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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday December 20, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for November 1900, Part IV
Found Standing with Silk Mill Strikers of Wilkes-Barre and Carbondale
From the Wilkes-Barre Daily News of November 27, 1900:
The trouble at the Hass-Goldsmith Silk Mill is causing a great deal of discussion in labor circles. Mother Jones, one of the most prominent agitators in this country, arrived in town last evening and had lengthy conference with the employes. She expressed a desire that the young women should arrange for a mass meeting, to which the public will be invited.
Mother Jones is in the best of health and spirits and feels elated over the success of the miners’ strike. She is an intelligent woman, and despite the fact that many disagree with her on questions agitating the public mind, they must acknowledge that she is a very clever woman. Mrs. Jones was interviewed yesterday afternoon at Hotel Hart by a News reporter. Among other things she said:
The employes of the Hess-Goldsmith mill sent for me and this evening they will come to my hotel and we will have a conference. From what I can learn the women, boys and girls, have just cause to complain. They are treated something similar to the children at the Freeland silk mills. There one boy received one cent per hour and worked 13½ hours per day. Do you wonder why the employes complain? It is not unusual to see a boy or girl prematurely aged. What is the reason? It is plain to be seen. These little ones are driven from daylight till dawn by a crowd of slave drivers who have not the slightest conception of the honor or respect due womankind. The factories steal from the parents the most desirable jewel, the light, the joy of the home-those bright faced little children. There was a time-I am sorry to say that it is fast disappearing-that she first thing asked a child in the morning by the mother was: “Dear, do you know your lessons?” But this is changed now to, “You must work hard and earn a few cents to-day.”
The factories are State prisons where bodies and minds of the employee are being warped and all of the finer and nobler sentiments are dwindling into insignificance. The public pay no attention; the ministers of the gospel are quiet, and no one attempts to right the wrong, unless the girls break the shackels and cry out, “We must have our rights despite the privations,” and they strike. The police drive them from the street corners.
[Said Mother Jones:]
Why, only the other day a policeman in a neighboring town grabbed a little girl by the hair of the head and threw her into the street, just because she asked a fellow employe to come out on strike. The black man was never treated in this heartless, shameless manner. There will be a change. It is not far away. Some day the wails of these little children will touch the heart of the nation and these white slave drivers will be placed where they belong.
Another thing: The parents who send their little children to the factories, and can afford to keep them at home, should be arrested. There are a few I know who must send their children to work. This wrong can be also traced to the corporations. If the miners received a just recompense for their daily toil, the children could remain at home, instead of spending their youthful days in the factories.
The factory inspectors are the cause of a great deal of trouble. Why, they go to the superintendent offices, sit down for a half hour, and their pockets are filled with choice cigars. In the mean time the petty bosses are gathering the children together and placing them in closets. The inspectors visit each department. No children are found and the officials go home and report to the government that their work has been well performed. We are after these men, and in the immediate future a hornet’s nest will be exposed that will make it decidedly hot for all concerned.
The whole system is wrong. The workingman does not receive enough wages for the product of his labor. Carroll D. Wright, government commissioner, in his book on labor, says that man creates enough wealth in 2½ hours for the maintenance of himself and family. Under the present system he works 10 or 12 hours. He is robbed and the fellow who robs him is the most contemptible thief in the world. The man who robs a bank is honest in comparison with him
DOES NOT LIKE SOCIETY.
Mrs. Jones pictured society in a way that was anything but pleasing to the members of that particular body. She censured the wives, mothers and sisters of the mine, factory and shop owners for their silence when they could, by a little coaxing, remedy some of the present wrongs.
MASS MEETING AT HAZLETON.
[Said Mrs. Jones:]
The strikers of the silk mills of Freeland held a mass meeting a few days ago. I had the children arranged in size on the stage. I asked each one what they received per week and they said $2.90. They want $4.
The subject was then turned towards what their fathers received from the coal companies. One little fellow, not more than 12 years of age, said the only thing his father received was a humped back and the miners’ asthma.
