Hellraisers Journal: From The Socialist Woman: City of Los Angeles Locks-Up Socialist Women for Speaking on Streets

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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 9, 1908
Los Angeles – Socialist Women Raise Hell for Free Speech

From The Socialist Woman of August 1908:

SOCIALIST WOMEN IN JAIL.

LA FSF, SF Call -p9, July 10, 1908

Four Socialist women—Mrs. Bertha M. Dailey, Mrs. Alice Vail Holloway, Mrs. Helen A. Collins, Mrs. Cloudsley Johns—all of Los Angeles, have been spending the warm days of July in the jail of that city. This, for speaking on the streets of Los Angeles—the City of Angels.

The Los Angeles Herald asks, editorially, “Why arrest scholarly, refined, delicately nurtured, women, mothers of families, and irreproachable members of society, and allow men to exercise with impunity the right of free speech?…Salvation Army speakers, evangelists, and other reformers are not interfered with…The worst feature of all this wretched display of prejudice and lack of good judgment is in the fact that all the leading newspapers of the land—ALL—have published accounts of the arrest of the little women and the immunity of the big men, and are commenting on it unreservedly. Los Angeles may well afford to do without this kind of advertising, and we think the chamber of commerce should call a special meeting to review this whole subject, and set our city right before the United States of America.”

In the meantime, the “little women” are doing a good stroke of agitation work for the Socialist movement. They are advertising the Los Angeles movement as it was never advertised before, and are creating sympathy where it never before existed. A daintily gotten-up “At Home” card sent out by them, reads as follows:

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: Poem by Charlotte Perkins Stetson, “The Lost Game”

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Mother Jones Quote, Suffer Little Children, CIR May 14, 1915
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 8, 1898
“Lo! we have spread for you a merry game…”

From the Appeal to Reason of August 6, 1898:

“The Lost Game” by Charlotte Perkins Stetson

I Lost Game by CP Stetson (Gilman), AtR p4, Aug 6, 1898 II Lost Game by CP Stetson (Gilman), AtR p4, Aug 6, 1898

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Hellraisers Journal: “3 A. M. in Jail” Poem by Comrade Louise Olivereau from State Prison at Canon City, Colorado

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Quote Thoreau, L. Olivereau Trial re Nov 1917
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 7, 1918
Canon City, Colorado – Poem from Imprisoned Anarchist Comrade

We have not forgotten our Comrade, Louise Olivereau, who is now serving a ten-year prison sentence at Colorado’s state prison. Miss Olivereau was convicted last November on charges of violating the Espionage Act due her her anti-war and anti-conscription writings.

From the Mother Earth Bulletin of April 1918:

I Poem-3 AM in Jail by Louise Olivereau, Mother Earth Bulletin p6, Apr 1918II Poem-3 AM in Jail by Louise Olivereau, Mother Earth Bulletin p7, Apr 1918III Poem-3 AM in Jail by Louise Olivereau, Mother Earth Bulletin p7, Apr 1918

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Fellow Worker Francis Miller on Early Death in the Textile Mills of New England

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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 6, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Francis Miller on Textile Mills and Early Death

Report on the Chicago I. W. W. Trial from Harrison George:

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

The first witness to take the stand on Monday, August 5, was Francis P. Miller, defendant and member of the General Executive Board. Miller was born in France in the region known as the Department of the Seine, where the great textile mills were before the war. He came to America in 1892, and has worked continuously in the textile mills of the east, and at the time of his arrest was employed by the American Woolen Company as inspector on government goods.

Testifying upon conditions in the textile mills of New England, Miller said:

The development in the textile industry has been both a development of machinery and the process of ‘speeding up.” In the cotton industry the looms and other machinery have been improved so that the worker produces 300 or 400 per cent more than he did a generation ago. In the woolen mills the machinery has not been improved to any great extent, but the workers usually have to run two machines where they ran one twenty years ago. The pay has increased a little, but not in keeping with the cost of living at all. Factory owners and trade papers say that production has increased one thousandfold, that is, over hand production. It has certainly increased 300 or 400 per cent in the last twenty-five years.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Duluth Labor World: Workingmen Demand Freedom for Tom Mooney

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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 August 5, 1918
Duluth, Minnesota – Workingmen Demand Freedom for Mooney

Labor mass meetings, demanding justice for Tom Mooney, were held across the nation on Sunday July 28th. The labor unions of Duluth, Minnesota, joined the nationwide protests, listened to speeches, and passed resolutions.

