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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday August 11, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for July 1909, Part IV:
-Mother Speaks on Behalf of Mexican Revolutionaries
From Los Angeles Herald of July 23, 1909:
MOYER-FLYNN FIGHT RAGING
—–WESTERN FEDERATION WAR IS CLOSE TO CLIMAX
—–
Butte Union Insurgent Leaders Insist That
Funds Due Local Body Were Diverted
to the Main Organization
—–(By Associated Press.)
DENVER, July 22.-The expected controversy over the adoption of President Moyer’s report occupied practically the entire time of today’s sessions of the convention of the Western Federation of Miners.
The introduction of the committee resolution recommending favorable action was the signal for the anti-administration forces, led by P. W. Flynn of Butte, to launch their carefully prepared contest….
A lengthy discussion ended in an attempt by the Flynn crowd to have Moyer’s supplementary report as well as his statement tabled, but this was lost, 149 to 198.
Before the vote on the adoption of the Flynn statement could be taken the hour of adjournment was reached.
“Mother” Jones Talks
“Mother” Jones addressed the convention today in behalf of the alleged Mexican revolutionists, for whom extradition is sought by the Diaz government.
Hereafter when a delegate on the floor of the convention of the Western Federation of Miners calls another delegate a liar or uses profane language it will cost him $10. A resolution to this effect was adopted this morning.
The convention again reaffirmed its policy of education and recommended an aggressive campaign along the lines of independent political action and industrial unionism. It also instructed the executive board whenever the revenues would permit to place Socialist workers in the field and distribute Socialist literature.
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[Photograph added.]
From the Socialist Labor Party’s Daily People of July 26, 1909:
W. F. M. CONVENTION
—–[…..]
(Special Correspondence.)
Denver, Colo., July 21.–The Western Federation of Miners convention to-day is headed straight for the United Mine Workers and the A. F. of L., with every chance of the long angled-for reaffiliation being consummated, eventually, if not later…
The question of whether [a unity] conference should be called occupied the entire morning session and was resumed at the afternoon. During the discussion the American Federation of Labor was bitterly attacked and Delegate McCabe wanted the convention to go on record against any affiliation with any union that stood for the check-off system, contracts with employers, or was in any way connected with an organization like the American Federation a capitalistic-controlled institution.
Joseph D. Cannon of Arizona, also denounced the American Federation as the “pirates of organized labor.” Lindsay of Butte took a hand in impassioned oratory charged that the American Federation, through the Brewery Workers, was endeavoring to ruin the Western Federation of Miners, drive them from all control of workers on the surface, and starve their men to death.
[Said Lindsay:]
The A. F. of L. stands for “industrial organization.” So do Rockefeller and Morgan and one is as good as the other.
Almost Fight When Lie Is Passed.
The convention yesterday afternoon [July 20th] almost ended in a riot and the lie was passed a dozen times between delegates on the floor and Joseph Proebstle, representing the United Brewery Workers of America, who was at the convention trying to settle jurisdictional questions over the engineers and firemen in Butte breweries.
Charging in black and white and two languages that P. W. Flynn and the other officers of the Butte Miners’ union [Local 1 of W. F. of M.] were tools of the Amalgamated Copper Company and secured their offices through co-operation with the Amalgamated company and the Citizens’ Alliance, Proebstle precipitated the demonstration.
With forty men leaping from their seats and charging toward C. E. Mahoney, who occupied the chair, P. W. Flynn calling Proebstle a “d—-d liar!” as loudly as his voice would permit, and the big German Brewery Workers’ officer shouting back “liar, liar,” in guttural tones that shook the building, pandemonium reigned in the Odd Fellows’ Hall for fifteen minutes.
Above the pounding of Mahoney’s gavel the roar of fifty men, shouting at once, hurling angry charges across the room, and swearing loudly in spite of the presence of a number of women, including “Mother Jones,” brought on such confusion and disorder that for five minutes there was danger of a rough and tumble fight which might have resulted in serious personal injuries.
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Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES
Quote Mother Jones Save Our Mexican Comrades, AtR p3, Feb 20, 1909
https://www.newspapers.com/image/66981674
Los Angeles Herald
(Los Angeles, California)
-July 23, 1909
https://www.newspapers.com/image/46531180/
Note: I could not fine Mother’s speech re Mexican Revolutionaries w/i the Proceedings of WFM Convention of 1909, however, note that I did not read every word of July 22nd proceedings.
