When half a million mothers
in the richest city
in the richest country in the world
feel the pinch of hunger
as they are feeling it here now
nothing can prevent trouble.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday March 8, 1917
Mother Jones News for February: Fighting for Working-Class Women
During the month of February 1917, before she moved on to the struggles of the working-class women in the cities of New York and Chicago, we first found Mother Jones in Washington, D. C. Here she observed a women, one of them clad in a $7,000 coat, demonstrating for women’s suffrage. Now, Hellraisers does not agree with Mother on the issue of suffrage for women, but we acknowledge that, perhaps, her attitude is shaped by having been on the front lines of the Colorado Coal Miners’ Strike of 1913-1914. In Colorado, at that time, the vote for women did very little good for miners, their wives, or their children.
In that state, women had the right to vote, nevertheless, the miners and their families suffered greatly under the rule of Governor Ammons, Democrat of Colorado. Many of these coal-camp women were immigrants who could not vote. And those women who were citizens, and had the right to vote, had first to get past the company guards before they could exercise their franchise.
The duly elected Governor Ammons sent a brutal military general to rule over the striking miners and their families. It was this Military Despotism which then resulted in the Ludlow Massacre of April 20, 1914. Mother Jones was herself a guest of the Military Bastile established under General Chase who answered directly to the democratically elected Governor of the State of Colorado.
From Montana’s Butte Daily Post of February 16, 1917:
NOT IN SYMPATHY WITH MILITANTS
—–
“Mother” Jones Expresses Her Views
on White House Picketers.
—–The Post’s Washington Bureau.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 16.-“Mother” Jones, known among miners all over the United States, expressed some very derogatory opinions in regard to the suffragists who are picketing the entrances of the white house grounds.
“Mother” Jones, whose home is in Colorado, has been spending several days here getting a line on federal legislation of interest to the working classes.
No one here seems to know how old “Mother” Jones is, but if the popular supposition that she is past 80 is correct she can be properly described as “eighty years young.” Her vocabulary is as expressive as ever.
After passing the white house grounds and observing the suffragists stationed there with their banners flung to the breezes “Mother” Jones said:
Those women are a disgrace to themselves and a disgrace to the womanhood of the nation. Their conduct is an insult to the president and to the nation of which he is the head.
I am told that one of these wealthy ladies who are doing picket duty during these winter days has herself wrapped in $7,000 worth of clothing. I have made a simple calculation in arithmetic and I find that $7,000 would buy $10 cloaks for 700 working girls. I have a very strong impression that if that lady would help out the working girls she would be accomplishing a whole lot more for humanity than by standing at the white house herself.
If these women would exert their influence to get something worth while-for instance equal working conditions and wages for girls and women with men in the industries-they would have an excuse for their forwardness, but all they stand for is a hollow fad.
I was amused by one of the signs on their banners which read: “Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?” Now, if women did not have a tremendous lot of liberty they would not be permitted to stand in front of the president’s home as these women are doing. If a man undertook it he would be taken in charge by the police right away, so quick it would make his head swim.
———-
From Connecticut’s Bridgeport Evening Farmer of February 19, 1917:
“MOTHER” JONES COMING
—–“Mother” Jones, the famous organizer of the Western Federation of Miners [*], will address the Machinists, Union at the Plaza theatre, March 18. She is now in West Virginia.
[Note: Mother is an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America]
From The Topeka State Journal of Kansas of February 20, 1917:
TRY HUNGER STRIKE
—–
26 Women Strikers Threaten to
Become Martyrs in Jail.
—–Chicago. Feb. 20.-Twenty-six women strikers, arrested for refusing to obey Judge Baldwin’s injunction restraining them from picketing garment factories, will go on a hunger strike if they are found guilty and imprisoned.
The strike continues today and workers claim that members of the Cloak Makers’ union will join them. Eight thousand are said to be out now altho manufacturers deny this.
Union leaders state that “Mother” Jones will come to Chicago, to direct the striking women.