We will hold a mass meeting if satisfactory arrangements can be made. One will be held in this city in the latter part of this week, then we will show the people just now things are conducted at the Hess-Goldsmith Silk Mills. The girls there have been unjustly fined-treated in a way that will surprise the public. We will show the managers of this mill whether the spirit of justice in America is dead. The factory inspectors will be called to account.
Mother Jones will leave for Hazleton this morning. She is a very busy woman and has very little time at her disposal. However, it is her intention to return in the latter part of the week and endeavor to have the girls’ cause placed before the public. Wednesday she will be in Carbondale, where the employes of a silk mill are on strike.
Mother Jones described her march to Panther Creek Valley, and how she surprised Governor Gobin’s soldiers. She led 7,000 men and women at midnight during the miners’ strike and succeeded, despite the protestations of the soldiers, in closing down the mines.
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[Photograph added.]
From the Scranton Tribune of November 29, 1900:
CARBONDALE DEPARTMENT
[…..]
Mother Jones Speaks.
Mother Mary Jones addressed a large crowd in St. Rose’s hall last night. The meeting had been arranged specially in reference to the silk mill strike, and on the platform were about fifty of the striking employes. Henry Collins, of the Central Labor union, presided over the meeting. He first introduced Edward Faagan, president, of the silk mill union, who explained the grievances of the employes.
The crates with which the silk is weighed formerly weighed about two pounds each. Now they have become broken and in some cases weigh but a few ounces. For this difference in the weight of the crates, he says the employes must prepare so much extra silk without getting any extra pay. In conclusion, he said that the strikers are perfectly willing to have the trouble settled by arbitration. The employes want a dollar a day.
A young man named King, who is among the strikers, told how his wages had decreased several dollars, and then Mr. Collins introduced Mother Jones, who was received with loud applause. She said the American people was born in a strike and now in the closing hours of the Nineteenth century, even the children have to strike for their rights. She scored the mill owners for the way the children are dragged almost from the cradle to the factory, and she then scolded the parents for allowing such conditions to prevail. She denounced an industrial system which allows the children of the poor to shed their blood for the education and pampering of the children of the rich. The wage slavery of today, she asserted, is as bad, every whit, as was the man slavery of bygone days.
She roundly scored the mill bosses for the filthy language used in hearing of the girls and boys, and deplored the corrupting influences into which they are thrown. Such conditions will but foster a race of puny, good-for-nothing men and women. She bewailed the fact that the children are dragged so young from the school room. We will build jails and then make the criminals to fill them. We won’t give them an opportunity to earn an honorable living before, but we will keep them for nothing after they have been forced to commit crime. Mother Jones, in closing, urged that a committee be appointed to hear the grievances of the employes and then confer with the mill owners and see if some agreement cannot be reached.
Following out her suggestion, the following committee was appointed: Joseph Johns, Patrick Toolan, A. F. Padden, D. M. Davis, Thomas Mooney, Bartley Bighlin, John Walsh, John Scanlon, George Spall and John Hermes. A meeting of the employes will be held and the committee, after becoming thoroughly acquainted with the circumstances, will wait on the operators and endeavor to effect a settlement. About fifty new members were enrolled into the union last night.
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[Paragraph break added.]
From The Indianapolis News of November 29, 1900:
MOVE ON WEST VIRGINIA
———-THAT STATE TO HAVE MANY MINERS’ MEETINGS.
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Strong Effort to be Made to Organize the Men
-Mining Officials Sent There.The United Mine Workers have determined to concentrate the work of organizing the miners in West Virginia, and beginning next Monday the Fairmont, Kanawha, New River and Pocahontas fields will be the scenes of many meetings. Chris Evans, former manager of the United Mine Workers’ Journal, has gone to take charge of the Fairmont region, with headquarters at Fairmont; John P. Reese, former national board member, but now president of the Iowa miners, will go to the Kanawha and the New River fields, next Monday; G. W. Purcell, national board member, from Terre Haute, Ind., has also been ordered to West Virginia.