From The Labor World of August 3, 1918:

DULUTH WORKINGMEN ASK
“TOM” MOONEY’S FREEDOM
—–
Declare Condemned Man Was Convicted
on Perjured Evidence and Demand
He Be Granted New Trial Without Delay.
—–

Tom and Rena Mooney, crpd, ISR, Dec 1916
Rena and Tom Mooney

Duluth workingmen, at a largely attended meeting held at Owls’ hall last Sunday evening [July 28th], joined in the nation-wide protest against the proposed legal murder of Thomas J. Mooney at San Francisco. A. G. Catlin of Duluth Typographical union served as chairman and speeches were made by W. E. Towne of Duluth and Arthur Le Sueur of St. Paul.

Mr. Towne reviewed the history of the Mooney case, pointing out that all other persons charged with being participants in the alleged conspiracy had been acquitted by juries, including Mrs. Mooney, wife of the condemned man. He revealed the fact that since Mooney was tried it has been conclusively proven and admitted by the attorney general of the state that two of the witnesses against him were self-confessed perjurers and had been so found in other cases where they seemed to have served as professional witnesses.

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Hellraisers Journal: Western Federation of Miners Drops Industrial Workers of the World; Constitution Amended

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Quote Mother Jones, UMWC, Indianapolis, July 19, 1902
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 4, 1908
Denver, Colorado – W. F. of M. Makes Break Official

The reporting by Luella Twining from the recent convention of the Western Federation of Miners, as published by the Appeal to Reason of August 1st, failed to mention that the convention, on July 22nd, officially severed all ties between the Federation and the Industrial Workers of the World. Other newspaper accounts did not ignore the rupture.

From the Illinois Moline Daily Dispatch of July 22, 1908:

WESTERN FEDERATION DROPS INDUSTRIALS
—–
Adopts Amendment to Constitution
Which Strikes Out All Reference to
Industrial Workers of the World.
—–

WFM button

Denver, July 22.-The Western Federation of Miners today officially repudiated the Industrial Workers of the World by adopting an amendment to its constitution striking out the words “mining department of Industrial Workers of the World” where they appear and inserting in lieu thereof Western Federation of Miners.”

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From Appeal to Reason: Luella Twining Reports on Convention of Western Federation

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Quote Mother Jones, Palaces and Jails, AtR, Feb 29, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 3, 1908
Denver, Colorado – Miss Luella Twining Reports on Convention

From the Appeal to Reason of August 1, 1908:

THE WESTERN FEDERATION
—–
The Late Convention Shows the Old-Time
Vigor and Aggressiveness.

Luella Twining ab 1907

Miss Luella Twining, who attended the Sixteenth annual convention of the Western Federation of Miners at Denver, reports to the Appeal that no discouragement is observable because of severe trials through which the organization has passed during the Colorado war. Addresses were made by Moyer, Haywood, Lewis and Mother Jones that breathed the militant and aggressive spirit. The late meeting brought about much better feeling between the Western Federation and the United Mine Workers, and it is evident the two organizations will hereafter co-operate. News of the acquittal of Steve Adams was received with demonstrations of joy. Reports from Douglas Island, Alaska, show a bitter fight in progress there. Stockades are built around the mines, and citizens cannot appear on the public highways without being molested by the militia, sent to break the strike. A system of peonage prevails there.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: Part II-“The Cry of the Poor” by George Howard Gibson of Social Gospel

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Whoso stoppeth his ears
at the cry of the poor,
he also shall cry himself,
but shall not be heard.
-Proverbs 21:13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 2, 1898
From Commonwealth, Georgia – George Howard Gibson Speaks

From the Appeal to Reason of July 30, 1898:

Cry of Poor by GHG Social Gospel Cwealth GA, AtR p4, July 30, 1898

[Part II of article by George Howard Gibson]

In Italy the bread riots in the last few weeks have been almost general and desperate enough to cast down the throne and government. The uprising in many portions of Italy took the form of looting the homes and business places of the wealthy. A millionaire miller in Minervino named Bantella was killed in a brutal manner after he had offered the mob a fortune for his life. His wife also was reported killed. From his window he scattered a thousand francs among the mob, but they could no longer be placated by charity. They destroyed his warehouses and littered the whole country around with his cornered grain.

