I have just closed a four months’ tour in Texas
and I want to say that I never met
with more loyal comrades
than I did in the State of Texas.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 20, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for July, 1908, Part I
–Closes Out Four Months’ Tour in Texas
From the Appeal to Reason of July 11, 1908:
From Mother Jones
I have just closed a four months’ tour in Texas and I want to say that I never met with more loyal comrades than I did in the State of Texas. Their whole energy seems to be devoted to the Cause-even the young farmer girls refuse to dance with any young man who is not a subscriber the Appeal to Reason. I could not, in justice, single out any particular one to pay tribute to, because all are devoting their best efforts to the Cause that so much needs them. I must, though, make an exception of Galveston. The Comrades there were laboring under some terrible difficulties. They were not permitted to hold street meetings for many months. I called upon the chief of police and found him a gentleman in every sense of the word and he explained to me the reason why, and I felt from his explanation that he was perfectly justified. He allowed me the use of the streets for five nights and they are now open to any speaker who is not trying to advertise himself by breaking into jail. I wish every city in America had just such public officials. We would have less of this thing called anarchy.
It is not surprising, indeed, that the comrades of Texas are so self-sacrificing when without exaggeration I say that their state secretary is one of the most efficient secretaries in the movement today. I wish that every state in the union had him duplicated. His every energy is devoted to the Cause-clean, impartial and just. Every comrade knows that I would be the first to condemn him if he did not merit my honest approbation and regard. I ask no favors from any secretary in the country and so I am perfectly free to express my opinion.
I trust that the comrades will continue to render him all the support and assistance that they can in his work for the Cause. I want to express my thanks for his courteous treatment to me during my stay in Texas. I shall return to my comrades in Texas next winter and assist further in carrying on the work in that state until victory is gained by the working class.-Yours Fraternally, Mother Jones.
[Photograph of Mother Jones added.]
Ben Hanford Remembers Mother Jones in Trinidad
From The New York Socialist of July 4, 1908:
MOTHER JONES – A TRUE STORY
—–By BEN HANFORD.
In May, 1904, I was in Trinidad, Colo., center of the lignite coal region. For a long time the miners had been on strike. Their demands were for the enforcement of the eight-hour clause of the Colorado State Constitution, more air and better ventilation of the mines, abolition of the pluck-me company stores, payment of wages in money instead of checks, and the amelioration of other wrongs which have followed the miners in all the coal camps of the United States.
Inasmuch as the miners demanded that the eight-hour mandates of the constitution be enforced for their benefit, they were at once declared to be in rebellion, the militia were ordered out, and Trinidad was placed under martial law. Of the strikers, some were beaten, killed, jailed, bull-penned or deported. There was no outrage known to savage or civilized man that were not visited on the defenseless miners of Trinidad by the mine owners’ detectives, deputy sheriffs or militia. In these outrages the mine owners were at all times aided, abetted and protected by Governor Peabody-good friend of Theordore Roosevelt and William H. Taft. Do not forget the latter, Mr. Workingman. You have aright and a duty to hold him responsible for his friends.
It was not a sufficient vindication of the majesty of the law and the power of the “good people” of Trinidad to deport men strikers and sympathizers. One day-late one night, rather-old, white-haired Mother Jones was taken from her bedroom in the hotel, placed in front of fixed bayonets, marched to a train, and taken to the Territory of Arizona.
During my stay in Trinidad I met one of its leading citizens, a lawyer discussing the strike, I asked him if he did not think the mine owners might have limited their war to a fight on the men, and inquired if he did not regard it as pretty low down use the militia to attack and deport a white-haired old woman like Mother Jones. At mention of the name of Mother Jones the fellow’s face turned fire red with excitement, and he swelled up like a poisoned pup.
“Mother Jones!” said he, “Mother Jones! We ought to have deported her long before we did.”
“Well, what did Mother Jones do?” I inquired as gently as I could.
“What did she do?” howled the lawyer. “What didn’t she do?”
“Well just mention what she did,” said I.
“What did she do? She-she talked!” he answered, and he was livid with anger.
“Do you mean to say that you would take an old woman in the 60’s and run her out of the state because she talked?”
“By G-d, you ought to have heard what she said!” he replied. “And those d—-d miners believed every word.”
“What did she say” I questioned.
“She said everything. She deserved to be deported.”
“Well, now, what was the very worst thing she said? What did she say that was not true?”
“She-she said that ‘Labor produces all wealth.’ I heard her myself-right out in the street there, in front of this very hotel-and a whole army of these d—-d miners heard her, and believed her”
“Is that the worst she said? Did you deport Mother Jones because she said that Labor produced all wealth?”
“No-not entirely,” said Mr. Lawyer. “She said other things-and worse. She said ‘Labor should have all it produces.'”
“Do you deny that ‘Labor produces all wealth?’ and that ‘Labor should have all it produces?'”
“Deny it? Certainly I deny it. Everybody knows it isn’t so.”
“And so you deported Mother Jones for saying what everybody knows isn’t so?”
“Well, d–m her, she made them think it was so!”