“Mother” Jones, of anthracite fame, will spend some time among the New river and Kanawha miners. It is believed that she will have more influence with the men and their families than any other person. Henry Stephenson, national board member, of East, Bank. W. Va., will direct the men in the New river and Kanawha fields. National board member W. R. Fairley, of Pratt City, Ala., will also take a hand.
S. C. Harless, president of district No. 17, the only one in the State, in a proclamation dated at Dege [?], calls on the miners to “get together.” He says that no strike is contemplated, but the men should join the United Mine Workers’ and prepare to protect their interests. Henry Stephenson also signs the proclamation. Other organizers who have been ordered to West Virginia are Coleman and Crawford, of Ohio; Jeremiah, of Illinois; Warner and Haggerty, of Pennsylvania; Poynter, of West Virginia; Samuel Broskill, secretary of the block district of Indiana, and Golden, of West Virginia.
John Mitchell, national president, was urged to take part in the demonstrations in West Virginia mining towns, but said he could not get away.
“Our office mail is enormous,” said he, “and keeps me very busy here. It is the largest of any labor body in the world, except, those organizations whose members pay direct to the national office. This general move on West Virginia is to organize the men preparatory to making the State, if possible, one of those in the joint movement. We have secured many advances for West Virginia miners in the past year. Some advances have been 10 cents a ton, or about 20 per cent. The lowest wages are paid in the Pocahontas fields.”…..
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From the Carbondale Leader of November 30, 1900:
HUNDREDS HEAR “MOTHER” JONES.
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She Spoke To a Large Audience in
St. Rose Hall on Wednesday.Mother Mary Jones, visited this city on Wednesday and in the evening spoke to a large audience in St. Rose hall. She had made arrangements to visit this city about the middle of December, but, hearing of the strike of the silk mill employes, decided to come here earlier hoping she might in some way contribute to a settlement of the difficulties.
The meeting opened at eight oclock and by that hour the pretty hall was crowded with silk mill employes, their friends and other adherents to unionism. The meeting was presided over by Henry Collins, the miners executive committeeman. On the stage were a number of other union representatives and about fifty silk mill children. Their appearance had a marked effect and caused many remarks on the subject of child labor.
Mr. Collins said that the silk mill employes were asking for fair play and wanted to take advantage of the meeting to present their grievances to the people. He introduced Edward Fagan, the president of the silk mill employes union. The young man explained bow the wages of the hands had naturally been cut because the hands have to prepare silk enough without remuneration, to make up for the pieces broken from the crates on which the silk is weighed.
[…..]
Mr. Collins then introduced Mother Jones. In doing so he paid her a high compliment as one or labors truest friends and said that no other person had more to do in the successful termination of the recent miners’ strike than had Mother Jones. As she took her position at the front of the stage she was greeted by a storm of applause. She greeted her audience thus:
“Mr. Chairman, Friends, Enemies and Fellow Toilers.”
OUR FIRST STRIKE.
[Said the speaker:]
The American people were born in strikes, and now in the closing days of the nineteenth century even the children must strike for justice. Manhood, right and justice were behind the strike of the Revolution and as is always the case they eventually won. In those days there were no silk mill nor coal mine robbers; each man had to dig for his own money. We are confronted today by the blackest system of slavery the world has ever seen, wage slavery; and we propose to fight it till the last robber is driven out and we don’t propose to do it with getting guns either, do you hear! (Laughter) In the old days of slavery the men and women of the nation heard the sobs of the parents and children and they broke the bonds which made these people slaves, but in the latter part of this great century we are making slaves of our children; we are putting them in the mines and breakers to take the places of our men. The worship of the dollar has turned our parents into slave sellers. For $10 or $12 a month they sell their children to the mill owners to pile up wealth for the plutocrats to send their children across the ocean for a change of air.The fathers and mothers of today have lost their manhood and are robbing their children of the schooling and other privileges God designed for them. We are raising a race of scrawny, puny children, stifled in our mills in both body and morals.
