Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Vincent St. John, “The interest of wage workers the world over is bound together.”

13th August 20187th August 2018 Janet RayeFrank Little

[In Lawrence] they were striking
to maintain the human race
in that part of the country—and all over—
because the interest of wage workers
the world over is bound together.
-Vincent St. John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 13, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – I.W.W. Trial, The Saint Takes the Stand

The Saint Speaks on the Workers’ Right to Life

On August 6th, Defendant Vincent St. John, former General Secretary-Treasurer of Industrial Workers of World, took the stand. Harrison George offers the following report:

From the beginning of the trial the prosecution harped upon that sentence in St. John’s “History and Structure of the I. W. W.,” which says: “The question of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ does not concern us.”
Q. Why did you put those words in quotation marks?

[Answer:] For the reason that in every struggle the wage earners have made during my experience, no matter what they have done, the exponents of the employing class, the press, platform, politicians of all degrees and stripes, have always told them that no matter what they were after, that it was not ‘right’; something they did was ‘wrong.’ The only time a strike is ‘right’ with them is when you have no chance to win it; when they want you to strike; when they want to wipe out whatever vestige of organization you have, then the strike is ‘right,’ that is, a good time to strike.

The Lawrence strike was not entirely a question of getting better wages for those mill operatives, but it was a question that involved the very life and death not only of the men, women and children who were on strike, but also of unborn generations of these same operatives. The death rate in that section among children is 400 out of every 1,000 before they are 1 year of age.

When they were striking in Lawrence they were striking not only for an immediate proposition, but they were striking to save the lives of those 400 unborn children, if you please. They were striking to maintain the human race in that part of the country—and all over—because the interest of wage workers the world over is bound together.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: With Silk Ribbons, Red & Black, Fellow Workers “Remember August 1, 1917”

12th August 20187th August 2018 Janet RayeFrank Little

Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 12, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Defendants Honor Frank Little

Report on the Chicago I. W. W. Trial from Harrison George:

Trial Notes: Thursday August 1, 1918

9 A. M. on August 1 every defendant appeared, wearing upon his breast two strips of silk ribbon, red and black, attached to a small button bearing the picture of Frank H. Little, and upon which were inscribed the words, “Remember August 1, 1917.” This anniversal tribute to the memory of our murdered fellow worker aroused no small comment among the deputies and court attaches.

The first witness on that day was C. O. Carlson of Minot, North Dakota, who had hired I. W. W. threshing crews season after season without having anything horrible happen to either himself or the machinery. Charles W. Westphal of Outlook, Montana, who followed him, told much the same story. Westphal farms1,400 acres of land in co-operation with three brothers. When asked how ranchers’ crops would get along without migratory workers, he said, “I don’t know; that’s a question I couldn’t answer.” Westphal said he always hired all the organized men he could get.

“How do you know they are organized in the I. W. W.?” asked [Prosecutor] Porter.

“Because I always demand their red cards,” was the reply.

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: “Free speech is necessary to social change and to maintain freedom.” -J. A. McDonald

11th August 20187th August 2018 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

“Yaas,” said the farmer reflectively,
“all the I.W.W. fellers I’ve met
seemed to be pretty decent lads,
but them ‘alleged I.W.W.’s’ must be holy frights.”
-Little Red Songbook, 1919
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 11, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – J. A. McDonald on Free Speech and Freedom

Report on the Chicago I. W. W. Trial from Harrison George:

John A. McDonald, editor of the “Industrial Worker,” occupied the chair for some length of time. He told of the origin of his ideas and how his experiences in the southern timber strike had made an I. W. W. of him.

[He said:]

The experience of all thinkers in the past is that free speech is necessary to social change and to maintain freedom.

[Photograph added.]

Trial Notes: Tuesday July 30, 1918:

On the morning of July 30, Chas. Thompson and Corporal Reynolds were recalled by Vanderveer. They told the jury that when leaving the court room the day before they had been arrested and detained by Department of Justice men in the office of Hinton G. Clabaugh. Over Nebeker’s strenuous objection they told of this attempt to intimidate defense witnesses and said that other soldier witnesses might be fearful of coming to testify. It was rumored about the court that Judge Landis had told Nebeker privately that if another soldier witness would be treated that way he would dismiss the case by a directed verdict. Following this, three Finnish witnesses were called in support of Laukki’s story that the registration trouble in Minnesota was a Finnish issue solely.

