I would rather go before God Almighty
with a paid-up union card than
with first class credentials
from any church in the United States.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday March 28, 1917
Washington, District of Columbia – Mother Jones Speaks
On the Monday Evening, March 26th, Mother Jones spoke at a rally for the striking street carmen and their wives, urging them to “stick together” and to “get some red blood and fight!”
The speech was covered by most of Washington D. C. press.
From The Washington Herald of March 27, 1917:
MOTHER JONES URGES STRIKERS TO STICK
—–
Predicted Disorder Fails to
Materialize at Meeting.Mother Jones, with silver hair and bent form, but with voice and gesture as vigorous as any orator in the prime of life, swayed an audience of 1,500 that packed National Rifles Armory to the door last night to hear her version of the street carmen’s strike.
While trouble was expected to follow her address, the meeting was conducted without disorder, and a big detail of police under the direction of Lieut. Hartley saw the meeting disperse without trouble on the streets.
The speech of Mother Jones was tinged with anarchism, but in its entirety, the theme of her address was to have the men “stick together” and the wives of the strikers were urged to back them to the limit.
Present Strike Picnic
She rehearsed the industrial battles of the miners, which have brought about her title “Angel of the Miners” and declared that the present strike was a picnic compared to the majority which she had witnessed.
Some of the telling passages in her speech were:
This is the age of arbitration and not the age of Kings.
I would rather go before God Almighty with a paid-up union card than with first class credentials from any church in the United States.
Rome perished when the women became indifferent. So did Greece. So will every other nation. In this industrial war we must have the support of women.
Any old traitor or hypocrite can holler hurrah for the flag. The man who is a true patriot is the one who will work for free manhood for those beneath it.
The walls of the nation will never perish upon an altar of gold.
[…..]
———-
From The Washington Post of March 27, 1917:
STIRS UNION CARMEN
—–“Get Red Blood and Fight,”
Mother Jones Urges Strikers.
—–
WOMEN TOLD TO HELP MORE
—–President Asked in Resolutions Adopted
at Big Mass Meeting to Take Over District Lines-
President King’s Letter to Clergy
Denounced by Dr. Ryan.
—–
Women of Washington were urged to more active aid in winning the strike for the carmen of the Washington Railway and Electric Company by “Mother” Jones, addressing a mass meeting last night in National Rifles’ Armory.
The hall was crowded, admittance being by relays at times…
Rev. James D. Ryan, of the Catholic University…replied to the letter sent by President King to the clergy, and characterized it as “an insult to their intelligence.”
Mother Jones’ talk was full of vigor, in which she condemned the company for its stand, and urged the union to fight to a finish.
[She declared:]
The commissioners of the District ought not to bother Mr. King about what he wants to do, but they should take over the railroads and run them for the people. If Mr. King thinks he isn’t going to arbitrate, he’s going to get a day off and have a skull-scraper go over his head.
She said the men would be “measly, miserable cowards to make any settlement with the robbers,” and urged that they “get some fighting blood in them.”
Strike Conditions Unchanged.
The general strike situation remained unchanged. Rumors of a settlement were denied. An intimation that the company would secure an injunction against the strikers to prevent damage did not develop.
The commissioners, however, yesterday sent a letter to Mr. King, warning against certain irregularities alleged to be going on in maintaining the service with strikebreakers, and stating that violations of the regulations would be met with prosecutions if necessary.
———-
From The Washington Times of March 27, 1917:
STRIKERS STIRRED BY “MOTHER JONES”
—–
Men Urged to “Stick Together” and Wives
to Give More Active Assistance.
—–
Strikers on the Washington Railway and Electric Company’s lines and their sympathizers, numbering about 1,500 persons, were stirred to enthusiastic cheers and applause by “Mother Jones” at a mass meeting in National Rifles Armory last night…
“Mother Jones'” vigorous address, in which she urged the strikers to “stick together” and the wives of the strikers to become more active in their participation in the strike, was followed by speeches by several labor leaders and the Rev. James D. Ryan, of the Catholic University…
“Mother Jones” declared the Government should take over the street car lines in Washington and show private capital how to run them.
In opening the meeting Edward McMorrow, of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes, referred to the report that the Washington Railway and Electric Company might seek injunctions to restrain the strikers against violence. He said there would be no violence and that court action would be welcomed by the strikers…
A resolution calling for the Federal control of street car systems in the district and requesting President Wilson and Congress to investigate the present strike was adopted.
———-
SOURCES
The Washington Herald
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Mar 27, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/76003629/
The Washington Post
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Mar 27, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/28863340/
The Washington Times
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Mar 27, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/79898973/
IMAGES
Mother Jones, Garment Strike, Chg Dly Tb, Feb 26, 1917, crpd
https://www.newspapers.com/image/28698633/
AA of Street (Carmen), Motorman & Conductor, Mar 1917
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=Y6IuAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PR65
Mother Jones, UMWJ, Feb 10, 1916
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.RA11-PA1
See also:
The Washington Times
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Mar 24, 1917 (p7/c4)
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1917-03-24/ed-1/seq-7/
KING SENDS STRIKE LETTER TO CLERGY
—–
President of W. R. & E. Tells of
Company’s Side in Series
of Labor Troubles.
—–Four hundred and two Washington clergymen today received a letter from Clarence P. King, president of the Washington Railway and Electric Company, setting forth the company’s side of the present strike.
The ministers were addressed by President King to counteract an appeal made to them by Columbia Lodge, No. 174, International Association of Machinists, to exert their efforts in behalf of the strikers.
At the office of the company it was stated the ministers had been asked to request their congregations to sympathize with the strikers and boycott the lines of the Washington Railway and Electric Company.
[A large part of text of King’s letter then follows.]
The Motorman and Conductor, Volume 25
“Official Journal of the Amalgamated Association
of Street and Electric Railway Employes of America”
-Dec 1916-Nov 1917
https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6IuAQAAIAAJ
M & C of April 1917
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=Y6IuAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PR105
“Strikes and Lockouts” -page 36
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=Y6IuAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PR140
Street Railway Conditions in The District of Columbia: Hearings Before the Special Committee to Investigate Street Railway Conditions in the District of Columbia, United States Senate, Sixty-fifth Congress, First Session, Pursuant to S. Res. No. 23, a Resolution to Appoint a Committee to Investigate the Cause which Occasioned the Existing Strike by the Employees of the Washington Railway and Electric Company and Report the Result of Such Investigation to the Senate, Parts 1-11
-(Beginning April 18, 1917)
-U.S. Government Printing Office, 1917
https://books.google.com/books?id=G1xOAQAAMAAJ