“It seems to me,” said I, “that you might have found ways to lessen Mother Jones’ influence over the miners much more effectually than that of running her out of the state.”
“How?” he asked, anxiously. “How? What else could we do? We had to get rid of her somehow.”
“You are a lawyer?” I questioned.
“Yes.”
“A college graduate?”
“Yes.”
“Accustomed to addressing judges, juries-able to make a public speech before your fellow citizens in a creditable way, doubtless?”
“Well, me friends say so,” he admitted, most genially.
“Then,” said I, “let us look at it this way: We’ll just suppose that old Mother Jones is out on that street corner now, and that she is telling a lot of miners that ‘Labor produces all wealth.’ Now, you know that is not true. You know that labor does not produce all wealth. You are a man of learning. More-you are a man of trained mind. Better still-you are familiar with the forum; it is a habit with you to reach the reason of a judge, to rouse the emotions of a jury. Now, then, if Mother Jones was out in the street to-night, telling people that ‘Labor produces all wealth,’ it would be absolutely foolish for you to deport her. There is a much better way than that-a way in which you can destroy her influence absolutely. Besides, it’s legal-and as a leader of the bar, of course you know that deporting women for talking out loud isn’t legal-that is, not strictly.”
“Well? Well? What is that way?”
“Simplest thing in the world. Can’t see how you overlooked it. Here you are: Mother Jones out there on an old soap box to-night. She’s a stranger in Trinidad-you are well known. She has no education-while you, you belong to a learned profession. She has no standing here-you are a leading, a distinguished citizen. Mother Jones goes on with her speech. She says ‘Labor produces all wealth.’ With your own ears you hear her say so. You know it’s false. But you don’t need to deport her for that. I can tell you a way by which you can beat her game to a frazzle. Just you-”
“What?” What is that way?” said Mr. Lawyer, in breathless interest.
“Easiest thing ever was. To-night Mother Jones says ‘Labor produces all wealth.’ You know better. So tomorrow night, on that same corner, YOU speak to the people. You tell them that the statement by Mother Jones that ‘Labor produces all wealth’ is not so. It is a lie. You not only tell the people it is not so, You prove it. You explain to them just how wealth is produced. You show them just what it is that does produce wealth, and how it is NOT labor. See? There you are. No soldiers, no deputy sheriffs [deputized company gunthugs]. No need to deport Mother Jones. She’d just have to leave town her own self.”
“Oh, what’s the use? If I was to make a speech out on that street corner no one would come to hear me. Besides, it wouldn’t make any difference if they did. Everybody knows me around here. Nobody’d believe anything I said.”
Why should he not appeal to the police, the bad men, the thieves, thugs and militia? How else can his side win? Can they win that way?
That is another story.
———-
From The New York Socialist of July 18, 1908:
CAPITALISM’S CONFESSION.
—–By BEN HANFORD.
The strong man fights fair. He relies on his strength to win.
The man with a righteous cause fights fair. He relies on his Cause to win.
The brave man fights fair. He would rather lose with honor than win with honor lost.
Cowards, weaklings, men with a cause unjust-such men are ever ready to foul if hard pressed in a a fight. The blow below the belt, the dagger in the back, the venomed arrow, the poisoned well, slander, lies-foul fighting. These are the weapons of the man with a craven heart, the man who fears.
[…..]
He cannot meet the arguments of Mother Jones. Bring on the militia. Deport the old woman.. He confesses his weakness.
He cannot answer the Socialist speaker on the street corner. “Police!” “Arrest him. Stop these agitators.” He confesses his cause is unjust
[…..]
Socialists, as the Capitalist Fears, so shall we Hope. He will deal us some terrible blows-foul blows, blows in the dark, blows in the back. We shall have to stand punishment. More than once we shall leave our dead and wounded on the field. We shall lose some battles, but we shall not lose the war. As the Revolutionary patriots lost their Lexington and their Bunker Hill, so may we. But, like them, we will win our Saratoga and our Yorktown-and we will dictate the terms of peace.
The Man Who Fears has been a power for evil, but his sun shall set on the day when he meets the man who Hopes.
———-
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SOURCES
Appeal to Reason
(Girard, Kansas)
-July 11, 1908
https://www.newspapers.com/image/67587365/
The New York Socialist
(New York, New York)
-July 4, 1908, page 7
-July 18, 1908, page 8
(Note: to find this paper search New York with “The Worker”)
https://www.genealogybank.com/
IMAGE
Mother Jones Standing, Bertha Howell Mrs Mailly, ab 1902
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005688160/
See also:
The Texas Left:
The Radical Roots of Lone Star Liberalism
-ed by David O’Donald Cullen & Kyle G. Wilkison
Texas A&M University Press, Feb 5, 2010
(search separately: “mother jones” ; “socialist party”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=AZNEAqTauREC
The Autobiography of Mother Jones
by Mother Jones
Edited by Mary Field Parton
Introduction by Clarence Darrow
Chicago: Charles H. Kerr & Company, 1925
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/jones/autobiography/autobiography.html
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