Fred Jaakkola, also an editor of “Industrialisti,” and a defendant, contradicted a government witness by proving by a church certificate that he was not a “slacker,” having been born in 1885. Nebeker in a nasty-mannered examination of the big, stolid Finn, thought to get an acknowledgement that Finlanders called a “slacker” a martyr or a hero. “Slacker” had been mentioned and Nebeker said, “You know what I mean by a slacker, don’t you?” “Yes,” said Jaakkola. “By the way,” said Nebeker, “what do you Finns call a slacker?’” “We call it ‘Vitkastelija,’” replied Jaakkola, and everybody laughed. And that was all the answer Nebeker got.

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Hellraisers Journal: Migratory Workers Riding the Rods, Riding the Bumpers, and on the Blind Baggage

10th August 20185th August 2018 Janet RayeFree Speech Fights

Then we’ll sing one song of the poor and ragged tramp,
He carries his home on his back;
Too old to work, he’s not wanted ’round the camp,
So he wanders without aim along the track.
-Joe Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 10, 1908
Chicago, Illinois – “How Hoboes Ride on Trains Free.”

From The Inter Ocean of August 9, 1908:

CHICAGO being the greatest railroad center of the United States it is naturally the center of population for most of the hobos of the country at one season of the year or another. The train crews of all the great railroads and the guards in the big railroad yards of this city could tell some exciting stories of conflicts with the men who ride for nothing on the railroads, as hundreds are brought in here and go out every day.

Every body knows that there is a class of people called hobos. Everybody has heard of almost unbelievable rips, completed in almost unbelievable time, considering that not a cent of railroad fare is ever paid.

Many have spent time wondering how it is done, but when, upon inquiry, it is learned that it is a simple matter of “riding the bumpers” or “straddling the rods,” the recipient of the information is still in the dark as to the ways and means employed….

The following drawings are included in the article:

Riding the Rods

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Socialist Woman: City of Los Angeles Locks-Up Socialist Women for Speaking on Streets

9th August 20185th August 2018 Janet RayeFree Speech Fights

You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 9, 1908
Los Angeles – Socialist Women Raise Hell for Free Speech

From The Socialist Woman of August 1908:

SOCIALIST WOMEN IN JAIL.

Four Socialist women—Mrs. Bertha M. Dailey, Mrs. Alice Vail Holloway, Mrs. Helen A. Collins, Mrs. Cloudsley Johns—all of Los Angeles, have been spending the warm days of July in the jail of that city. This, for speaking on the streets of Los Angeles—the City of Angels.

The Los Angeles Herald asks, editorially, “Why arrest scholarly, reﬁned, delicately nurtured, women, mothers of families, and irreproachable members of society, and allow men to exercise with impunity the right of free speech?…Salvation Army speakers, evangelists, and other reformers are not interfered with…The worst feature of all this wretched display of prejudice and lack of good judgment is in the fact that all the leading newspapers of the land—ALL—have published accounts of the arrest of the little women and the immunity of the big men, and are commenting on it unreservedly. Los Angeles may well afford to do without this kind of advertising, and we think the chamber of commerce should call a special meeting to review this whole subject, and set our city right before the United States of America.”

In the meantime, the “little women” are doing a good stroke of agitation work for the Socialist movement. They are advertising the Los Angeles movement as it was never advertised before, and are creating sympathy where it never before existed. A daintily gotten-up “At Home” card sent out by them, reads as follows:

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: Poem by Charlotte Perkins Stetson, “The Lost Game”

8th August 20184th August 2018 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

Mother Jones Quote, Suffer Little Children, CIR May 14, 1915
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 8, 1898
“Lo! we have spread for you a merry game…”

From the Appeal to Reason of August 6, 1898:

“The Lost Game” by Charlotte Perkins Stetson

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Hellraisers Journal: “3 A. M. in Jail” Poem by Comrade Louise Olivereau from State Prison at Canon City, Colorado

7th August 20184th August 2018 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

Quote Thoreau, L. Olivereau Trial re Nov 1917
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 7, 1918
Canon City, Colorado – Poem from Imprisoned Anarchist Comrade

We have not forgotten our Comrade, Louise Olivereau, who is now serving a ten-year prison sentence at Colorado’s state prison. Miss Olivereau was convicted last November on charges of violating the Espionage Act due her her anti-war and anti-conscription writings.

