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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday February 21, 1912
Mother Jones News Round-Up for January 1912, Part I
Found in California Speaking on Behalf of Striking Shopmen
From The Sacramento Bee of January 8, 1912:
SHOPMEN HEAR “MOTHER” JONES
Mother” Jones, the famous labor leader
, spoke in this city for the second time Saturday night, when she addressed meeting in Socialist Hall at 1024½ J Street. Her theme was the principles of labor unionism, and her remarks were made principally in behalf of the striking shopmen. “Mother” Jones declared the strikers were right, and urged them to hold out firm against the efforts of the Harriman lines to prevent them from establishing a shop federation.
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[Photograph added.]
From the Ogden Evening Standard of January 9, 1912:
MOTHER JONES AT M. E. CHURCH
———-Evidently holding with Kipling that “the female of the species is more deadly than the male,” Mother Jones, internationally known because of her fiery oratory in defense of labor, arraigned and chided the women of her audience in the Methodist church last night, claiming that women are always the dangerous element to the cause of labor during strikes. Mother Jones spoke under the auspices of the Harriman federation, although the expenses of her present tour over the Harriman railroad system are being bourne by the Western Federation of Miners.
The aged “guardian of the minors,” now nearing her eightieth birthday, did not lack in oratorical vigor and spoke with all the vehemence that has marked her forty years experience in the labor movement. While Mother Jones spoke with almost brutal force at times, there was withal a kindly thread of sentiment throughout her talk which softened the harshness with which she emphasized her contempt for “scabs,” “corporation lap dogs,” “capital’s spies and detectives,” “capital’s rats,” and kindred vindictive frequently used.
Mother Jones turned many of her remarks to the women of her audience, stating that because the women in many instances do not understand the economic problems of the day they often persuade their husbands or brothers to return to work when their union is on strike. She contended that a large per cent of strike breakers became strike breakers because of the urging of women. “Women,” she asserted, “are the dangerous element in every strike, because they cannot see the need of labor’s organizations and do not know the struggle between capital and labor”
[She told the women:]
If I had a husband and he had never gone on a strike I would lick him and make him go on a strike. I would not live with such a servile slave, as the worker that never strikes. This nation was founded on a strike against George III and the bravest and best men of the nation have been striking against various forms of injustice ever since. And there have always been ‘scabs,’ men who were traitors to their fellows. There were traitors in the army of Washington and there were traitors to the Immortal Lincoln; always there have been traitors but the traitors have never in the end defeated a just cause. Labor never loses. It becomes better educated with each battle and its struggles becomes more intelligent and more heroic, and in the end it cannot lose.
The gray haired speaker recounted many of her experiences in different strikes, in which she has taking place, told of facing militia bullets in Pennsylvania during the coal strike of a year ago and during the greater strike of 1904. She said that the present strike on the Harriman lines was but a symptom of the industrial disease which infected the nation and the entire world and which would never be cured until the workers themselves owned the tools with which they worked. She ridiculed those whom she termed the timid strikers who were always asking how long the strike was going to last and told them that some strikes had been on after the workers had remained away from their jobs for five years. “This strike is going to last,” she said, “until the railroad company recognizes the federation of shop workers.”
Mother Jones will leave this city today for Salt Lake City where, she will deliver an address to the striking shopmen of that city tonight.
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From The Salt Lake Tribune of January 10, 1912:
“MOTHER” JONES TALKS TO WORKERS HERE
———-“Mother” Jones, who sprang into public notice many years ago during the strike riots in Pennsylvania and more recently in Colorado by her active championing of the cause of the working men, and who has earned her sobriquet of “Mother” by her many years spent in the work of improving- the condition of the wage earners, addressed a large audience in Socialist hall, 222 South West Temple street, last night.
“Mother” Jones bitterly denounced the system of managing prisoners in the federal prisons, which, she stated, she had proved by investigation to be needlessly cruel. She also spoke on the subject of child labor and its evils and mentioned many aspects of the attitude of capital toward labor.