I know by experience that in some cases the little workers in these mills are not seven years of age. The humane societies are caring for the welfare of the cats and dogs while close by are double the number of children giving up their life blood that the rich men’s children may have more luxuries. It is no wonder there are so many suicides and such crowded asylums and prison. If I had my way the penitentiaries would be opened and the inmates given freedom and then we could go down to Wall street and put those robbers in.
When yon donated lands to that mill and issued bonds, why didn’t you issue bonds to all the people and run the mill yourselves. If you had, you wouldn’t have this strike now.
WAS CONGRATULATED.
Mother Jones then urged her hearers to get together and appoint a committee to investigate the hands’ grievances and then go to the operators and try and get them to right the wrongs.
[She said:]
The churches and the people forget their duty when they stand by and see these children suffer so.
Then she advised the strikers to stand by each other and to be firm till they get what they ask for. Many times the speaker was interrupted by applause and when she concluded many went forward to congratulate her.
Chairman Collins then pleaded for the strikers. He said that without the support of all the union men their cause was hopeless and that it is for the people of the city to say whether or not the children go back defeated or successful.
On motion of Hon. Thomas Mooney, a vote of thanks was given Mother Jones and a committee was appointed to .mediate between the employes and the silk mill people. ….
The officers of the silk mill union then invited any of the non-union employes who wished to join, to step forward. There were forty-five names added to the roll making in all about 150. It was announced that the silk mill employes will meet in St. Rose hall on Saturday night. An invitation is extended to all of the workers whether they belong to the union or not. The committee appointed at the meeting will meet with them and listen to the grievances, get a statement of the concessions asked and then wait on the silk mill managers and endeavor to effect a settlement.
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Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES & IMAGES
Wilkes-Barre Daily News
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 27, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/204352571/
Scranton Tribune
(Scranton, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 29, 1900
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026355/1900-11-29/ed-1/seq-2/
The Indianapolis News
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
-Nov 29, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/40042377/
Carbondale Leader
(Carbondale, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 30, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/638780547/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Scranton Tx p1, Oct 13, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/534727906/
See also:
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
Part III: Found Speaking on Christianity and Anarchy in Vandling, PA
Nov 1, 1900-Dayton Herald: Women of the Coal Strike by Catherine Wilson: Mother Jones, Joan of Arc
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65713546/nov-1-1900-famous-coal-strike-womans/
Nov 17, 1900-Appeal to Reason p2: Mother Jones…”there is only one” -previous featured in Hellraisers Journal as published by St Louis Post Dispatch.
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/appeal-to-reason/001117-appealtoreason-w259.pdf
Nov 21, 1900-Freeland Tribune: “How Pennsylvania Coal Miners Work and Live” -with drawings: “Mother Mary Jones, queen of the miners”
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87080287/1900-11-21/ed-1/seq-2/
Tag: Pennsylvania Silk Mill Workers Strikes of 1900
https://weneverforget.org/tag/pennsylvania-silk-mill-workers-strikes-of-1900/
Tag: Great Anthracite Strike of 1900
https://weneverforget.org/tag/great-anthracite-strike-of-1900/
Carroll D. Wright
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_D._Wright
From: The Correspondence of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
U of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ2xAAAAIAAJ
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435
page 3: Nov 30, 1900-From Mother Jones at Hazleton, PA, to John Mitchell at UMWA HQ in Indianapolis, IN.
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435/viewer#page/54/mode/2up
Mother writes to “Comrade Mitchell” re friction between [Benjamin] James [member UMW executive board] and [Thomas Duffy [President UMW District 7]. She considers James to be “a dangerous man” and Duffy to be ”an honest sober straight forward fellow.”
Mother states that she had fine meetings at Carbondale and Vandling, PA. She states she is ready and willing to go to West Virginia: “Just say the word and I am off. Suffering Humanity needs our best efforts and we Should not Spare ourselves particularly the Slaves of the Caves need to be Saved.”
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Hard Times Cotton Mill Girls – Hedy West
Hard Times Cotton Mills Girls – Lester Smallwood