From the Mother Earth Bulletin of April 1918:

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Fellow Worker Francis Miller on Early Death in the Textile Mills of New England

6th August 20183rd August 2018 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 6, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Francis Miller on Textile Mills and Early Death

Report on the Chicago I. W. W. Trial from Harrison George:

The first witness to take the stand on Monday, August 5, was Francis P. Miller, defendant and member of the General Executive Board. Miller was born in France in the region known as the Department of the Seine, where the great textile mills were before the war. He came to America in 1892, and has worked continuously in the textile mills of the east, and at the time of his arrest was employed by the American Woolen Company as inspector on government goods.

Testifying upon conditions in the textile mills of New England, Miller said:

The development in the textile industry has been both a development of machinery and the process of ‘speeding up.” In the cotton industry the looms and other machinery have been improved so that the worker produces 300 or 400 per cent more than he did a generation ago. In the woolen mills the machinery has not been improved to any great extent, but the workers usually have to run two machines where they ran one twenty years ago. The pay has increased a little, but not in keeping with the cost of living at all. Factory owners and trade papers say that production has increased one thousandfold, that is, over hand production. It has certainly increased 300 or 400 per cent in the last twenty-five years.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Duluth Labor World: Workingmen Demand Freedom for Tom Mooney

5th August 20183rd August 2018 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 5, 1918
Duluth, Minnesota – Workingmen Demand Freedom for Mooney

Labor mass meetings, demanding justice for Tom Mooney, were held across the nation on Sunday July 28th. The labor unions of Duluth, Minnesota, joined the nationwide protests, listened to speeches, and passed resolutions.

From The Labor World of August 3, 1918:

DULUTH WORKINGMEN ASK
“TOM” MOONEY’S FREEDOM
—–
Declare Condemned Man Was Convicted
on Perjured Evidence and Demand
He Be Granted New Trial Without Delay.
—–

Rena and Tom Mooney

Duluth workingmen, at a largely attended meeting held at Owls’ hall last Sunday evening [July 28th], joined in the nation-wide protest against the proposed legal murder of Thomas J. Mooney at San Francisco. A. G. Catlin of Duluth Typographical union served as chairman and speeches were made by W. E. Towne of Duluth and Arthur Le Sueur of St. Paul.

Mr. Towne reviewed the history of the Mooney case, pointing out that all other persons charged with being participants in the alleged conspiracy had been acquitted by juries, including Mrs. Mooney, wife of the condemned man. He revealed the fact that since Mooney was tried it has been conclusively proven and admitted by the attorney general of the state that two of the witnesses against him were self-confessed perjurers and had been so found in other cases where they seemed to have served as professional witnesses.

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Hellraisers Journal: Western Federation of Miners Drops Industrial Workers of the World; Constitution Amended

4th August 20183rd August 2018 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

Quote Mother Jones, UMWC, Indianapolis, July 19, 1902
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 4, 1908
Denver, Colorado – W. F. of M. Makes Break Official

The reporting by Luella Twining from the recent convention of the Western Federation of Miners, as published by the Appeal to Reason of August 1st, failed to mention that the convention, on July 22nd, officially severed all ties between the Federation and the Industrial Workers of the World. Other newspaper accounts did not ignore the rupture.

From the Illinois Moline Daily Dispatch of July 22, 1908:

WESTERN FEDERATION DROPS INDUSTRIALS
—–
Adopts Amendment to Constitution
Which Strikes Out All Reference to
Industrial Workers of the World.
—–

Denver, July 22.-The Western Federation of Miners today officially repudiated the Industrial Workers of the World by adopting an amendment to its constitution striking out the words “mining department of Industrial Workers of the World” where they appear and inserting in lieu thereof Western Federation of Miners.”

[Photograph added.]

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SOCIALIST WOMEN IN JAIL.

“The Lost Game” by Charlotte Perkins Stetson

DULUTH WORKINGMEN ASK “TOM” MOONEY’S FREEDOM —– Declare Condemned Man Was Convicted on Perjured Evidence and Demand He Be Granted New Trial Without Delay. —–

DULUTH WORKINGMEN ASK
“TOM” MOONEY’S FREEDOM
—–
Declare Condemned Man Was Convicted
on Perjured Evidence and Demand
He Be Granted New Trial Without Delay.
—–