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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 28, 1919
Mother Jones News for November 1919, Part I
Found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Washington, D. C.
From The Survey of November 8, 1919
-taken from “Closed Towns” by S. Adele Shaw:
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[One] evening I went to a meeting of strikers [held in Braddock, Pennsylvania]. All was quiet as I made my way toward the river. Down a poorly lighted street, so dark I could scarcely see the curb, I found the men standing, filling the vacant lot before the door of the hall which was packed, and on the sidewalks and street, but not blocking either. There was neither noise nor excitement. “Mother Jones goin’ to speak.” “Come on, lady.” And the men held up their arms to open a passage for me. The hall was jammed. Sweat stood on every forehead.
The first speaker was J. G. Brown of the Pittsburgh strike committee. I had heard him the summer before in the mill towns telling the men what the eight-hour day would mean for them and their families, urging them to take out their papers and become citizens, and never failing to impress upon them the necessity of obeying the laws of the town, state and the country. Then came the deep clear voice of a woman, filling every corner of the hall. I stood on tiptoe and saw the grey hair of Mother Jones, the woman agitator of the mining districts of Colorado and West Virginia, who with the rough speech and ready invective of the old-time labor spell binder, has exerted a powerful influence over the striking steel workers. At her first words there was complete silence. Though practically all were foreigners, not a man in the hall appeared to miss a word.
[Mother Jones said:]
We’re going to have a hell of a fight here, boys. We are to find out whether Pennsylvania belongs to Gary or to Uncle Sam. If it belongs to Gary we are going to take it away from him. We can scare and starve and lick the whole gang when we get ready…The eyes of the world are on us today. They want to see if America can make the fight…Our boys went over there. You were told to clean up the Kaiser. Well, you did it. And now we’re going to clean up the damned Kaisers at home…They sit up and smoke seventy-five cent cigars and have a lackey bring them champagne. They have stomachs two miles long and two miles wide and we fill them…Remember when all was dark in Europe and Columbus said, “I see a new land,” they laughed. But the Queen of Spain sold her jewels and Columbus went to it…He died in poverty, but he gave us this nation and you and I aren’t going to let Gary take it from us…If he wants fourteen hours he can go in and work it himself…We don’t want guns. We want to destroy guns. We want honest men to keep the peace. We want music and play grounds and the things to make life worth while…Now, you fellows go on out. I want to talk to the other boys.
From The Blacksmiths Journal of November 1919
-from the Report of General Vice President Phillips:
General Vice President Wm. L. Phillips
Pittsburgh, Pa., Oct. 16, 1919.
Editor Journal:
[…..]
Horrors Upon Horrors
The worst gangs that it has been the lot of Organizers to run up against we find in the sheriff, some of the local police, the United States Steel Corporation “bulls,” and the state constabulary. They arrest men because they walk the streets, or for standing in front of their own homes. These victims are fined anywhere from $10 to $100 and then are told that if they will return to work their fines will be remitted and are told this in the country that sent three million men to Europe to fight to make the world free for democracy. Organizers are arrested if they are on the street, and fined and told they have no business here as they are not citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The state constabulary will ride their horses right through the homes of the strikers and into business houses. One case here is simply beyond description. The wife of a striker was working in her kitchen (and this lady soon to become a mother) when one of the cossacks rode right through the house and so frightened the poor woman that she dropped a large pan of boiling water and scalded herself in a terrible condition.
We are forced to cry out when we see such things, and wonder what the pioneer, Wm. Penn, would say if he could walk through the streets and see a man standing with his foot held to the side walk by the hoof of a horse, ridden by a cossack, and being clubbed because he would not move when he was told to, when it was impossible to do so on account of the horse.
And then to see a big burly policeman pull Mother Jones, organizer of the United Mine Workers, out of an automobile and haul her off to jail just because she was using the right of every American, of free speech. However, before they got through with Mother they were sorry that they brought her in…..
