Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for December 1906: Articles Found in Appeal to Reason and Labor World

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday January 10, 1907
Mother Jones Found Featured in Socialist and Labor Press

As to the actual whereabouts of Mother Jones during the month of December 1906, we could find very little. However, we were able to find her featured in an article in the Appeal to Reason and as the author of an article in the Duluth Labor World. The article in the Appeal details the campaign, last fall, of William Dettrey in Pennsylvania where he ran as the Socialist candidate for the U. S. House of Representatives from Luzerne County. The article notes the hard work done by Mother Jones during that campaign and the lack of interest shown by the two most famous union leaders in the American labor movement.

From the Appeal to Reason of December 1, 1906:

DETTREY’S CAMPAIGN IN PENSLYVANIA.
—–

BY ONE OF THE BOYS.
—–

Election is over and the votes are counted; votes cast by voters, votes cast by repeaters, votes never cast at all.

Here in the heart of the anthracite coal fields it has required the latter method, as a climax of rank political manipulation, to defeat William H. Dettrey, the congressional candidate of the Socialist party in Luzerne county. A most remarkable campaign was waged for his election; there was practically no money on hand two weeks before election; a vast field populated by workers of 29 different nationalities had to be quickly covered and the political views of the mine workers vitalized with truth.

The republicans had nominated a coal operator-Cobliegh. The democrats had nominated a coal trust lawyer-Lenahan. This individual is the attorney who defended the militia who murdered the mine workers at Lattimer and who tried to send a number of mine workers to the gallows on a false charge of murder at the Sharpe trial. He is the same individual that prepared the demands of the non-union mine workers during the 1902 strike, and who made the fight for them before the anthracite coal commission.

Against the author of these infamous demands-the democratic candidate-was squarely pitted William H. Dettrey, president of district No. 7, and secretary of the conciliation board. Dettrey had served in the ranks of labor for years. His record is unquestioned, even by his enemies. Beginning life in the breakers, he has passed on and up through all the hardships of the miner. In 1887 he was on the advisory board of the Knights of Labor in Shenandoah; in all the big strikes he was out in the open, before the guns, playing his part as a loyal soldier in the army of organized labor. Others slept in hotels surrounded with comfort; he took his fare with the men. So persistent was he in fighting for the United Mine Workers that he was twice black listed, the second time resulting in his being chosen by his fellow mine workers for president of district 7, and later for the conciliation board. On this board his work has saved that body from being a regular farce, and has won for him the commendation of the mine workers. As district president he has always been by his guns, true to his post. John Mitchell told Gompers at Scranton that “he was the greatest fighter on the board of conciliation; he has won all its victories.”

Here was the line-up: Cobleigh, coal operator; Lenahan, coal trust lawyer and bitter foe of the mine workers; Dettrey, president of district 7, U. M. W. of A. and secretary of the conciliation board.

To any intelligent worker knowing the situation there was no choice but Dettrey. He was not merely a capable leader of the mine workers with no stain of compromise in his recored; he stood clean-cut before the voters as the working class candidate. To achieve his election, “Mother” Jones, the angel of the miners, journeyed half across the continent to participate in his campaign. She had come, knowing well the man, alive to the vital need of his election, and offering freely her brilliant talents. She not only knew Dettrey, but she knew his chief opponent, Lenahan; and, knowing both, “Mother” Jones put her whole soul and energies out to arouse the workers to a realization of their opportunity and needs. Over the valley she tramped and rode from place to place, holding rousing meetings-now at Hazleton, now at Freeland, where the clergy came out in open opposition to the Socialists, now at Duryea, Nanticoke, Plymouth, Luzerne-and finally, at the big heavily overcrowded mass meeting in the court house.

It would seem that with the lines clearly drawn, with the bitterest foe of the United Mine Workers’ Union-the democratic candidate-against Dettrey, that every effort would be made by Mitchell and Gompers to defeat John T. Lenahan and elect Dettrey. Both these labor leaders had come to Scranton to support Nichols, but the mine workers in Luzerne did not hear one publicly uttered word by them against Lenahan and for Dettrey.

The Scranton convention of the United Mine workers decided to support the candidacy of every union man. by this decision Mitchell and the rest of the mine workers’ officials were duty bound to take up the fight for Dettrey. They were duty bound by the records of Dettrey and Lenahan and by the vital needs of the union, as they would be protected and furthered by Dettrey and opposed and denied by Lenahan…..

[Photograph added.]

According to the November 9th edition of the Union Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Lenahan was elected to Congress, defeating both of his opponents by a wide margin.

According to the New York Worker (organ of the Socialist Party of America) of December 15th, Mother Jones declined the nomination for the National Executive Committee.

Hellraisers Journal of Wednesday December 19, 1906 republished an article by Mother Jones entitled “Baby Wage-Earners in Southern Mills.” This article had also appeared in the The Public of October 13, 1906, having been republished there from the July 5th edition of The Miners’ Magazine (official organ of the Western Federation of Miners.)

SOURCES

Appeal to Reason
(Girard, Kansas)
-Dec 1, 1906
https://www.newspapers.com/image/67586762/

Union Leader
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 9, 1906
https://www.newspapers.com/image/173642988/

The Worker
(New York, New York)
-Dec 15, 1906, page 5
http://www.genealogybank.com/

Hellraisers Journal: From the Duluth Labor World: Mother Jones on the Iniquities of Child Labor in the South
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-from-the-duluth-labor-world-mother-jones-on-the-iniquities-of-child-labor-in-the-south/

The Public, Volume 9
Public Publishing Company, 1906
https://books.google.com/books?id=RDIfAQAAMAAJ
Baby Wage-Earners by Mother Jones
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=RDIfAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PA664

Sadly editions of The Miners’ Magazine for the years 1906-1908 (years when Mother was often found active with the WFM) do not yet appear to be available online. The following link is for editions that are offered online:
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/1716793.html

IMAGES
Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR
http://www.newspapers.com/image/66992169/
Mother Jones, Dettrey f/ Congress, W-B Tx, Nov 5, 1906
https://www.newspapers.com/image/119451952/

See also:

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for October 1906: Campaigning for Socialist Candidates in Illinois and Pennsylvania
https://weneverforget.org/hj-11-8-1906-hellraisers-journal-whereabouts-doings-of-mother-jones-for-october-1906-campaigning-for-socialist-candidates-in-illinois-and-pennsylvania/

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for November 1906: Gives Speech for Dettrey Campaign in Wilkes-Barre
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-whereabouts-doings-of-mother-jones-for-november-1906-gives-speech-for-dettrey-campaign-in-wilkes-barre/

For more on the Lattimer Massacre of Sept 10, 1897:
Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks on Struggle & Socialism: The Day of the People Is Dawning.
http://caucus99percent.com/content/hellraisers-journal-mother-jones-speaks-struggle-socialism-day-people-dawning