I am loyally yours for a damn fine fight.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday December 16, 1916
Mother Jones Found in Washington D. C. During November
We pause to review the activities of Mother Jones, that fearless champion of the cause of working-class men, women and children in their struggle for industrial freedom. We first find her remembered for her work on behalf of the children of the mills when she led them on the March of the Mill Children during the summer of 1903.
From the Iowa Bayard Advocate of November 2, 1916:
TENEMENT CHILDREN WILL
VISIT WILSON
—–
Their Welcome Will Be Unlike That
Once Given at Oyster Bay.
—–
New York, Oct. 28.-Fifty mothers of New York’s east side, with their children, who have been emancipated from sweatshops by the enactment of
the child labor law, are going to Shadow Lawn, Saturday, in person to thank President Wilson.
A “kind lady,” who prefers to conceal her identity, has donated a special car to be attached to one of the trains bearing pilgrims from New York to Shadow Lawn to hear the president’s address on “Wilson day.” The children will carry armsful of artificial flowers which they used to make in the factories, before their emancipation.
No such pilgrimage of the children of the poor has been attempted since the one when Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States and a carload of children from the Pennsylvania coal mines [textile mills] journeyed to the summer capital at Oyster Bay to petition for a national child labor law.
“Mother Jones,” who conducted that excursion, told recently in public of the refusal of the guards at Oyster Bay to allow the children to pass the outer gate, and of their return home to wait 14 years for a Woodrow Wilson to set them free.
[Photograph added.]
———-
From The Arizona Daily Star of November 14, 1916:
We find the kept press of Tucson gleeful over the defeat (at least for now) of Governor Hunt in his bid for re-election. The Star takes special note of the role played by our own Mother Jones during the campaign.
Now that the tumult and the shouting has died and the battle is lost and won politicians are busy analyzing the results of the election. The result of the governorship fight is conceded to be nothing less than a revolt against Huntism and whether or not the governor is found to have been re-elected, it is unanimously granted that he has been eliminated for politics. Indeed, some of the wise ones in his own party figure that Hunt’s re-election by a majority of less than two hundred would more effectively eliminate him than for him to be defeated by an equal number of votes.
The basic issue in the election was the people as a whole versus union labor and its selfish programs.
Hunt was openly endorsed by the state convention of the state federation of labor and it advertised him as its candidate. It was this convention which was dominated by the Western Federation of Miners and the endorsement was in repayment for Hunt’s aid in the Clifton-Morenci strike. Sheriff Cash, defeated at the primary and again, as an independent, at election also had the endorsement of union labor. Hunt, Adjutant General Harris and Cash were the three majordomos of the striking miners, most of whom could not speak English….
Mother of Discord.
Mother Jones, the notorious firebrand, was also a factor in the wrecking of the Hunt machine, for she insulted every decent element in the state by her foul expressions. At the city hall plaza meeting, there was seen the remarkable contrast of a minister praying and Mother Jones exhorting.
As one wit put it, “The minister put Jesus Christ upon a pedestal and Mother Jones promptly knocked him down.”…..
Note: Thomas Campbell, former mine owner, defeated Governor Hunt by only 30 votes out of the 55,000 total cast. The election results will very likely be contested.
From The Washington Times of November 16, 1916:
Mother Jones Conveys Greetings
to Wilson
—–Mother Jones, “angel of the mining camps,” called at the White House today and conveyed to President Wilson, through Secretary Tumulty, her congratulations on his re-election.
“I want to congratulate him on our great victory,” she said.
From the Bismarck Daily Tribune of November 19, 1916:
GOMPERS AND MOTHER JONES
GREET WILSON
—–Head Delegation of Federation of Labor
to Congratulate the President.
—–
EXECUTIVE URGES JUSTICE WITH HEART IN IT
—–
Would Wipe Out All Class Divisions
And Class Consciousness.
—–Washington, Nov. 18.-President Wilson told a delegation from the American Federation of Labor late today that all class feeling in America should be wiped out by the establishment of a “justice with a heart in it.” He declared that no one who fails to work for this end is qualified to call himself a true American.
March to White House.
The delegation comprised the membership of the Federation’s annual convention, which has been meeting in Baltimore. The delegates came to Washington in special cars, and marched to the White House headed by a band, to congratulate the president on his re-election. Samuel Gompers, president of the Federation, acted as their spokesman, declaring labor people had come to recognize that Wilson stands for freedom and righteousness.