From The Pittsburg Press of November 2, 1919:
Leaders in Meeting Here Talk of Drastic Moves
—–A state-wide strike that would result in the tieup of all industries in Pennsylvania or else, the formation of a labor party with James H. Maurer, as its leader, president of the State Federation of Labor, may result from the protest meeting being held in the Labor temple attended by nearly 500 delegates representing almost very branch of industry and involving more than 750,000 men.
The convention adjourned last night to meet again this morning when resolutions will be introduced upon which the delegates will vote and which will decide the course to be pursued to “defend the civil rights and constitutional liberties of working people of this state.” That one of the alternatives named above would be adopted was indicated in speeches by President Maurer, Attorney W. B. Rubin, counsel for the national steel committee, George B. Rowand, chairman of the Railway Trainmen legislative board, and Mrs. George E. Morton of Berwick, Pa., president of the textile workers…..
William Z. Foster, secretary of the National committee to organize iron and steel workers, discussed the events leading up to the steel strike.
“Mother” Jones and Miss Pauline Newman of New York, president of the Women’s Trade Union league, also addressed the delegates.
Speakers from bodies other than steel strikers pledged their financial support to the commissaries being set up here to feed the striking mill workers.
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From The Washington Times of November 12, 1919:
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MINE CONFAB WILL SETTLE STRIKE
ISSUE, SAY LEADERS
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By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS.
(I. N. S. Staff Correspondent.)
With all the chances in favor of success crowning their efforts at a settlement, according to Secretary of Labor Wilson today, the representatives of the bituminous coal miners and the operators will meet in the Auditorium of the Department of the Interior Friday at 11 a. m.
Conferences May Be Public.
Secretary Wilson will preside, and it is expected that several hundred miners and employers will be present. It is believed about 150 delegates from the miners [United Mine Workers of America] will be on hand, perhaps more, and operators from all parts of the United States may choose to appear in person.
“I hope for an early adjustment of grievances between the miners and operators,” Secretary of Labor Wilson said this morning following his appearance at the Capitol as a witness before the Congressional Housing Commission.
“I will have nothing further to say on the question until the meeting on Friday,” he continued. Mr. Wilson would not discuss the possible terms which may be advanced by the Government for the settlement of the differences.
The Secretary of Labor favors negotiations taking place in public. As yet he has not heard from either side of the controversy concerning their attitude on open meetings, so this part of the still incomplete program is subject to change…..
Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES
Quote Mother Jones, Raise Hell in Jail, Gary IN Oct 23, NYT p2, Oct 24, 1919
https://www.newspapers.com/image/20608089
The Survey, Volume 43
(New York, New York)
-Oct 1919-March 1920
Survey Associates, 1919
https://books.google.com/books?id=MoEbAQAAMAAJ
Survey of Nov 8, 1919
p58-“Closed Towns” by S. Adele Shaw w Photos
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=MoEbAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA58
p60-S. Adele Shaw describes speech by Mother Jones:
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=MoEbAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA60
The Blacksmiths Journal Vol 21
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Jan-Dec 1919
https://books.google.com/books?id=-3k2AQAAIAAJ
Nov 1919 -p32-33 re MJ in W. PA
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=-3k2AQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.RA10-PA32
The Pittsburg Press
(Pittsburg, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 2, 1919
https://www.newspapers.com/image/141312675
The Washington Times
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Nov 12, 1919
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1919-11-12/ed-1/seq-1/
IMAGE
GSS, Mother Jones, WZF, Organizers, Survey p64, Nov 8, 1919
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=MoEbAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA64
See also:
Tag: Great Steel Strike of 1919
https://weneverforget.org/tag/great-steel-strike-of-1919/
Tag: Great Coal Strike of 1919
https://weneverforget.org/tag/great-coal-strike-of-1919/
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday November 20, 1919
Mother Jones News for October 1919, Part I
Found with Steel Strikers of New York, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania
Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 21, 1919
Mother Jones News for October 1919, Part II
Found in Indiana Encouraging Wives of Steel Strikers to Raise Hell
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The Homestead Strike Song – Joe Glazer