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From The Roseville Register of January 12, 1912
Mother” Jones, Rev. Jackson and others addressed a large crowd in the Doris Theater last Friday afternoon on the [shopmen’s] strike situation. Lack of space prevents details. It was a good meeting and “Mother” was a wonder.
From the Stockton Evening Mail of January 15, 1912:
TRACY
—–
Mother Jones Addressed
Union Labor MeetingSpecial Correspondence of the Mall.
TRACY, January 15.-[…..]
“Mother Jones,” the celebrated speaker for the cause of union labor, delivered an address at the Arlington last evening in the interests of the [shopmen’s] federation. A good audience was in attendance and it proved appreciative of her narration of personal experiences and observations. The “Mother in Israel” is over 77 years old and came to California in the late fall in the interests of the McNamara brothers, she believing in their innocence.
From El Paso Herald of January 16, 1912:
UNITED MINE WORKERS IN SESSION
———-UNION TO WORK IN MEXICO FIELD
———-Indianapolis, Ind. Jan. 16.-Thirteen, hundred delegates, representing 300,000 organized coal miners, met in this city today in one of the most important conferences in the history of the coal industry in the United States and Canada. It is the 23d annual convention of the United Mine Workers of America, and will formulate the demands to be made by the miners when their representatives meet the mine owners to negotiate new wage contracts to go in effect April 1 next, in both the bituminous and anthracite fields.
[…..]
Organizing in Mexico.
Describing a trip to Mexico with “Mother” Jones, in October last, and an interview with president Madero, on behalf of the Mexican miners, Mr. Hayes said:
We explained to president Madero the purpose of our movement and that our object was to raise the standard of living among the Mexican miners, who are veritable slaves today, all of which met with his approval and support. He related some of his own experiences in the recent revolution, which deposed the tyrant Diaz, and said he was at all times anxious for his people, especially the Mexican peons, to enjoy a higher standard of life, agreeing with our view that such a state of affairs could only be brought about by agitation, organization and education. If he stands by these beliefs, as expressed to us, seemingly in all sincerity, we will be in a position in the next few years to effectively deal with the Mexican problem
Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES
The Sacramento Bee
(Sacramento, California
-Jan 8, 1912, p2
https://www.newspapers.com/image/616687731
The Evening Standard
(Ogden, Utah)
-Jan 9, 1912, p4
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058397/1912-01-09/ed-1/seq-4/
The Salt Lake Tribune
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
-Jan 10, 1912, p14
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045396/1912-01-10/ed-1/seq-14/
The Roseville Register
(Roseville, California)
-Jan 12, 1912, p4
https://www.newspapers.com/image/477873173/
The Evening Mail
(Stockton, California)
-Jan 15, 1912
https://www.newspapers.com/image/609130162/
El Paso Herald
(El Paso, Texas)
-Jan 16, 1912, p1
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88084272/1912-01-16/ed-1/seq-1/
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88084272/1912-01-16/ed-1/seq-2/
IMAGE
Mother Jones crpd ed, WDC Tx p5, June 18, 1910
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1910-06-18/ed-1/seq-5/
See also:
Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for December 1911
Part I: Found in Berkeley, California, Receiving News of McNamaras’ Confession
Part II: Found in Los Angeles, Predicting Brighter Day with End of Profit System
Tag: Illinois Central and Harriman Lines Strike of 1911 to 1915
https://weneverforget.org/tag/illinois-central-and-harriman-lines-strike-of-1911-to-1915/
Proceedings of Convention of United Mine Workers of America
-at Indianapolis IN, Jan 16-Feb 2, 1912
(search: report vice president hayes)
-see page 74 for beginning of report
-see page 78 for Hayes re trip to Mexico with Mother Jones
(search: amount jones mother)
-see page 122: Mother Jones was paid $1760.17 during previous year,
$979.67 for expenses, $780.50 for salary.
https://books.google.com/books?id=DhQtAQAAMAAJ
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The Spirit of Mother Jones – Andy Irvine