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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday December 19, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for November 1900, Part III
Found in Giving Ringing Speech to Large Audience in Vandling, PA
From the Carbondale Leader of November 24, 1900:
Mother Mary Jones was given a rousing reception in Vandling last night. The famous female friend of the miners came to this city on the 3 o’clock train and was met at the station by a number of people. Early in the evening she went to Vandling. Quite a number of Carbondalians went up to hear her. So large was the crowd which wished to attend the lecture, it was found that Mr. Closkey’s hall would not accommodate all. Rev. Clarke and the trustees of the Methodist church kindly offered its use and this large edifice was filled to overflowing. The audience was an attentive one and for over two hours and a quarter Mother Jones held the listeners’ close attention. She is a woman of about sixty-five and her hair is very white. She speaks in a very straight forward positive manner leaving no doubt as to the meaning of what she says. With “Mother” Jones there were on the platform Thomas Davis, J. Johns and Rev. Mr. Clarke.
SCORED WALL ST.
“Mother” Jones began by scoring the Wall street men whom she characterized as a lot of idling robbers. Then she cut into the coal operators. She told an incident where to save a piece of wood valued at two and one-half cents the corporation sacrificed a mans life. That was held of less value than a piece of wood. In part the speaker said:
We believe we live in a Christian nation and yet why do we take our children from the school and put them in the mills and breakers. The Christian church never murdered. Christianity means the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God; it means that all men should be fed; it means that our schools should be populated. But look at the vile language the children learn in mill and factory. Look, and see what the coming generation will be. You and I will have to render an account for our life’s work here below. How can you expect justice then if you wont give it now.
It is not expansion of land we want; it is expansion of education and freedom. The pampered daughter of the millionaire will spend $100 a month for cologne with which to bathe her dog while you fellows can’t get even clean water to wash yourselves. You are proving to the human race that you can take better care of the idlers’ dogs than of your own family.
SHE IS A SOCIALIST.
They used to call me an anarchist, but I’m proud of that, for, do you know that anarchy really means the highest state of civilization. But I haven’t got that far; I’ve only reached socialism. When we get anarchy we will govern our own selves and I think we can do it better than the other fellows. It is the few who do not toil who are gathering all the wealth of the country, and are you such cowards that you will not protest against the plundering and robbing. There are a few men and women who are awakening to the conditions and who say to the American people that the nation is in peril.
The man in the militia is my brother, only in different conditions and I don’t believe one drop of his or my blood should be shed for the corporation robbers. Let us recognize the government till we change it. With more Christian education let us teach our brothers to take up not the bayonets but the ballots and bring to the nation the happiness so long sought for. I don’t believe in bullets, I don’t believe it should be necessary for us to manufacture a single gun.
$6 FOR FOUR HOURS.
I believe the time will come when labor will get the value of its hire. I want to tell you old chaps that the young men work 14 or 15 hours a day for the corporations to rob them. They will make every man do his share of the work or get no money. I believe in $6 for a four hour day. Let the corporation robbers get down and dig their money out of the earth instead of the bones of their fellow men. Let him get just so much as he digs. Government statistics say that two hours and fifteen minutes work a day for each man will produce all that is needed in this country, so why not make him of Wall street do his share. I am one who wants these fellows to get down and work for their living or get out of the country. The fellow who loots the bank is an honorable one to him who sits in his marble office and robs the laborer.
Lincoln said: I warn you who toil to watch the doors of liberty for if once they are closed they will be never opened again. Are we Christianized today? No. Come with me to the streets of our cities and I will show yon hells burning up with brim stone. You and I are creating the conditions which make these hells. We are responsible for the economic conditions.
Do we love our neighbors? Yes if can skin them and if we can’t we sit down and talk about them. The minerals were put into the bowels of the earth for the benefit of nature’s children. You men who are brave enough to bring from the bowels of the earth the minerals for civilization to march on should be brave enough to go to the ballot box and vote for honest men. We have got to the age where we worship the dollar and forget our duty to God and man. Don’t believe that dollars will save you at the judgment seat of God.
You build jails and then make the criminals to fill them. You shout for the flag and pay the girl who makes it $3 a week. Can she live decently on that? Every day our papers are evaded with tales of murder, suicide and debauchery. Let us live for justice, right and love; not for money. Be true to your fellow men. Don’t stop to ask what their religion is. The operator doesn’t ask it when he is wringing an extra ton of coal from them. You men and women will be called to account for the wrongs you permit here. You have built a saloon on every corner instead of a school. Are you ready to meet your God? I think not with such conditions as now exist.
The speaker treated upon the social question at length and urged all to use the ballot for redress. Tonight Mother Jones speaks in Forest City. On next Wednesday night she will speak in this city to the silk mill employes. The meeting will, however, be open to everybody.
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[Photograph added.]
From The Scranton Republican of November 26, 1900:
MOTHER JONES.
Mother Jones spoke in Forest City on Saturday night under the auspices of the Miners’ union at that place. She will visit Carbondale on Wednesday evening to address the employes of the silk mill, who are at present on strike. The meeting, however, will be open to everybody. As there is an attraction at the opera house that evening the probabilities are that the meeting will be held in the Academy of Music. As noted in Saturday’s Republican Mother Jones is to visit this city about the middle of next month, and the meeting at that time will be under the auspices of the Central Labor union. A demonstration in honor of the famous labor leader will be one of the features of the event.
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From The Scranton Times of November 26, 1900:
A conference of several national and district officers of the United Mine Workers of America is being conducted in this city today.
The meeting is being held behind closed doors in the headquarters of District No. 1, on Lackawanna avenue.
Those present at the meeting are National Organizers Frederick Dilcher, of Nelsonville, O.; Robert Courtright, of Scranton; President Fahey, of District No. 9; President Duffy, of District No. 7; President T. D. Nichols, of District No. 1; John T. Dempsey, secretary-treasurer of District No. 1, and District Board Members Collins, Burke and Kearney.
“Mother” Mary Jones, whose efforts assisted so materially in bringing about a settlement of the recent strike, is also in attendance at the meeting. She arrived in the city this morning…..
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Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES & IMAGES
Carbondale Leader
(Carbondale, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 24, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/638780063
The Scranton Republican
(Scranton, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 26, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/48111327/
The Scranton Times
(Scranton, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 26, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/534728495/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Scranton Tx p1, Oct 13, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/534727906/
See also:
Christian Anarchism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_anarchism
Anti-religious former priest Thomas J. Hagerty was a primary author of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Preamble[39] (“an injury to one is an injury to all”[40]). IWW members included Christian anarchists like Dorothy Day[39] and Ammon Hennacy.[41]
Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for November 1900
Part I: Found with Miners of Pennsylvania and with Socialist of Boston
Part II: Found in Freeland, PA, Fighting for Striking Silk Mill Workers
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Mother Jones (No More Deaths for Dollars) – Jim Sharp
Lyrics by Ed Pickford