Women, it’s up to you to change the evils.
Men will not change them, and the ballot will not do it.
I don’t care what party is in power
if you give me a well organized economic army.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 23, 1916
El Paso, Texas-Mother Jones “Eats Fire” as Crowd Cheers
From El Paso Herald of August 21, 1916:
‘MOTHER’ JONES EATS MORE FIRE CALLS
SPADE A SPADE AND SWEARS
—–
Aged Labor Agitator Says She Asked Colorado Governor
“What the Hell He Was Going To Do About It”
When She Returned; Crowd Cheers Her On To
Make Hot Statements in Cleveland Square.
—–
“Roasted babies” and Children’s blood” were articles on the oratorical menu that was served by “Mother” Jones to an audience of 1500 in Cleveland Square Saturday night. The fiery speaker called a spade a spade and the crowd was with “Mother” from start to finish. Cries of “Give it to ’em, ‘Mother,'” “Tell it to ’em were heard after many of the speakers most telling points; but Mother needed no invitation.
Roasts George Baer.
“When George Baer told me that God Almighty had appointed him to take care of us working people, I answered him that God Almighty must have had a jag on when he did the appointing,” shouted the aged speaker, while her listeners broke out into a pandemonium of applause and laughter…
“Mother” Jones opened up hostilities by referring to the suggestion which she said had been made by one of the papers that she be removed from the city limits.
Grows Profane.
[She said:]
That was done once-and I went right back. The governor of Colorado ordered me out the state. Well, I came back, and I wrote the governor a note, asking him what the hell he was going to do about it.
Under the present system, we are just as brutal as we ever were. I have seen 281 men murdered-roasted to death-in the mine at Dawson, N. M., while digging out wealth for tyrants. Their colleagues were not even allowed to offer bread to the widows of the victims, but were driven out by the “gun men.”
Every page of history is written in the blood of the worker. At Latimer, Pa., 26 men were shot in the back. Seven were killed and 23 injured in West Virginia…
Women Will Talk.
The chief of police at Fairmont, W. Va., once told me that although he had been asked to stop me from speaking, he would not try to do so, and would give me his protection.
“I am glad I have met on public official,” I told him, “who had sense enough not to try to stop a woman when she has made up her mind that she is going to speak.”
No policeman ever arrested me, and I have never been molested at any of my meetings. I have the goods, and I want to put backbone into the working people.
“Mother” Jones ended her speech with a message of hope to her fellows.
No Strike Is Ever Lost.
There never was a strike lost. We go out, let ourselves be known, retreat, and then go at it again some other time.
Women, it’s up to you to change the evils. Men will not change them, and the ballot will not do it. I don’t care what party is in power if you give me a well organized economic army.
Our lobbyists are active, and they are equal to the other fellow’s. Men in general-not only of the working class-are beginning to think of the problems that confront us as they have never thought of them before. The day of murder and starvation is over.
The speaker was introduced by F. C. Standish, a member of the Carpenters’ union, and vice president of the Central Labor union.
Immediately after the meeting, “Mother” Jones left for Phoenix, Ariz.
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SOURCE
El Paso Herald
(El Paso, Texas)
-Aug 21, 1916
https://www.newspapers.com/image/80115579
IMAGE
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:
For more on Mother in El Paso during August of 1916-
Mother Jones speaks: collected writings and speeches
-ed by Philip Sheldon Foner
Monad Press, 1983
https://books.google.com/books?id=T_m5AAAAIAAJ
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I Am A Union Woman – Deborah Holland
Lyrics by Aunt Molly Jackson