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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 19, 1918
Mother Jones News for August 1918, Part I
-Mother Found in West Virginia, Chicago, and Denver
From the United Mine Workers Journal of August 1, 1918:
WEST VIRGINIA NEWS
Charleston, W. Va.—A local of about 250 members has been organized at the Wyatt mines near Shinnston, by Mother Jones and President William F. [M.] Rogers of the State Federation of Labor.
Local Union 2839, Kaymoor, has invested $300.24 in War Savings Stamps and donated $25 to the Red Cross.
Board Member Ballantyne, Mother Jones and Organizers B. A. Scott and Joe Angelo held meetings last week at Worthington, Rosebud, Watson, Shinnston and Mt. Clair.
The Eccles miners have made a splendid showing in the purchase of War Savings Stamps. The assigned quota was $34,000, but the miners have pledges $42,000.
Miners and citizens of Longacre in voting precinct No. 3, have pledged $19,460 for War Savings Stamps.
The mining camp of Donwood, with a population of 450, and a local union membership of 160, has pledged $10,420.79 to the purchase of War Savings Stamps.
[Photograph added.]
From Wisconsin’s Eau Claire Leader of August 3, 1918:
‘MOTHER’ JONES AT I.W.W. TRIAL
—–
Hears Editor MacDonald Admit He
Wrote Articles That U. S.
Calls Incendiary
—–CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-“Mother” Jones, noted leader of workers wherever industrial unrest has stopped industry, was a spectator yesterday at the trial of 101 members of the I. W. W. in the United States district court before Judge K. M. Landis.
She heard J. A. MacDonald, a defendant and editor of the Industrial Worker, after declaring he had done nothing to obstruct the government in the conduct of the war, admit he wrote several articles so construed by the government, including a poem each stanza of which ended, “I guess I’ll not enlist,” and depicting the injuries a soldier might suffer in battle.
Outside the court “Mother” Jones told of how “social cats”-as she termed social settlement workers-came to her with aid and sympathy and how she sent them away with the advice to go to rich sections of the city and work among the men who, she said, “made people poor.”…..
From The Denver Post of August 7, 1918:
‘MOTHER’ JONES SAYS PRESIDENT
AIDS UNION LABOR
—–
Declares Wilson First Executive
Since Jefferson To Give
Square Deal.
—–President Woodrow Wilson is the first president since the days of Jefferson to give labor a square deal, according to “Mother” Jones, famous union organizer, who is in Denver attending the convention of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers [formerly Western Federation of Miners].
[Said “Mother” Jones:]
The coal and iron miners thruout the country are back of President Wilson and will make every effort to provide the coal and iron needed to win the war. The bars have been taken down against union since the war, and we are indebted to President Wilson and his administration for this.
Not since the days of Jefferson has a man been in the White house chair to equal President Wilson. He is giving labor a square deal and that is all labor wants. I am strongly opposed to the attacks being made on the president and his administration by certain politicians. Why not wait until the war is over before you start knocking? Such attacks at this time are un-American and no true patriot will take such action at this time.
The coal industry is the chief industry of the country. The nation would perish without coal and iron. The miners digging these two necessary commodities are real factors in this war for civilization. And they will not fail the government in its extreme time of need.
“Mother” Jones addressed the convention Wednesday afternoon and will leave Thursday for the southern Colorado coal fields.
President Charles H. Moyer read his annual report to the convention Wednesday morning. The action of the federal war labor board in regard to the settlement of the miners’ strikes in Arizona and other places was commended. Unstinted support of the government in the successful prosecution of the war featured the report.
———-
From the United Mine Workers Journal of August 15, 1918:
From the Fairmont West Virginian of August 17, 1918:
Big Picnic Tomorrow.
Much interest centers in the big picnic and mass meeting to be held by the members of the local of United Mine Workers at Owings tomorrow. Over 700 miners and their families are expected to attend.
Mother Jones has been engaged for the principal address of the afternoon. Mother Jones has been in the west for the past several weeks, but will be on hand for the big meeting tomorrow.
Note: emphases added to Mother Jones thruout.
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SOURCES
The United Mine Workers Journal, Volume 29
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
Executive Board of the United Mine Workers of America,
https://books.google.com/books?id=iwxOAAAAYAAJ
UMWJ of Aug 1, 1918
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=iwxOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PT392
“West Virginia News”
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=iwxOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PT401
UMWJ Aug 15, 1918
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=iwxOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PT456
“What a Difference”
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=iwxOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PT462
The Eau Claire Leader
(Eau Claire, Wisconsin)
-Aug 3, 1918
https://www.newspapers.com/image/239476245/
The Denver Post
(Denver, Colorado)
-Aug 7, 1918, page 6
https://www.genealogybank.com/
The West Virginian
(Fairmont, West Virginia)
-Aug 17, 1918
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86072054/1918-08-17/ed-1/seq-8/
IMAGES
Quote MJ, Rockford (IL) Morning Star p3, Mar 19, 1918
https://www.genealogybank.com/
Mother Jones Fire Eater, St L Str, Aug 23, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/204372148/
See also:
For more on Mother Jones in West Virginia
-from May 9-Dec 15, 1918, see:
The United Mine Workers Journal, Volume 29
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
Executive Board of the United Mine Workers of America
(search together: “west virginia” “mother jones”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=iwxOAAAAYAAJ
For more on MacDonald & “I guess I won’t enlist,” see:
American Political Prisoners
Prosecutions Under the Espionage and Sedition Acts
by Stephen Martin Kohn
Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994
(search: “a patriot”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=-_xHbn9dtaAC
Rebel Voices
-ed by Joyce L. Kornbluh
PM Press, Sep 1, 2011
(search: “I Love My Flag”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=n2ATBwAAQBAJ
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