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Hellraisers Journal – Monday November 20, 1911
Mother Jones News Round-Up for October 1911, Part II
Mother Writes From Mexico City; Is Denounced by Regeneración
From the Appeal to Reason of October 21, 1911:
Mother Jones In Mexico
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Mexico City, Oct. 4.-Just a line to let you know I have just returned from the palace where I have had a long audience with President De La Barra. At the close of my interview the Mexican guaranteed me protection and my right to organize the miners of Mexico. This is the first time that any one has ever been granted that privilege in the history of the Mexican nation. It is the greatest concession ever granted to any one representing the laboring class of any nation.
I also spent an hour with President-elect Madero and he granted me the protection and aid from the government that I called for. I am the first person who has been permitted to carry the banner of industrial freedom to the long suffering peons of this nation.
MOTHER JONES.
[Photograph added.]
From Regeneración of October 21, 1911:
Not for Sale
The editor of this English section takes it on himself to inform readers of “Regeneracion” that the Magons have been approached once more with promises of safety and prosperity in Mexico, by the grace of their brother Jesus, who is candidate for vice-president; and that again they have refused, although poverty is ever with them and a long jail sentence stares them in the face. They have answered that their present agitation on behalf of the Mexican masses, conducted from this side of the border will be far more fruitful to the cause which has their absolute devotion than could be their propaganda in Mexico under the protection of politicians.
That is the true spirit; the spirit that finally accomplishes things, and the only one that can. We add that “Mother Jones,”-who is one of the “labor leaders” alluded to in another column-is in poor business attempting to seduce men from loyalty to a cause which, itself the noblest conceivable, is calling loudly throughout the world for men women who will stand fast and true. On a second visit she stated that our action, if continued here and at the present lines, would have no support from American organized labor. It was a threat and a most contemptible threat at that. Men worth talking to are not carried in the pocket of “Mother Jones” or any other self-appointed leader.
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From Regeneración of October 28, 1911:
Support of Madero Fundamentally Decisive
—————Plutocracy, Playing for Time, is Using
Socialism as Its CatspawFor several weeks there has been lying on my desk a letter from Manuel Sarabia, published in the “New York Call.” I had made up my mind not to comment on it because our space is limited, because the public is not interested in minor figures, and because Sarabia and those he is championing long ago, in my opinion, put themselves out court…..
Manuel Sarabia, Villareal, De Lara and others unnecessary to mention took their sides long ago, and are merely using the Socialist press to cover up their desertion to Madero under a cloud of pseudo-economic verbiage, prattling about the wisdom of slow educational methods, and so forth. If our war against Madero is justified; if, as we assert, he has euchered the Mexican people, giving them a mere change of masters instead of land and liberty; if our fight to stop this cheating of the masses is just, Sarabia and the others stand self-condemned. With Madero they must stand or fall, for they are Madero men and nothing else…..
Bristling with patriotic utterances [the speeches of Villarreal] endeavor to sustain a semblance of radicalism by urging the Mexican workers to organize in trades unions, etc. That is the game and we should understand it.
“Mother Jones” visited the Junta twice last week, on just the same mission. I was not present at either interview, but I am assured that, coming straight from an interview with Madero, she promised safety and many other good things if the Magons would go to Mexico, join hands in the work of organizing the Mexicans into unions connected with the American Federation of Labor, etc., etc. That is the game…..
It would take the Mexicans fifty years to form such an organization as the A. F. of L. possesses in this country and Madero’s plutocratic backers ask for nothing better than such a frittering away of time. When finally formed it would be the backbone of conservatism, as it is in this country…Again, Madero’s backers ask for nothing better……
Not a reader of this article but knows I speak truly when saying that men of the Berger-Gompers type would be the first, the very first, to put down any genuine attempt at popular revolt. They and thier lieutenants would be out on the street corners in an instant; counseling prudence, pleading for delay, using all the plausible eloquence which years of stump-speaking in pursuit of votes has taught them. They would be then openly what they are today secretly-plutocracy’s invaluable allies.
Mexico itself furnishes the incontrovertible proof of the justice of my charge. There, for the moment, plutocracy has been reeling in the saddle, and who have been so eager to come to its support as the leaders of the Socialist Party; who so indifferent to the struggle of the Mexican proletariat as the officials of the American Federation of Labor? This gives the Mexican Liberal Party no concern, for it is now fully persuaded that the Mexican proletarian must fight his own battles for himself. But to those of us who are interested in the international revolt the lesson has been heart-sickening.
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SOURCES
Quote John O’Neill re Mother Jones Resting Place
–Miners Mag p6, Sept 23, 1909
John O’Neill was editor of Miners Magazine,
Official Organ of the Western Federation of Miners
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=hT8tAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.RA1-PA59
Appeal to Reason
(Girard, Kansas)
Oct 21, 1911
https://www.newspapers.com/image/66983937/
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/appeal-to-reason/111021-appealtoreason-w829.pdf
Regeneración
(Los Angeles, California)
Page 4=English Section, Editor William C. Owen
-Oct 21, 1911, page 4
http://archivomagon.net/wp-content/uploads/e4n60.pdf
-Oct 28, 1911, page 4
http://archivomagon.net/wp-content/uploads/e4n61.pdf
https://www.genealogybank.com/
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:
For more on Mother’s visit to Mexico during Sept and Oct 1911, see:
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 22, 1911
From the Appeal to Reason of Oct 21, 1911:
Mother Jones in Mexico, Meets with Madero, Gains Right to Organize Miners
Tag: Mexican Revolutionaries
https://weneverforget.org/tag/mexican-revolutionaries/
Tag: Magonista Rebellion of 1911
https://weneverforget.org/tag/magonista-rebellion-of-1911/
Regeneración
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneraci%C3%B3n
The Correspondence of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
U of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ2xAAAAIAAJ
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435
-pages 97-100 (149 of 416):
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435/viewer#page/148/mode/2up
Oct 25, 1911-Letter from Mother Jones at Denver CO to Manuel Calero, Minister of Justice of Republic of Mexico:
Denver, Colo.,
Oct. 25, ’11.To The Honorable Mr. Calero,
Secretary of Justice in the Republic of Mexico.
