There can be no democracy in this world
so long as industrial workers have to beg to live.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 20, 1917
Mother Jones News for August, Part I: “Fire Eater” Speaks
From the The St. Louis Star of August 23, 1917:
Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 13, 1907
Mother Jones News for August, Part II: Travels to Chicago
On August 21st, Mother left Duluth, Minnesota, after concluding her time in Northern Minnesota where she had been traveling the Mesabi Range in support of the striking iron miners and giving speeches alongside of C. E. Mahoney of the Western Federation of Miners. She next traveled to Chicago where she was found speaking in support of the Telegrapher’s Strike. At one union meeting she advised young woman on the issue of keeping company with scabs:
When you find these fellows sneaking back to work, keep him out if you can; if you can’t, renounce them and see that any fellow who calls on you carries a union card or else order him from your door.
Mother also made a short trip to Cincinnati in order to speak at Socialist Picnic in that city.
From The Cincinnati Post of August 23, 1907:
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 12, 1907
Mother Jones News for August, Part I: Arrives on Mesabi Range
During the month of August 1907, we found Mother Jones in Arizona continuing her work on behalf of the Western Federation of Miners. After a brief visit to Denver to congratulate William D. Haywood on his recent acquittal, Mother turned up briefly in Chicago and from there she traveled to Minnesota’s Mesabi Range to support the W. F. of M. and the ongoing strike of the iron-ore miners of that region.
Today we present Part I of our Mother Jones News round-up for the month of August 1907. We will continue tomorrow with Part II.
From The Clifton Copper Era of August 1, 1907:
Mother Jones in Clifton.
The well known labor champion. Mother Jones, arrived in Clifton last Sunday evening and commenced on Monday with a series of open air meetings, which will be continued throughout the week. She is a white-haired lady of seventy years and has spent the most of her life in the interest of the laboring classes. She is the best feminine speaker that has ever appeared in Clifton and outside of a few strong remarks about companies her talks so far have been very mild, and not what was expected of her.
In some of her talks she drifted back into ancient history among the laboring classes and brought it out to the present time. The main object of her visit here is to give advice to the Mexican laborers, some of whom have taken part in the recent strike at the A. C. smelter. She is a rugged old lady and her voice is exceedingly well suited for the position which she occupies. She has had vast experiences with the laboring classes, having taken active part in almost every strike that has occurred in the United States.
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 29, 1907
Duluth, Minnesota – News Tribune Reports on Mother Jones
On August 27th Hellraisers republished articles from the August 24 edition of the Duluth Labor World concerning the recent visit of Mother Jones. One of the headlines read:
LABOR’S “LITTLE ANGEL” IS WRONGED BY PAPERS
Today we republish articles concerning the visit of Mother Jones from the mine owners’ most virulent mouthpiece, The Duluth News Tribune.
From The Duluth News Tribune of August 19, 1907:
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 27, 1907
From The Labor World: “Labor’s Little Angel” Speaks in Duluth
Mother Jones spoke at the Duluth Armory on Sunday August 18th. With her on the platform where William E. McEwen, editor and publisher of The Labor World, and C. E. Mahoney who served as acting president of the Western Federation of Miners until the recent release of Charles Moyer from jail in Boise.
The striking iron miners of the Mesabi Range were supported by the speakers, and the steel trust and their gunthugs were condemned.
During her speech Mother Jones declared:
When they bring in the guns and the military, they think they have conquered; they rejoice at the thought they have conquered labor. You can conquer the steel trust, you can conquer the paper trust—every other trust in the world, but put it down for the editor in the morning that you can’t conquer the labor trust. If you wipe out the working class, what are the rich people going to do; they can’t even cook a meal of victuals for themselves.
From The Labor World of August 24, 1907:
ARMORY MASS MEETING WAS
MOST SUCCESSFUL
—–
Mother Jones Tells Working People of
Duluth Something About
Labor Conditions.
—–
Large Crowd Turned Out in Spite
of Inclement Weather—
Interest Was Great.
—–The mass meeting at the armory last Sunday evening [August 18th] brought out 300 of the faithful. The weather was most unfavorable. The worst storm of the season was at its height, and even those on the program as speakers didn’t expect to see more than the committee on hand. However, the attendance was good, and spirit was high.
The meeting was called lo order by W. E. McEwen. On the platform with him were Alderman Jos. Shartell, Mother Jones, C. E. Mahoney, acting president of the Western Federation of Miners, and M. Kaplin. The Finnish band opened the meeting with the playing of the Marseilles.
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday August 18, 1917
Mother Jones News for July, Part II: Organizing West Virginia
From the United Mine Workers Journal of July 12, 1917:
The following was published as an advertisement in the The Beckley (West Virginia) Messenger of July 10, 1917, but without the final paragraph.
“Mother” Jones’ Refreshing Experience
“Mother” Jones had a most refreshing experience at a great meeting of the miners at Quinnimont, West Virginia, on the 14th day of June. The Layland mines, where the meeting was held, is owned by the Berwin-White Coal Company, and a large number of men are employed at this place. It is in the very heart of the mountainous New River coal fields. In the years gone by this section has been a veritable Gibraltar of the foes of unionism, and armed guards have patrolled the works of the companies looking for those who were trying to carry the message of unionism to the miners of this section. Happily, this condition has passed away in many parts of this field, and the private gunman is being driven farther and farther back into the remote mountain fastnesses.