“We have taken joy in upholding your right hand in your work,” said Mr. Gompers.
Deeply Gratified.
“I need not say that, coming to me as you do, on such an errand, I am very deeply gratified and very greatly cheered,” said the president, in reply. “It would be impossible for me off-hand to say just what thoughts are stirred in me by what Mr. Gompers has said to me as your spokesman, but perhaps the simplest thing I can say is, after all, the meat of the whole matter. What I have tried to do is not only to get rid of any class division in this country, but of any class consciousness and feeling….
Mother Jones Here.
…After the speeches all the delegates shook hands with the president.
“Look out for my boys,” said Mother Jones, as she greeted Mr. Wilson.
———-
Note: Sadly, William B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor and close friend of Mother Jones, was unable to attend the White House meeting with the labor delegation due to the tragic death of his brother in a mining accident in Pennsylvania. The Washington Evening Star of November 19th reported:
SECRETARY’S BROTHER DEAD
—–
Labor Department Head Goes to
Funeral-Mine Fatality.William B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor, was obliged to cancel his appointment to go to the White House yesterday with delegates from the American Federation of Labor because he had received a telegram stating that his brother was killed in a mine accident at St. Benedict. Pa.
Secretary Wilson, accompanied by his daughter, Miss Mary Wilson, and his son Joseph P. Wilson, left Washington at 10:45 o’clock last night to attend the funeral.
Joseph Wilson, who was killed in the mine accident, was two years younger than the Secretary. He was fifty-two years of age, and a skilled miner, Secretary Wilson was formerly a miner, and was secretary-treasure of the Miners’ Union before coming to Congress.
The dead man leaves a wife and five daughters.
———-
SOURCES
The Bayard Advocate
(Bayard, Iowa)
-Nov 2, 1916
https://www.newspapers.com/image/33815286/
The Arizona Daily Star
(Tucson, Arizona)
-Nov 14, 1916
https://www.newspapers.com/image/163523289/
Mother Jones, the Miners’ Angel: A Portrait
-by Dale Fetherling
Southern Illinois University Press, 1974
https://books.google.com/books?id=IaWxAAAAIAAJ
The Washington Times
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Nov 16, 1916
https://www.newspapers.com/image/79977750/
Bismarck Daily Tribune
(Bismarck, North Dakota)
-Nov 19, 1916
https://www.newspapers.com/image/77781866/
The Evening Star
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Nov 19, 1916, page 14
http://www.genealogybank.com/
IMAGE
Mother Mary Harris Jones, Logansport, IN, Sept 27, 1916
https://www.newspapers.com/image/32403158/
See also:
Keating-Owen Child labor Act of 1916
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating-Owen_Act
Hellraisers Journal: Review of John Spargo’s “The Bitter Cry of the Children” from The New York Times
http://caucus99percent.com/content/hellraisers-journal-review-john-spargos-bitter-cry-children-new-york-times
Hellraisers Journal: Review of John Spargo’s “The Bitter Cry of the Children,” Enslaved at Ages 4 & 5!
http://caucus99percent.com/content/hellraisers-journal-review-john-spargos-bitter-cry-children%E2%80%9D-enslaved-ages-4-5
Tag: The March of the Mill Children
http://www.dailykos.com/news/TheMarchoftheMillChildren
Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones, The Stormy Petrel, Campaigns for Whiskey and Governor Hunt in Arizona
https://weneverforget.org/hj-9-2-1916-hellraisers-journal-mother-jones-the-stormy-petrel-campaigns-for-whiskey-and-governor-hunt-in-arizona/
William Bauchop Wilson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bauchop_Wilson
Mother speaks in January 1916 of working with W. B Wilson in her earlier days:
http://caucus99percent.com/content/hellraisers-journal-god-almighty-wants-me-live-long-enough-raise-hell-you-mother-jones
Letter from Tom Mooney to Mother Jones
San Francisco, Cal.
Nov. 25, 1916.
County Jail No. 1, Cell No. 29.Mother Jones,
Care of United Mine Workers
Indianopolis, Ind.
My Dear Frind & Comrade:The last time I wrote you I was asking your aid to help dig some other fellow out of the Bosses Bastille.
This time it is to try to enlist your support moral, financial and economic to the end that I my wife and three others may again walk in free air, to fight in labors ranks once more.
We are all indited on eight charges of murder, as a result of the bomb explosion that happened during the preparedness parade in this City on July 22, of this year.
