Hellraisers Journal, Sunday April 21, 1918
Mother Jones News for March 1918, Part II: Found in Rockford, Illinois
From the Rockford Morning Star of March 17, 1918:
From the Rockford Morning Star of March 15, 1918:
JOHN WALKER AND MOTHER JONES
TO BE HERE SUNDAY
—–CENTRAL LABOR UNION SPONSOR PARADE
AND MEETING AT LYRAN HALLRockford Central Labor Union has arranged a big labor demonstration for next Sunday, March 17, which will include a parade, headed by a band, which will start from the court house at 1:30 o’clock in the afternoon and move to Lyran hall in Fourth avenue, where a monster meeting will be held.
Addresses will be made by John Walker, the patriotic president of the State Federation of Labor, Ed. Carbine, first vice president of the same body, Mother Jones, leading figure in many labor struggles, William B. Hannon, member of the executive board of the International Association of Machinists, and Tony Augustine, general organizer of the International Hodcarriers, Building and Common Laborers’ association. The public is invited to attend.
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From The Rockford Republic of March 16, 1918:
From The Rockford Daily Register-Gazette of March 18, 1918:
UNION LABOR IN GREAT TURNOUT
—–THREE BIG MEETINGS ARE HELD IN EAST SIDE
HALLS ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
—–MOTHER JONES VIGOROUS
—–
Address by Aged Labor Devotee
Feature of the Day-
Large Number in Parade.
—–
“Mother” Mary Jones stirred several audiences to high enthusiasm in Rockford yesterday, the occasion being a union labor demonstration by way of opening a campaign for new members in the locals and to organize other trades. She denounced frequently and vigorously the efforts which she said had been made to prevent her from speaking in Rockford. She charged it to the Chamber of Commerce and she lauded Mayor Rew for his support of the right of free speech.
Labor turned out by the thousands yesterday and the streets were lined by additional thousands all along the line of march. Hundreds of soldiers in town on leave increased the throng. The trades unions drew a great day for their turn-out and they made an interesting showing.
The parade, which contained 1,500 marchers, formed on Church and Court streets near state. Two bands, the Rockford and the Ladies, played inspiring airs for the men in line. A big United States flag was carried at the head of the line and smaller flags in the line. Most of the organizations also displayed their union banners. The automobile in which “Mother” Jones and other speakers rode was draped with the national colors.
In the parade were the carpenters, lathers, cabinet makers, cigar makers, machinists, molders, electrical workers, plumbers, steamfitters, painters and decorators, hod carriers, brick layers among other trades, also a representation of unskilled laborers who are to be organized.
The Ladies’ band led the marchers east on State to Charles and thence to Seventh street to Sixth avenue, where it countermarched. Seventh street was jammed with spectators.
Three Halls Required.
So large a number desired to hear the speakers, headed by famous “Mother” Jones, that the committee was forced to open three halls.
Meetings were held simultaneously at Lyran, Svea and Swedish Socialist halls, and the capacity of each was taxed. The speakers were heard by probably 2,500 men and women in the three assembly places.
Aside from “Mother” Jones addresses were given by John Walker, president of the State Federation of Labor; Edward Carbine, vice-president of the same organization; Tony Augustin, of Joliet, a representative of the hod carriers’ union, and others.
Naturally the greatest attention centered in “Mother” Jones the white-haired woman, heroine of so many of labor’s greatest battles the country over. “Mother” Jones came to Rockford from West Virginia where she has been aiding a campaign being carried on in the coal mine districts.
She laid special stress upon the value of organization and admonished Rockford working men to band together for greater efforts toward self-improvement.
In her forceful way Mother Jones paid her respects to various interests, both local and general, and she won tumultuous applause by declaring that she was ready to go and do her share toward rooting out the kaiser,”that pirate across the sea,” as she called him. She urged that labor in this country make a special effort to win industrial democracy here at home while the boys were fighting for another kind of a democracy across the seas.
Is Forceful Speaker.
“Mother” Jones, with all of her 87 years, is a splendid, forceful speaker. Her years seem to sit as lightly upon her as on most women in the fifties and when she fully warms up to a subject she has a most effective kind of a punch. Many who congregated to hear her yesterday anticipated some rather hot stuff, but, while she was forceful enough in her comment on certain interests with whom she does not agree, her address was within due bounds on the whole, bristling at times with patriotic utterances and leaving her audiences in no doubt as to where she stood in this war between democracy and autocracy.
Wants Rew for Governor.
Certain local interests, who, labor men claimed, endeavored to suppress the demonstration of yesterday, came in for scathing comment on the part of the speaker, but just as warmly as she denounced them she praised Mayor Robert Rew, who decreed that the city would not interfere with the plans of the unions. She blamed the Chamber of Commerce.
