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Hellraisers Journal – Monday February 17, 1902
Mother Jones News Round-Up for January 1902, Part II
Found Speaking at Indianapolis United Mine Workers Convention
From The Indianapolis News of January 21, 1902:
MOTHER JONES TALKED.
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A Speech to the Convention While
Waiting for Miss Meredith.
While the convention awaited the coming of Miss Meredith to make charges against the national officers, this forenoon, the committee called for “Mother Jones” and she responded in a stirring speech.
She said it was a critical time for the miners’ organization, and she urged cautious and intelligent action on the part of the organisation in order to accomplish its purposes. She related, in an interesting way, her experiences in strikes and in the mining districts in the East.
One characteristic incident was of a time when a strike was on and the mining company’s policeman called on her to keep her from taking the miners’ part.
“Who are you?” she asked the policeman.
“The company’s watchman,” the officer replied.
“Well,” replied “Mother” Jones, “the company doesn’t own me. I’m responsible to God Almighty and He and I stand in on this question.”
This met with vigorous applause from the miners.
She urged greater respect for the Mine Workers’ organization, and censured the man who refused to pay dues to the national organization.
[She exclaimed:]
You poor, benighted, brainless creature that you are. You poor, ignorant, slaving serf. If the company offered you a barrel of beer, you would take it and fill your stomach; but won’t pay 25 cents to help the national organization.
She said the miners must be intelligent enough to emancipate themselves.
You have emancipated the mules that work with you and demanded that they shall be turned out to grass, but you nave not emancipated yourselves. The mule enjoys the air and grass, while you still toil down in the bad air of the mine working more than eight hours a day.
In a pathetic way she told of miners’ children, and in conclusion she said:
I plead with you men to go home and do your duty as men. Young men miners who work in the mines all day long and come out at night and never read a book. You don’t seem to study your coal trade only over men whom you have to deal with. Study your work and be prepared to take your post. You must be ready to go to jail, and must be willing to face bullets or even be hanged for your principles.
[Note: Miss Meredith charged that President John Mitchell and Secretary-Treasure William B. Wilson had minimized embezzlement committed by ex-Secretary W. C. Pearce, which charges were unanimously rejected by the Convention]
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From The Indianapolis News of January 22, 1902:
MOTHER JONES INDIGNANT.
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Miss Meredith, She Says, Should Not
Have Been Allowed to Appear.
In reference to the charges preferred against the national officers of the mine workers’ organization, “Mother Jones” said to a News reporter:
There never was an eruption in a human family, back to the time of Adam, but that a woman was at the bottom of it all. It is indeed most deplorable that this girl (Miss Meredith) should be allowed to come before this body of men with such charges against its national officers. She is not a member of the organization; instead she was only a paid assistant appointed at the discretion of the officers, and when they saw fit to dispense with her services, that should have ended it.
Instead she has placed a stain upon her name in labor circles, and by her action has thrown this organization of 300,000 men into confusion, when she had not the least right or cause to come before them at this convention.
I Indeed regret that this body of men had not dignity enough, when they learned the nature of her charges, to forbid Miss Meredith appearing before this convention.
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From The Indianapolis Journal of January 23, 1902:
Mass Meeting at Brazil.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
BRAZIL, Ind., Jan. 22.-The mass meeting held here to-night, at Roberts’s Hall, was a mammoth turnout of organized workmen who intently listened to the views of many speakers on the street-car strike. Eugene Debs could not be present on account of the death of a relative, but Ben Tillet, of England, fraternal delegate of the British trades unions to the American Federation of Labor, was present and addressed the crowd. He said that America may lead England in many things, but in perfect organization and harmony of labor organizations England was fifty years ahead.
He was followed by Mother Jones of Chicago, who made an appeal in behalf or labor, and urged all good citizens to aid the street-car strikers. J. C. Mitchell, of Ft. Wayne, State president of the I. B. of L., and C. O. Pratt, of Cleveland, national vice president of the Street Railroad Men’s Association, made speeches urging the strikers to stand firm and they would be certain of success.
The speakers were met at the Vandalia depot at 5:30 by a labor committee and escorted to the hotel by a band, where many local labor leaders called on them before time for the speaking. Larger delegations of organized labor attended the meeting from other towns. There is no change in the strike situation.
[Paragraph break added.]
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From The Indianapolis Journal of January 25, 1902:
Miner Guest of Machinist.
The Machinists’ Union last night gave a smoker in its hall, at Alabama and Washington streets, and had a number of the delegates to the miners’ convention as guests. President W. D. Van Horn, of the Indiana district; D. T. Sullivan, of Ohio, and “Mother” Jones spoke.