———-
From Hellraisers Journal of February 23, 1917:
Mother Jones was found in New York City assisting hungry women and children in their battle against hunger and starvation. Hellraisers republished an article from the February 22nd edition of the New York Tribune in which was offered these comments from Mother Jones:
When half a million mothers in the richest city in the richest country in the world feel the pinch of hunger as they are feeling it here now nothing can prevent trouble. I came here to try to prevent it, though, and I shall do everything possible.
On Saturday I’ll lead all the women who’ll follow me down to the Mayor. More than ten thousand will go. We’ll put the matter up to him and ask for action. If he won’t give us action, some of us will go to Washington and ask the President….
If food can’t be gotten any other way, you bet your boots stomachs will be filled by force. There is a tremendous popular feeling for forceful objection to conditions as they exist. Revolution sounds sensational now; so it did in France before 1789.
From Hellraisers Journal of February 24, 1917:
Mother continued in New York City advocating for hungry women and children. Hellraisers republished an article from The Washington Post of February 23rd which reported that Mother Jones, “the labor agitator,” was on the scene where “riots, including attacks on butcher shops, destruction of push cars and boycotts on high-priced foods were continued by women in many quarters of Greater New York…”
From the New York Sun of February 24, 1917:
“Mother” Jones Makes Speech
“Mother” Jones told a big crowd of striking petticoat makers at Webster Hall, in Eleventh street near Third avenue, yesterday that “thousands and thousands of babies in the richest city of the world are starving to death.” She declared that the poor are rising in revolt all over the land.
From Hellraisers Journal of February 27, 1917:
Hellraisers reported that Mother Jones had arrived in Chicago to aid the Garment Workers on strike in that city. She was immediately served with an injunction and declared, “What a lot of rot.”
The following article from The Pittsburgh Press of February 26th was republished:
PREPARE TO DEAL WITH “MOTHER” JONES
—–
Chicago, Feb. 26.-Officials anticipated activities of “Mother” Jones, aged 83, labor leader. When she arrived here from New York to participate in the garment workers’ strike, she was served with a copy of the injunction prohibiting picketing.
[She declared:]
What a lot of rot. Imagine an old judge issuing a thing like that in the twentieth century.
I shall speak in Chicago if I am asked and attend meetings too. All strikes are alike; they are a protest against charity, ignorance, misery, hunger, industrial slavery, and jails.
Miss Gertrude Barnum, who with Theodore Roosevelt, helped settle the kimona workers’ strike in 1913, has also arrived to help the strikers.
[Photograph added.]
From Hellraisers Journal of February 28, 1917:
Undaunted by the court’s injunction, “Mother Jones Jumps into Chicago Garment Strike.” The Day Book of February 27th reported:
MOTHER JONES URGES STRONG ACTION
IN GARMENT STRIKE
The same old Mother Jones, with her scream of hatred for the bosses who grind their workers, jumped into the garment ladies garment strike yesterday. Twice she addressed the strikers and twice the crowd of workers yelled back in answer when she shouted for more vim in the strike.
“Picket,” she screamed at the packed hall at 180 W. Washington st.,
Picket! Let them arrest you. Don’t picket in ones or twos. Go in hundreds-five hundreds of you. Get out there, and if they arrest one they’ll have to arrest all of you.
When they start taking you to cells by the hundreds, taxpayers will begin asking questions. Pretty soon they’ll find out what this is all about and your strike will be won.
The substance of Mother Jones’ talk yesterday, which is as yet unprinted, follows:
They call me a radical agitator. They call your organizers radical agitators. Let me tell you that the most radical agitators we have ever had were those who founded our government. It was founded on a mighty revolt against tyrants. Let us keep up our revolt against indecent labor conditions until we clean up the bosses in Chicago.
They served me with a copy of an injunction Sunday as I came into the city. I thought it was the Salvation Army because it was handed me on the Sabbath. Then I read the name of one of your judges and I knew it was an injunction sent in violation of the Lord’s commandments. Why I’ve had enough injunctions served on me to fill 99 coffins when I go to meet my master.
I hope that Judge Baldwin has his lap dog here because I want to give him a message to carry back. I want him to hear what I have to say about this strike that I am butting into.
They say you girls are crying for bonds when you are arrested. The women of the revolution didn’t ask for bonds when they were jailed. They went to cells without a whimper. This is no pink tea party. It’s a bitter strike. Don’t wait for bonds.