I might write at length on the details of this fight for your special benifit, but you know the struggle well enough. It is the same old story in this case. Though some try to make it a little different.
This is one time that they have made the whole frameup, out of the whole cloth, and apparently they intend to make it stick, or at least they did so far. One of [our?] Boys Warren K. Billings, was convicted and sentenced to Life imprisonment as a result.
I am the next to be tried, Jan. 3, 1917 is the date set for the battle to begin.
We have been very fortunate in securing the services of the formost attorney of the Country Bourke Cockran to take up our case free of charge as a result of Frank P. Walsh,interceeding for us in a measure.
It will devolve on the defense to at least pay his personal as well as his court expenses which will be very high.
Frank P. Walsh is also comming to the Coast to take up our cases, and Geo. West, Special Investigator, For the U. S. Industrial Relations Commission will soon start to write up the police conspiracy frame up for all of the labor papers as well as all others that will print what he will write. West arrived in town a few days ago.
We are making a desperate effort to gain a new trial for Billings which all takes lots of money and the defense is at this time depleated.
I wrote John P. White Pres. of the United Mine Workers, about the cases and he never answered my letter. I asked him if he would send me a list of the names and addresses of the Secretarys of the locals the Mine Workers throughout the Country so we could give our cases the desired publicity and appeal for funds. I have not heard from him at all.
Mother, I am enclosing you some of the Publicity gotten out by myself also some put out by the Defense League. I hope you will find time to give what ever help your health and energy will permitt you to when you read this stuff, I am sending you, as we sure need not only your help but the help of all others.
I wish it were possible for you to come to the Coast to look over the situation and take up the platform in the larger Cities at advertised meetings as a forerunner to other work needed in order to insure success in our coming trials.
I wish you would make an effort to get the United Mine Workers Local Union Secretary Directory. and if you have any influence with Adolph Germer, Sec’y of the Socialist Party at Chicago, to get from hi[m] if it is possible the list of the addresses of the Socialist Party locals in all parts of the Country. So they can be circularized by our publicity committee and at the same time an appeal for funds. I have been a member of the Party for the last nine years and an active member at that.
I went thru the country on the Red Special with Debs in 1908 and while on that trip I met Germer and Frank Hayes on the train while it was in the state of Illinoise.
The Socialist Party Here is not much, as they tried twice to help the corporation to send me to the prison in the way of putting me out of the party when I was in jail and charged with crime and the corporation was bending every effort to get me with the aid of two of the ablest lawyers as special prosecutors working with the Dist. Atty. and compelling the Sheriff who was such for 25 years in succession to sit at the Dist. Atty.’s table to aid in selection of the Jury, that would convict. The only reason that I was not put out of the Party was that I was a member of the Hungarinag [Hungarian?] Branch and they said if you put Mooney out, You will have to put the whole branch out.
Debs has written an article about our case in the Rip Saw and the Melting Pot. The Appeal to Reason will carry a story about our case Dec. 2, that will be this Sat.
I have written to Pres. Mahon of the Street Carmens Union and he has not even answered my letter. One of the greatest reasons for my being in jail today is the fact that I tried to organize the carmen of this city, and failed in my effort just one week before the bomb went off.
I am enclosing you other matters of detail about my own as well as the general league publicity gotten out in our behalf.
I hope your health and tireless spirit will permit you to lend us a helping hand, for we sure need it. The defense treasurey is at this writting depleated.
I go to trial Jan. 3, and no money on hand to do many kinds of very necessary work. This is one time that Labor has all of the facts with it. We are absolutely innocent, of the crime or any Knowledge of it.
Hoping to hear from You,
Fraternally and Sincerely Yours in Labors Fight,
Tom Mooney
Note: letter presented as written.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCE
The Correspondence of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ2xAAAAIAAJ
See also:
Tom Mooney
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Mooney
Warren K Billings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_K_Billings
Mooney-Billings Case
http://spartacus-educational.com/USAmooneycase.htm
The Tour of the Red Special by Charles Lapworth
https://archive.org/stream/TheTourOfTheRedSpecial1908/081200-lapworth-redspecial#page/n0/mode/2up
Note: The Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes of America, W. D. Mahon, President, did eventually rally to the defense of Mooney. From The Motorman and Conductor (Official Journal) of December 1918, see “The Mooney Convention”:
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=i6MuAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PT35
Dedicated to Joseph Wilson, aged 52, died 1916,
-brother of William B Wilson