They also corner wheat and sugar and oil and coal and lumber and houses and land and everything in America. And the masses here love liberty and their inalienable rights.

Force is no remedy. The torch and bomb may destroy the rich, but they can never emancipate the poor. “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”—the rich and poor together. Christ-love, brotherhood, unselfish voluntary association is the only way of salvation for both rich and poor. This is the word of prophecy, of warning, of entreaty which we send out today to all classes. Be brothers, live in peace, love one another; or be economic enemies and expect increasing selfishness and poverty that shall ultimate in awful war. It must be the feast of love (Rev. 19:7-9); or the feast of vultures (Rev. 19:17-18).

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: Part I-“The Cry of the Poor” by George Howard Gibson of Social Gospel

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The needy shall not always be forgotten;
the expectation of the poor
shall not forever perish.
-Psalm 9:18
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 1, 1898
From Commonwealth, Georgia – George Howard Gibson Speaks

From the Appeal to Reason of July 30, 1898:

Cry of Poor by GHG Social Gospel Cwealth GA, AtR p4, July 30, 1898

[Part I of article by George Howard Gibson]

“When a man finds himself going down and down, without power to mend things, freezing, hungering and dying by inches, he’s sure to get desperate, In the last week I’ve been an atheist, anarchist and devil. I’ve sat here and cried out that there was no God except for the rich. I’ve said that if I could get down stairs I’d burn and kill. I’ve looked at my wife and children with murder In my heart.”

Those words were spoken to a reporter for the New York World by a sick man, living with his wife and children in a dingy room on the third floor of a miserable tenement house in New York City. There are millions in like circumstances, landless, homeless, destitute—and they are wealth producers. They are workers, but they must beg for a job and pay tribute for each day’s work when men choose to hire them.

When products cannot be sold at a net profit, the workers can get nothing to do and have no income to live on.

Read another item clipped from a New York paper of about the same date:

At a dinner party given in New York the other day to thirty-three persons, the bill was $6,500, or $200 a plate.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Industrial Union Bulletin: James Wilson on the Power of Music to Rouse the Toilers

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Then raise the scarlet standard high,
Beneath its folds we’ll live and die,
Tho’ cowards flinch and traitors sneer,
We’ll keep the Red Flag flying here!
-Jim Connell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday July 31, 1908
Fellow Worker James Wilson on the Songs of Social Revolution

From The Industrial Union Bulletin of July 25, 1908:

MUSIC
—–
One of the Most Powerful
of the Natural Forces.

[by James Wilson]

IWW Emblem, IUB -p1, July 25, 1908

Among the physical forces, made useful to men, sound has played one of the most important parts. We use the word light, in a literal as well as figurative sense. But sound has more often a real, plain meaning.

Is not the ear the most perfect of the organs of sense? We can remember a tune, long after the words have been forgotten.

The association of sounds, and in a higher degree, music, is one of the most lasting and forcible of impressions.

What old cavalry veteran does not know that even the war horse remembers the different bugle calls, and will neigh and paw the ground with excitement when he hears the stirring blast of the trumpet?

We know that music stirs the emotions in every way. The majestic funeral march of Beethoven appeals to the mind with its solemn and awful grandeur; the latest rag-time dance tune fills us with the feeling of gaiety and enlivens our care-worn existence.

What more powerful to excite ridicule than a comic song? How very useful to bring out the hollowness of the sham religionists, with their sounding drum and doleful chants while they pick our pockets and tell us that “he that giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord!” The debt to be repaid in the next world-probably Mars-for that its the world nearest to the earth!

The sky-pilots have long told us of reviving grace-whatever that may be. They also tell us to “taste of the Lord and see that He is good.”

How comforting to a hungry man!

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