Daily People
(New York, New York)
“Published every morning by the Socialist Labor Party”
-July 26, 1909, page 1
https://www.genealogybank.com/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Elkhart IN Dly Rv p2, July 19, 1909
The Elkhart Daily Review
(Elkhart, Indiana)
-July 19, 1909, page 2
https://www.genealogybank.com/
See also:
Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1909
Part I:
Part II:
Part III
Tag: Mexican Revolutionaries
https://weneverforget.org/tag/mexican-revolutionaries/
WFM Convention, Third Day, July 14, 1909
“Report of Charles H. Moyer, President W. F. M.”
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=qc0JAAAAMAAJ&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA18
WFM Convention, Tenth Day, July 22, 1909
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=qc0JAAAAMAAJ&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA351
Re: Delegate Owen McCabe, No. 1 (Butte Miners Union) on check-off system:
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=qc0JAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA345
The following amendment was moved by Delegate McCabe, No. 1, and seconded by Delegate Lindsay, No. 74: Provided that nothing in this resolution shall commit us to the fining or check-off and contract system of- the U. M. W. of A., or make us become affiliated in any manner with the capitalist con trolled institution known as the A. F. of L.
July 1909 Correspondence (all emphasis added), from:
The Correspondence of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
pages 70-72;
https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ2xAAAAIAA
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435/from_search/12cd783b710390bfc729a898f7f8fc9b-0#page/1/mode/2up
Letter to Mother Jones from J. Mahlon Barnes
Chicago, Ill.,
July 17, 1909Mother Jones,
c/o Miners’ Magazine,
605 Railroad Bldg.,
Denver, Colo.In consideration of your letter of June 24th and the fact that I have word from your attorney that the suggested financial arrangements are satisfactory, I deem it proper to advise you that the National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party will hold a session at National Headquarters [Chicago] on the 23rd inst.,
Respectfully yours,
J. Mahlon Barnes.
Letter from Mother Jones to Thomas J. Morgan
Denver, Colorado,
July 20, 1909.Thos. J. Morgan,
Attorney—at-Law,
Unity Bldg. Chicago, Ill.Dear Comrade Morgan-
I received your letter yesterday and glad you brought the thing to time. Strange that the fellow [J.Mahlon Barnes] didn’t have honor enough as a representative of a great cause to respond to my request like a man instead of acting like a contemptible sneak. He forced me to take the action I did, and I am glad that you advised me as you did. I more than appreciate your action.Enclosed in this letter you will find a note from him also to me. I discussed the matter of the Daily Socialist with a few loyal comrades in Kansas City. They were at a quandary as to what to do. I told them to write to you for information. I think the trouble with our movement today is that the rank and file do not understand things as they are, but I am doing my part to wake them up whether it offends the national committee or the national secretary. I intend that the Comrades shall be made familiar with things as they are, and I am perfectly willing to face the music. Mills* forced himself on the Comrades in Kansas City. They took him down to a little town—He charged $15.00 for his lecture and $1.00 for his expenses, and the poor fellows had to dig down in their pockets and put up the cash. If this thing isn’t stopped, there is going to be a terrific upheaval in the movement.
Now, I want to call your attention to the enclosed note and to the tone of it. I ask you—would an honorable man write such a note after holding that money for four years without ever opening his mouth about it? Is a man of that small caliber fit to hold the position he does in the Party? He has never before advised me when the National Executive Committee was going to meet, nor do I even get a ballot to vote on, but if he wanted me to do any dirty work for him I would soon get all the ballots I could use and all the notifications I could.
Retain the check until I see you. If you wish to communicate with me you can write to Snider Hotel, Troost Ave and Twelfth St. Kansas City Mo.
Accept my appreciation for the work you have done. I know that you were the last person he wanted to get ahold of those documents.
I am Loyally yours for the Cause,
Mother Jones.
*Walter Thomas Mills, economist and educator at Berkeley, California, and SPA writer and lecturer.
Re Mother Jones feud with J. Mahlon Barnes, see:
Mother Jones Speaks
-ed by Philip Foner
Monad Press, Jun 1, 1983
https://books.google.com/books/about/Mother_Jones_speaks.html?id=OE9hAAAAIAAJ
For the dispute between Mother Jones and J. Mahlon Barnes, National Secretary of the Socialist Party of America, see pages 568-578. This was a dispute over $250 which Barnes had borrowed from Mother in 1905, and which, she claimed, he had not repaid. She hired Socialist Attorney Morgan in an attempt to have the loan repaid. Barnes claimed he had already repaid the debt, but could not produce a receipt. Attorney Morgan further accused Barnes of “practicing free love” with office employees of the SPA. This fight dragged on over the next few years, as we shall see in future issues of Hellraisers.
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The Most Dangerous Woman – Utah Phillips & Ani DiFranco