana, Illinois, were deceived by the coal operators into becoming strikebreakers is made plain by the fact that the men were transported into Illinois in locked cattle cars, many of them, and were kept under the watchful eye of armed company guards. When the Alabama miners became aware of the situation, most of them resisted being turned into scabs. However, according to reports, the company guards threatened to shoot down any who attempted escape.

From the the the Chicago Public
-of August 27, 1898

The sheriff of Christian county, Ill., seems to think it his duty not only to threaten to shoot white miners who try to reach the imported negroes at Pana to explain the trick that has been played upon them by the operators, but also to threaten to shoot the negroes if they attempt to leave the operators’ employment. It is the business of the sheriff to preserve order, but it is not his business to act as a private detective for coal operators, which is a distinction that the sheriff of Christian county ought to know, and one which, if he doesn’t know it, he ought to be made to learn.

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Hellraisers Journal: Two More Miners Die Following Battle of Virden: E. F. Long of Mt. Olive & William Harmon of Girard

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

Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 14, 1898
Springfield, Illinois – Two Miners Breath Their Last

From the Springfield Illinois State Journal of October 14, 1898:

TWO MORE ARE DEAD
—–
Miners Injured in Virden Battle
Die from Their Wounds.
—–

[…..]

Virden Massacre, E. F. Long, ab 1898, Keiser Un Mnrs Cem, 1980
Brother E. F. Long

Two of the miners who were shot during the Virden riot Wednesday died yesterday [Thursday October 13th] in St. John’s hospital. The names of the two men who swelled the list of fatalities to a dozen are: Ernest Long, aged 19 years, of Mt. Olive, and William Harmon, aged 49, of Girard.

Earnest Long breathed his last at 12:07 o’clock yesterday afternoon and William Harmon expired at 5:30 o’clock in the evening. Long was shot in the bladder, in the left leg, and twice in the right hip. His comrade, Harmon, was shot through the spine and lungs. Long is survived by his father, four sisters and two brothers. The remains were taken to Blach’s undertaking parlors where they were prepared for burial. Last night the body was taken to Mt. Olive for burial. the deceased was a member of the A. O. U. W., which order will have charge of the funeral service.

Th remains of William Harmon were taken to Foster’s undertaking parlors and prepared for burial. They will be taken to Girard at 6:45 o’clock this morning. A son of the deceased will accompany the remains home. Harmon was 49 years of age and is survived by a wife and five children.

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Hellraisers Journal: Company Guards Open Fire on Miners at Virden, Illinois; Scene of Carnage Follows Fierce Battle

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Its a sad blow to us. Father was
the head of a family of nine of us.
I don’t know what we will do now.
It will break their hearts at home.
-Young Son of Abe Breneman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday October 13, 1898
Virden, Illinois – Striking Miners Shot Down by Company Guards

From Springfield’s Illinois State Journal of October 13, 1898:

Battle Virden, HdLn, Spgfld IL St Jr p1, Oct 13, 1898

(By J. E. Vaughn, Staff Correspondent.)

Virden. Oct. 12.-(Special.)-Mid-night.-Ten dead, one fatally wounded and twenty-five carrying gunshot injuries of a more or less serous character, is the result of Manager Fred Lukins’ determination to run the Chicago-Virden coal mine in his own way and the counter determination of the striking miners not to permit non-union men to operate the plant.

In battle, fierce and sharp and attended by an unusual number of casualties, the striking miners today came into contact with the men who are supporting the operator and drove them from the town, but at a cost which makes the victory a bitter one. Six of the strikers were killed by the superior weapons of the armed guards, while three of the guards, two on the train that conveyed them to the town, and one within the stockade, lost their lives…..

[…..]

SCENES AFTER THE BATTLE.
—–

Virden, Oct. 12-(Special.)-The scenes that attended the removal of the dead miners from the field east of the stockade were pathetic in the extreme as soon as the firing had ceased and while there was still the greatest danger of a resumption of the fire from the stockade, shrieking, bare-headed women, their hair flying in the air, ran from the houses in the vicinity and rushed for the place where the miners had fallen, looking for their husbands and fathers. As they run they shouted curses at the men in the stockade and shook defiant fists at the grim tower from which had come the shower of lead.

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Hellraisers Journal: Industrial Workers of the World Publishes New Preamble, One of “Most Important” Acts of Convention

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Between these two classes a struggle must go on
until the workers of the world organize as a class,
and take possession of the earth
and the machinery of production
and abolish the wage system.
-Industrial Workers of the World
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 12, 1908
Chicago, Illinois – Recent I. W. W. Convention Revises Preamble

From The Industrial Union Bulletin of October 10, 1908:

CONVENTION NOTES.

The fourth annual convention of I. W. W. finished its work Thursday evening, Oct. 1, 1908…..

The change in the preamble of the constitution was one of the most important of all the acts of the convention…..

IWW New Preamble, IUB, Oct 10, 1908

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for September 1908, Found in Kansas and Alabama

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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EVD Quote re Mother Jones, AtR, Nov 23, 1907

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

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 11, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for September 1908
In Alabama: “Old Mother Jones..claims every miner as her son…”

Mother Jones, Dnv Pst p2, July 19, 1908

At the beginning of the month of September, we found Mother Jones attending a picnic in Girard, Kansas. By the 20th of September, we found the “Miners’ Angel” in Birmingham, Alabama. She went to Alabama in answer to the call of the miners on strike there, cutting short her visit in Girard, as promised in August.