“Back up your mayor,” was her parting comment, “keep him in office. Not only that, but make him governor some day.”
An intensive campaign of labor organization for Rockford is planned and the organizers feel it has been given a good start. Tony Augustin, of the hod carriers’ union, is to spend several weeks in the city in the interest of that organization, and efforts will be made to increase the union strength in other directions. “Mother” Jones is to return to Rockford in the not very distant future and other labor speakers of note will be here during the campaign….
From the Rockford Morning Star of March 19, 1918:
PATRIOTISM IS ADVOCATED BY
ALL UNION SPEAKERS
—–SUNDAY LABOR MEETING
BIGGEST DEMONSTRATION IN LOCAL HISTORY.
—–THREE HALLS FILLED
—–Following a parade composed of 1,500 members of twenty-three local unions which are affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, headed by two bands, the Rockford Ladies’ band and the Rockford military band, the organized workers of Rockford jammed three halls, the Lyran, Svea and Swedish Socialist, Sunday afternoon to listen to speeches replete with patriotism and pleas for organization by John H. Walker, “Mother” Mary Jones, leader of many labor struggles, Edward Carbine, vice-president of the state federation. Tony Augustin, organizer of the Hod Carriers’ union, and others. The demonstration was arranged by the Rockford Central Labor union.
A large United States flag was carried at the head of the procession and countless smaller flags were waved by the marchers as they traversed the streets from the court house to Seventh street, indicative of the loyalty which pervaded every act and word of the most remarkable occasion in the history of organized labor in Rockford.
Walker Sane Leader.
John H. Walker, whose sane leadership and patriotic fervor have justified his repeated election to the presidency of the Illinois Federation of Labor, voiced a brilliant message of loyalty and hope to the workers assembled.
His address was punctuated with keen observations on war and labor conditions, of which the following are samples:
We must win the war or slave for Germany. Any other people than Americans here are traitors; we can’t take any chances with them. I may sympathize with a traitor, but to protect my loved ones I’d cut his throat. This is a time for men to be real men-not lip patriots. I have more respect for a traitor than I have for a mere lip patriot. Workmen who without good cause stop industry are traitors. Employers can’t introduce new injustices and be patriots. After labor has licked the kaiser over there we shall be in a better position to turn out some of the kaisers here at home. Lick the kaiser over there or, by the gods we’ll have a chance to help lick him over here. After the war, there’ll be a court of appeals at which every question of honor will be settled. It is just as reasonable that we have a court at which all questions of labor and capital can be settled.
Mother Jones Aggressive.
“Mother” Mary Jones, a stirring and forceful speaker in spite of her 87 years and heroine of many conflicts in which workers have struggled for better conditions, spoke at each of the three meetings and her remarks bristled with patriotic utterances as well as arguments for organization. She caustically referred to an alleged attempt made by certain interests to have Mayor Rew forbid her to speak in this city.
Among the points she scored which aroused the enthusiasm of her auditors were the following:
While the boys are fighting for democracy of the seas abroad you should be aiding in the fight for industrial democracy here at home. Let us so conduct our fight that we shall be able to give them a genuine welcome when they come back and show them that we have gained industrial freedom for them while they have been risking their lives in another fight. Any time President Wilson calls me he will find me ready to go across and help lick h— out of the d— kaiser, that pirate across the sea. The American workman will never let the flag perish. Our forefathers who died for it gave us our first glimpse of liberty, showed us the first light along freedom’s path. I am not in favor of war, but I am standing behind the government in this struggle, backing it to the limit. You workingmen have nothing to be afraid of in your fight. The country cannot do without you. It can get along without Wall street, without the interests, but you are the builders of the nation, without which it cannot exist. Why then be afraid of anybody, why hesitate to wear the union button, why fear to organize when by organization you can bring the interests to you instead of having to go to them. You have real mayor here in Rockford. Get out and back him up. Put him in office again, but don’t stop there. Make him governor.
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SOURCE & IMAGES
Rockford Morning Star
(Rockford, Illinois)
-Mar 15, 1918, page 3
-Mar 17, 1918, page 23
-Mar 19, 1918, page 3
https://www.genealogybank.com/
The Rockford Republic
(Rockford, Illinois)
-Mar 16, 1918, page 12
https://www.genealogybank.com/
The Rockford Daily Register-Gazette
(Rockford, Illinois)
-Mar 18, 1918, page 3
https://www.genealogybank.com/
See also:
Hellraisers Journal, Friday April 19, 1918
Mother Jones News for March 1918, Part I: Found in Kansas and Iowa
Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for March 1918, Part I: Found in Kansas and Iowa Speaking at UMW District Conventions