The refreshing part of the Layland meeting was the manner and spirit in which Mr. O. A. Kneer, the superintendent of the Berwin-White Coal Company received the visit of “Mother” Jones. Instead of following the tactics of some of the less enlightened companies and forbidding “Mother” holding a meeting at the mines, he told the miners to go to the meeting, and was present himself. After the meeting was over he said it was one of the best addresses he had ever heard. Having an open mind and the spirit of fair play, he was ready to meet the miners half way and deal with them as men with rights.
If all the coal companies were enlightened enough to show the same spirit, the coal fields of the country would not so often be the scene of bitter industrial struggles. Mr. O. A. Kneer, by his fairness and good will, has done much to bring peace between the miners and operators in that section. His attitude is commended to the companies who think to crush the miners by private armies of gunmen. There is nothing that appeals to the average miner so much as fair play.
Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 17, 1917
Mother Jones News for July, Part I: Blamed for Riot
During the evening of Thursday, July 5th, Mother Jones spoke on behalf of striking street carmen in Bloomington, Illinois. She was blamed for the riot which broke out following her speech.
From The Daily (Bloomington) Pantagraph of July 6, 1917:
Bloomington this morning is practically under martial law following one of the wildest nights of rioting in its history. Troop G, First Illinois cavalry from Peoria reached the city at 7:30 a. m. over the Big Four under the command of Captain Thomas J. Simpson. There were 58 men and three officers. They proceeded immediately to the B. & N. power house at the intersection of Roosevelt avenue and the Big Four tracks, where they pitched camp.
Several more companies of troops are on their way to Bloomington from Chicago and will reach here about noon……
The “Mother Jones” Meeting.
“Mother” Jones, it is said, closed her address by telling the men “to do something.” With this incentive hundreds of men and women gathered in front of the Eagles hall apparently waiting for a leader….
You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 16, 1907
Mother Jones News for July, Part II: Found in Arizona
From the Bisbee Daily Review of July 17, 1907:
SHERIFF WHITE ROASTED BY “MOTHER”
—–
Gets a Hot Tongue Lashing In Tucson
Before an Audience of Fifty-
Strike Notices Are Posted There.
—–(Special to Review.)
TUCSON, Ariz., July 16.-“Mother Jones” spoke here last night [July 15] in front of the Cabinet saloon on Congress street. Fifty people by actual count listened to her discourse on the subject of “Relation of Capital to Labor.”
She stated that Sheriff Jack White of Cochise County had made the remark that she should be run out of the country, and proceeded to give the big sheriff at Tombstone a vitriolic tongue lashing the equal of which has never been heard on the streets of Tucson before.
She paid her respects to the Copper Queen and Calumet & Arizona companies, and proceeded to give her own version of the strike situation there.
Strike notices were posted about Tucson today warning working men to stay away from Bisbee. They are the same notices printed shortly after the strike was inaugurated and are signed by Rawlins, Cannon, Mitanovich et al.
———-
[Photograph added.]
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 15, 1907
Mother Jones News for July, Part I: Found in Arizona
During the month of July, Mother Jones was found continuing her work in Arizona on behalf of the Western Federation of Miners. She toured the mining districts and spoke to the miners, their families, and supporters. One such speech was described by The Tucson Citizen of July 16th:
Mother Jones, known as the miners’ Joan of Arc, arrived in Tucson yesterday afternoon and last night addressed an open air meeting at the corner of Church and Congress streets. Tremendous magnetism and a certain amount of crude eloquence are the attributes with which Mother Jones has endeared herself to tens of thousands of working people all over the United States. Last night she gave a characteristic address….
Mother Jones went throughly into the Colorado and Idaho situation and lambasted the crowd that is prosecuting Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone. Getting nearer home she paid her stinging compliments to the Copper Queen Mining Company and gave her own version of the strike situation there. She has been at Bisbee since May 15 of this year lending encouragement to the strikers in the interest of the Western Federation of Miners. Her voice rose almost to a shriek as she told the Federation side of the troubles in the Warren district. Frequently during the address the old woman was cheered and exclamation of “God bless you” and “Good for you, Mother,” were heard from among her auditors. Before she finished the speaker was surrounded by a crowd in thorough sympathy with her, and the wonderful power she exerts over large bodies of men was made manifest in the way she swayed her Tucson audience….
———-
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 19, 1917
Mother Jones News for June: Organizing in West Virginia
Mother Jones was found in West Virginia during the month of June 1917 continuing on the mission to organize the coal miners of that state into the ranks of the United Mine Workers of America.
The United Miner Workers Journal of June 7th had this to say about the organizing campaign in the New River and Winding Gulf field:
Mother Jones, ably assisted by organizers in whom the West Virginia miners have learned to repose the fullest confidence, are active in the field and are making a record of successful organization.
New River and the Winding Gulf field, where but a short time ago a union man could not confess his faith except at the imminent risk of his life, is fairly on the road to solid organization.
A letter from West Virginia printed in the June 28th edition of the Journal describes the miners lining up with the union en masse:
Possibly a few words from this part of West Virginia would not be amiss. Of course, as you know, there has been a local here of several years’ standing, but not until now, of recent date, has there been any united action on the part of the miners themselves, and to cinch it all Mother Jones and Brother L. Dwyer clinch it. All Layland, believe me, turned out en masse, even the county officials, to attend, and general good feeling exists all around. The boys are joining their union and the quickest way seems too slow now since they begin to see the light.