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From The Indianapolis Journal of January 27, 1902:
Mother Jones’s Address.
“Mother” Jones last night addressed the congregation of Grace M. E. Church. She talked interestingly of the labor movement, and told of the conditions she had encountered among the miners. After the address the persons in the congregation all shook hands with her.
From The Washington Times of January 28, 1902:
WAR TO BE WAGED.
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United Mine Workers Decide to
Push Fight Against Operators.INDIANAPOLIS. Jan. 27.-The convention of the United Mine Workers today determined to push the fight to an end against the operators in Hopkins County, Kentucky, and the Thatcher and Matewan, West Virginia districts, and a resolution was adopted to levy an assessment on all the members of the order for that purpose. The sentiment of the convention seemed to be that $100,000 ought to be raised for the purpose.
“Mother Jones” created a sensation in the convention this afternoon by demanding that the United States authorities be asked to investigate the custom of postmasters in West Virginia tampering with the miners mall. She said that such letters are opened before the delivery in postoffices located in company store.
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From The Indianapolis Journal of January 31, 1902:
THE GREAT BANQUET.
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Over Fifteen Hundred Men Entertained
by Central Labor Union.The coal operators and miners of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania sat down side by side last night at the largest banquet ever given in Indianapolis. The banquet was given by Central Labor Union to the delegates to the joint conference and miners’ convention. The entire floor space of Tomlinson Hall was taken up with twenty-four tables measuring a total length of 1,440 feet, and covers were laid for 1,550 guests. The entire Central Labor Union, composed of more than 200 members, representing the seventy-eight local unions affiliated with the central body, served as a reception committee. The banquet was served by Charles Thorne, a caterer of this city.
It was 10 o’clock before the guests were called from the galleries, where they had assembled, to be seated at the banquet table. Just before the service President Feltman, of Central Labor Union, presented a large bouquet of American Beauty roses to “Mother” Jones, of the miners, on behalf of the Garment Makers’ Union, for advice and assistance rendered that organization in settling a strike at the Louis J. Meier & Co.’s overall factory. President Feltman then said, “Everybody eat,” and they did. An orchestra furnished music during the evening, and during the last course of the banquet added enthusiasm to the feast by striking up “Hot Time.” Mayor Bookwalter sat with President John Mitchell and Secretary Wilson, of the United Mine Worker, at the table…..
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THE STRIKE SETTLED.
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Garment Makers Employed by
Meier & Co. Will Go to Work.The strike of the garment makers at Louis J. Meier & Co.’s overall factory was settled yesterday in a between the management of the factory and a joint committee representing the Garment Makers’ Union and the Central Labor Union. The company agreed to pay the union scale and reinstate all the strikers. There were about 150 girls on strike. “Mother” Jones, an organizer for the United Mine Workers, assisted in bringing about a settlement.
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SOURCES & IMAGES
The Indianapolis News
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
-Jan 21, 1902, p11
https://www.newspapers.com/image/37784565/
-Jan 22, 1902, p9
https://www.newspapers.com/image/37784575/
The Indianapolis Journal
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
-Jan 23, 1902, p7
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1902-01-23/ed-1/seq-7/
-Jan 25, 1902, p3
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1902-01-25/ed-1/seq-3/
-Jan 27, 1902, p8
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1902-01-27/ed-1/seq-8/
-Jan 31, 1902, p1+3
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1902-01-31/ed-1/seq-1/
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1902-01-31/ed-1/seq-3/
The Washington Times
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Jan 28, 1902, p1
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87062245/1902-01-28/ed-1/seq-1/
See also
Minutes of Convention United Mine Workers of America
at Indianapolis, Jan 20-29, 1902
(search: ellmore)
(search: “mother jones”)
(search: miss meredith)
(search: tampered)
(search: “president mitchell’s report”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=O2HyAAAAMAAJ
-re Mother Jones at UMWA Convention of 1902, see:
Page 7: Mother was a delegate with 3 votes from UMW District 2, PA-Local 1269, Ellmore.
Page 78: Jan 21, 2nd Day, Morning Session-Mother Jones speaks (speech not recorded). Statement of Miss Meredith accusing Pres Mitchell and Sec Wilson of misdeeds (charges were denied by both and later unanimously dismissed by the Convention).
Page 118: Jan 27, 7th Day, Morning Session-Mother Jones re Detectives, employed by Coal Operators of West Virginia, who tampered with U. S. Mail.
-re report of President Mitchell
Page 36: Jan 20, 1st Day, Morning Session-Report Begins
Page 38: Mitchell on Strikes of past year, including at Thatcher and Matewan WV.
Page 40: Report on West Virginia situation.
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Miners Life – Kilshannig