From the Pittsburg Daily Headlight of
August 19, 1908:

WILL GO TO ALABAMA.
Mother Jones to Assist in the Alabama Strike.
—–

…[Mother Jones] arrived in Girard only a few days ago from a trip through Oklahoma and Texas, where she has been delivering lectures. She expected to remain for some time, but circumstances have come up which compel her to leave for Alabama, where a strike is on among the miners of the coal fields of that state. Strikes are one of her specialties and she has followed strikes in all parts of the United States for years and has spoke in every state in the union except two and her motherly attitude towards the miners makes her a favorite among them….

From The Biloxi Daily Herald of September 23, 1908:

S. W. ROSE ON HIS TRAVELS

Cullman, Ala. Sept. 20, 1908

To The Biloxi Daily Herald.

[…..]

I came this morning from Birmingham to “this side,” and am now domiciled at Cullman…

Birmingham will not let socialists speak on the streets. They hurt the feelings of the mighty city chiefs and the great governor, who is interested in working children in his cotton mill.

However, the socialists held a hall meeting that was filled to the doors. Old Mother Jones, who claims every miner as her son, was there, and the fire of her tongue is enough to terrify Birmingham city and Alabama’s state government, and yet her kind old mother heart will bring the mist to men’s eyes as she tells the woes of childhood as she has seen them in the miner’s and cotton-worker’s families. Mother Jones has been to jail again and again for her fiery words, but jails have no terrors for this modern “Joan of Arc,” and she is loved by all who known her…..

———-

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs: “Plot Must Be Foiled..Conspiracy to Murder Mexican Comrades..by Order of Diaz”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD Mex Revolutionairies, AtR p2, Oct 10, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 10, 1908
Eugene V. Debs Urges Working Men and Women to Save Mexican Comrades

From the Appeal to Reason:

THIS PLOT MUST BE FOILED
—–
Conspiracy to Murder Mexican Comrades
Now Imprisoned in This Country
by Order of Díaz
—–

by EUGENE V. DEBS.

Mex Rev, Juan Sarabia, St L P-D p53, Apr 5, 1908

There is no longer the least doubt, if there ever was any, that the United States government, through its present administration, has entered into a conspiracy with the bloody and barbarous government to foully murder the revolutionary leaders of the Mexican people. The visit of Secretary of State Root to the Mexican capital, the pomp and display with which he was received, and the continuous ovation that was tendered him, are well remembered, as is also the fact, by Socialists at least, that the object of that love feast was to pave the way for the exploitation of this undeveloped country by American and Mexican capitalists. The entente cordiale was established between the House of Roosevelt and the House of Díaz, and since then there has been perfect understanding and harmonious cooperation in carrying out the international program.

When the Mexican revolutionists established their junta at St. Louis and were followed by the bloodhounds of Díaz the latter were reinforced by Furlong’s detectives and the junta was finally destroyed by the joint persecution of the minions of the American and Mexican governments.

The Mexican revolutionists, whose only crime was their opposition to Díaz, the bloody butcher of the so-called Mexican Republic, are men of heart and brain and conscience who could not endure witnessing the atrocities perpetrated upon the ignorant masses; they were animated by the same passion for freedom as were the American revolutionists a century and a half ago and with far greater justification for resisting tyranny and oppression

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on “Social Democracy” and the Social Democratic Party of America

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD, On overthrow of ruling class power, SD Hld, Oct 8, 1898~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 9, 1898
Debs on Capitalism Run Riot and the Battle for Social Democracy

From the Social Democratic Herald of October 8, 1898:

Social Democracy

-by Eugene V. Debs

EVD, New Time Magazine, Feb 1898

In the outset, and to “clear the deck” for action, some attention should be paid to definitions. What is meant by the term, “Social Democracy?” The term “social” as applied to “democracy” means, simply, a society of democrats, the members of which believe in the equal right of all to manage and control it. Reading this definition, men are likely to say, “There is nothing new in that,” and they speak understandingly. The men and women who are engaged in organizing the Social Democratic Party of America are not pluming themselves upon the novelty of their scheme for the improvement of social, industrial, and political conditions. They claim for their movement a common-sense basis, free from the taint of vagary and in all regards preeminently practical.

The wise man is credited with saying, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” [Ecclesiastes 1:9]. Crediting the declaration of Solomon as conclusive, there must have been a time before he lived when something like “social democracy” of which I write existed in the earth, the germ idea of which, though latent for centuries, has aroused men from their lethargy from time to time in the processes of evolution, to find its most potent expression in the present era of “progress and poverty,” civilization and savagery, wealth and war, charity and greed, aroused them to an interest in socialism, which, with the chivalric courage of crusaders and the revolutionizing zeal of iconoclasts, has appeared to do battle for the regeneration of society.

No one hesitates to admit that the task is herculean; no one underestimates the power of opposing forces. Their name is legion, and they are organized forces—close, compact, resourceful, and defiant. They do not propose to surrender, compromise, nor arbitrate. They have the masses in the dust, their claws upon their throats and their hooves upon their prostrate forms. In the face of all the verified facts that startle thinking men, there is no requirement for extravagant speech.

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