If they put you in they have to feed you and that saves you the money. When the citizens have to pay taxes to feed hundreds of girls they’ll have a kick to make.
It’s a funny thing. We build the jails and they put us into them. We pay for the policeman’s club and he soaks us with it. We give the policeman his salary and authority and he uses it to put us in jail and beat us.
They don’t arrest the manufacturers. If you kept your eyes open at election time you could put some men in office who would jail the bosses.
I suppose they will put me in jail. I’ll go. I’ll not cry to be taken out on bonds. You can tell this Judge Baldwin that I was in America before he was and I have a right on Chicago’s street whether there is a strike on or not.
We don’t want charity. We want what belongs to us. We produce the wealth. They take it from us and then send charity workers to feel our stomachs to see how long it will take before we are starved. They don’t feel the stomachs of the bosses, and we paid for the fat that is found there.
Are conditions right? There was a train that went through Chicago during the last presidential campaign. It cost $2,000,000. Mrs. Havemeyer put up $10,000 and the next day sugar went up a quarter of a cent.
They said this train carried the ten foremost women in America. On their necks were gems bought with the blood of thousands of working girls’ bodies.
They preach what we will get when we are dead. We want what we have coming now, while we are alive. If the women of charity spent as much time, money and energy improving conditions of the working girls as they use in getting suffrage they would bring some results to the nation.
They can do away with the red-light district by raising wages. Then the girls will not be forced to sell themselves to get enough to live on.
Don’t be afraid of their jails. Go to them. But go four thousand strong. The country will look at Chicago and ask what you have been jailed for. The people will ask who did it. We’ll tell them it was Judge Baldwin. They will ask why. We’ll tell them it was because we struck for better conditions.
Tell Judge Baldwin that I am here on the platform. Tell him to send his dogs of war if he wants me. But I’m going to give you this message:
“Don’t violate the law. Don’t hurt anybody. But stick to it. If you see some girl taking your job, taking the bread from your mouth, walk up to her and tell her what she is doing.”
[Photograph added is of Mother speaking to Chicago Garment Strikers of 1915.]
SOURCES
The Butte Daily Post
(Butte, Montana)
-Feb 16, 1917
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85053058/1917-02-16/ed-1/seq-14/
Bridgeport Evening Farmer
(Bridgeport, Connecticut)
-Feb 19, 1917
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84022472/1917-02-19/ed-1/seq-4/
The Topeka State Journal
(Topeka, Kansas)
-Feb 20, 1917
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82016014/1917-02-20/ed-1/seq-2/
Hellraisers Journal, Friday February 23, 1917
New York, New York – Mother Jones to Aid in Demand for Food
-Food Riots in New York & Philly as Mothers Refuse to Maintain Good Public Order While Children Starve
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-food-riots-in-new-york-philly-as-mothers-refuse-to-maintain-good-public-order-while-children-starve/
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday February 24, 1917
New York, New York – Mothers Demand Food as Children Starve
-East Side Women of New York City to Mayor Mitchell: “Give us food! Our Children Are Starving!”
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-east-side-women-of-new-york-city-to-mayor-mitchell-give-us-food-our-children-are-starving/
The Sun
(New York, New York)
-Feb 24, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/207245931
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday February 27, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Mother Jones Arrives to Aid Garment Strikers
-Mother Jones Arrives in Chicago, Served with Injunction, Declares, “What a lot of rot!”
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-mother-jones-arrives-in-chicago-served-with-injunction-declares-what-a-lot-of-rot/
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday February 28, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Mother Jones Jumps into Garment Strike
Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks to Striking Chicago Garment Workers, “Don’t be afraid of their jails!”
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-mother-jones-speaks-to-striking-chicago-garment-workers-dont-be-afraid-of-their-jails/
IMAGES
Mother Jones, Colorado Military Bastile, March 1914
https://archive.org/stream/ludlowmassacrere00finkrich#page/84/mode/1up
Mother Jones, Garment Strike, Chg Dly Tb, Feb 26, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/28698633/
Mother Jones Speaks to Chg Garment Strikers, ISR Dec 1915
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=9VJIAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PA334
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