My dear Mr. Calero:According to our agreement before I left Mexico in keeping with my promise I went immediately to Los Angeles and called on Flores Magon. Mr. Cannon whom you met in Mexico accompanied me. The editor of “Regeneracion” their organ, was present with one or two others. I approached the subject to them, by asking them if it would not be more logical for them to go into Mexico and carry on their agitation there, as the Government permitted free press, free ballots, and a free discussion of the issues of the day. They would not accept any proposition that Mr. Cannon or myself made to them. They charged everyone with being a traitor, but themselves. I stated to themthat I had been down in Mexico, had met some of the public officials and I considered them very able statesmen. They replied to me that I was very much deceived in them. I said “You mistake the person you deal with. I have dealt with men in every avenue of life nearly; I can form an average estimate of a man’s principles and honor when he makes a statement”. We discussed the matter pro and con for an hour, but they believed only in direct action, the taking over of the lands. That seemed to be the question on which they based their contention. I made the statement to them that they could not take the land over by force and hold it, unless the law of a nation so permitted them. I, thought it was much more advisable for them to go into Mexico, go into the Legislature, and make the laws to reclaim the lands legally and legitimately. I stated to them that I did not believe in force, as it was the last resort of intelligent people. But they stated they were already taking the land over and that it was only a question of time until Madero would be overthrown. I told them that I found Madero a very broadminded man, and that he would carry out the laws of justice as far as he was able to. He said that already there was several states in revolt, but I said “You know in every nation that has had a Revolution it takes some time to settle down to a normal condition”. It certainly will be so with Mexico, and if they would only act on reasonable lines I thought they would do a great deal of good for their people. After an hours discussion pro and con with Mr. Cannon myself and those men, I concluded it was useless to reason with them any further. We bid them good-bye and went away.
I then thought I would make another move. I took their Attorney Mr. [Job] Harriman who is now candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, Before I went he told me he was afraid we would be unsuccessful but he said nevertheless, I would accompany you and explain things as clearly as I can. On Thursday, the 19th of October, I made my final visit there. Mr. Harriman put it up to them in this way: “Now suppose the Mexican Government permits the Mexican working man to organize, and guarantees safety to the organizers. Wouldn’t it be better for you boys to go down into Mexico with a guarantee from the Government that you could carry on a legitimate educational agitation, than to remain here.” Neither Mr. Harriman or myself could get them to accept any proposition that was made to them. In closing I said to them “Now, I want to say to you you have one of two alternatives, and I want to be honest with you. You cannot go into Mexico by force and take the lands, for the United States is a friendly nation to Mexico. They will not uphold any violation of International laws. There is one of two things before you. You will either go into Mexico, accept the proposition to the Government that is given to you here today, or you will be arrested by the American Government and handed over to the Mexican Government. I am not prepared to say what will follow after that.” And I said to them “If you are again [ar]rested the labor movement will take no hand in your defense. It has done everything honorable for you. It has delved down into its Treasury and defended you when you needed a friend.” So I bid them farewell.
Mr. Harriman said to me after we left “I don’t think I will continue as their lawyer, or have anything more to do with them.”
Attorney Cleary of Bisbee Ariz., who defended them in Tombstone when they were brought from Los Angeles called on me while I was in Los Angeles, and I discussed the matter with him and told him my mission in Los Angeles. I stated to him that I had been to see those fellows but was unsuccessful in convincing them in their mistaken methods. I asked Mr. Cleary if he would go with me and see if he could influence them and show them the error of their ways. He said to me “I would not go near them”, but after talking with him for a while he said “Well I’ll consent to go with you, but” he said “I would not have anything legally to do with them again. They have no appreciation for those who sacrificed for them at the time they most needed friends.
I missed seeing him at the hour appointed, so I did not have the pleasure of his company.
I went around among the labor unions, their committees and officials. They do not entertain a very kindly feeling towards them. I exacted a promise from them that they would not in the future by any means permit the qualified labor unions of Los Angeles to render any aid to those men, for the reason, when men are granted the rights to agitate within the border and under their own government, I don’t consider that they have any right to come and do that agitation at long range, across the border under another Government. The officers of the labor unions agreed with me that I was perfectly correct. I learned that they receive considerable money from the Anarchists of Italy and Spain. How much truth there is in that I am not prepared to verify.
Now then Mr. Calero, so far as my promise to you goes, I have carried it out to the full extent of my ability, and in the future any services that I can honorably render to you in the interest of the oppressed class, I am ever and always at your service. Accept from me my deep appreciation of your courtesy to my comrades and myself while in Mexico. I shall send a copy of this letter to President Madero. I understand that he had been a friend to them in their hour of need. I consider them one and all a combination of unreasonable fanatics, with no logic in their arguments and when people tell me that these fanatics are honest I cannot agree with them. Fanaticism has never won anything permanent for humanity’s cause.
I am
Very Sincerely and Loyally yours,
Mother Jones
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There Is Power in a Union – Street Dogs
Lyrics by Billy Bragg