Hellraisers Journal: From the United Mine Workers Journal: Fred Mooney Reports on Trip to Mexico City with Mother Jones

Quote Mother Jones PAFL Congress, p72, Jan 13, 1921 —————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday April 2, 1921
Secretary-Treasure Fred Mooney Reports on Trip to Mexico City

From the United Mine Workers Journal of April 1, 1921:

Circular Sent Out by Secretary-Treasurer Mooney

Fred Mooney, secretary-treasurer of District 17, has sent a circular letter to all local unions of that district entitled, “An Open Declaration of War,” in which he tells of the great attack that is being made on organized labor by that element of employers opposed to labor unions. He shows that the declaration of these employers in favor of the open shop is a declaration of war against labor. He calls upon organized labor everywhere to stand together in this crisis. He urges more thorough organization of workers into unions, so that they may be in position to meet the attack and defeat the effort that is being made to destroy labor unions.

Another circular which Secretary Mooney has sent out deals with his recent trip to Mexico City as representative of District 17 to the Pan-American Labor Congress. Among the interesting passages in this circular is the following:

Progress was reported from every quarter of Mexico and for many independent countries of South America. Four states of Mexico reported the election of Socialist or Labor Party Governors; in four different states of Mexico it constitutes a violation of law for an employer to hire non-union labor when union men are on strike to better their conditions. The federal constitution of Mexico provides that any employer who discharges an employe for union activities shall pay the employe three months’ wages in advance.

Mexico today has one of the most liberal and friendly governments towards the workers that is in existence on the Western Hemisphere, and the workers are building up a strong labor movement, their chief desire is to be let alone to work out their own destiny. The Mexican Regional Confederation of Labor has a membership of 450,000, among which are 82,000 railroad men, 7,000 munition workers, 18,000 carpenters, 3,000 miners, the remainder is composed of different trades. Luis N. Morones, president of the Confederation of Labor, is also chief of Military Commissariat, and one of the reservations made by him when accepting government appointment was that his service to his government should not interfere with his activities in the Federation of Labor, and that every employe under him must be permitted to join the Federation of Labor if they so desired; this was granted. Every member of the Federation of Labor who is elected or appointed to any government position must pay one-sixth of his salary each month into the treasury of the Federation of Labor. Morones is well educated, a born leader, knows no fear when fighting for his class—he was sentenced to be shot four different times during the revolution.

Antonio Vielreal [Villarreal], minister of agriculture, was saved from extradition by Mother Jones a few years ago, and during the time Mother Jones was in Mexico she had a government automobile and two servants in livery at her disposal.

The day I left Mexico City, Vielreal sent Mother Jones two hundred and fifty dollars in American gold for pin money. There is nothing in Mexico too good for Madre Jones.

The department of agriculture in Mexico is taking the land from those who secured possession by questionable methods, and giving the land to the common people.

Elias P. Calles (Kias), prime minister and treasurer, is another live wire and at a dinner given by him at San Angel Inn on Saturday, January 15th, at which the Pan-American Labor Congress were present, Calles said that it was the object and aim of the Mexican government to destroy all traditions which have for their purpose the enslavement of body or mind.

This dinner was given at San Angel Inn, which was formerly a Catholic monastery and which is now used for public purposes. At the same table chauffeurs, cab drivers and servants were seated and each addressed the other as comrade. Calles when he was governor of Sonora, compelled the mine owners of that state to pay the miners full time when the owners locked them out; he also compelled the mine owners to pay $50,000 damages to the state, this money being used for building schools.

Celesto Gazco [Celestino Gasca], governor of the federal district, is a shoemaker by trade. In six months there have been 187 strikes in the federal district and not one strike lost; every demand made by labor in each case was secured.

Roberto Habarman [Robert Haberman], secretary to Veilreal, has organized a labor college in which men and women will be educated to organize and build up the labor movement.

The Pan-American Labor Congress passed a resolution demanding the evacuation of Santo Domingo by the American forces. The Congress also passed a resolution protesting against the action of the American authorities at Laredo, because they refused to let the Mexican delegation cross the line after being ordered to do so by the Department of State at Washington-and they were not permitted to pass until the arrival of the American delegation.

Samuel Gompers was re-elected president of the Pan-American Labor Congress for the ensuing term. The next convention will be held at Guatemala City, Guatemala.

In Mexico City and elsewhere the government is in full co-operation and accord with the labor movement, offering every encouragement possible to the end that schools are being established to educate organizers and teachers. Eight thousand teachers have volunteered to teach one class each day, and they are taught the things that will make them noble and alive; they are not content to continue the passionless pursuit of passionless intelligence, and it should be one of the objects of the American labor movement to insist that the Mexican government be recognized. Liberty they love; liberty they will have if they don’t get it one way they will another. There is more liberty existent in Mexico today in one hour than there is in any other country in the Western Hemisphere in a full year.

The industrial revolution is in full swing, peaceful yet effective, with practically no opposition except an occasional squeal from some outsider, absentee, exploiter, and the Mexican workers are looking across the Rio Grande towards the American workers, waiting patiently for the time to come when labor can clasp hands across the boundary line and say to the world in language that cannot be misunderstood: “There is a bond of brotherhood between the American wage slave and the Mexican wage slave that shall never be broken.” The Mexican people have demonstrated to the world the oft-repeated phrase, “The armies schooled in victory are fine, but the ones trained in defeat are invincible.”

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[Photographs, emphasis and paragraph break added.]