Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Defends Thomas McGrady “to rescue the memory of a faithful and devoted comrade.” Part II

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Thomas McGrady found joy in social service
And his perfect consecration to his social ideals
Was the crowning glory of his life
And the bow of promise at his death.
-Eugene Victor Debs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday January 14, 1908
Eugene V. Debs Defends the Memory of Thomas McGrady, Part II

From the Appeal to Reason of January 11, 1908:

CALUMNIATING THE DEAD.

BY EUGENE V. DEBS.

[Part II]

Father Thomas McGrady, Arena, July 1907

Now, as to the next lie-and we must be excused for so characterizing these malicious calumnies-the lie that McGrady renounced the doctrines of Socialism. Five months prior to his death, when already stricken with what he knew to be his fatal illness, he wrote his last paper on “The Catholic Church and Socialism,” which appeared in the Arena for July, 1907. Let anyone who dare say that he renounced Socialism read this article, his last published word upon the subject, and find the least possible justification for such an atrocious libel. On the contrary, in this paper McGrady exposes the hypocrisy of the church, and its secret alliance with capitalism and reaffirms his absolute faith in the principles of the Socialist movement. This article, which may be regarded as McGrady’s last authoritative declaration, and which should be read, not only by every Catholic, but by every seeker after truth closes with the following paragraph:

The triumph of monopoly will swell the ranks of Socialism by the accession of the toilers and the middle professional class. Catholics will gradually break their allegiance with Rome, for necessity will compel them to join the army of revolutionists which the church condemns. The political character of the church will be revealed by her open defense of commercial and industrial despotism, for when there are only two classes she will be driven to the necessity of committing herself, and taking the side of the exploiter, the sacred charm of her mysterious influence will fade, religious rebellion will follow, and Rome will ultimately go down in ignominious defeat with her capitalistic allies.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Defends Thomas McGrady “to rescue the memory of a faithful and devoted comrade.” Part II” →

Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Defends Thomas McGrady “to rescue the memory of a faithful and devoted comrade.” Part I

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
Share

Thomas McGrady found joy in social service
And his perfect consecration to his social ideals
Was the crowning glory of his life
And the bow of promise at his death.
-Eugene Victor Debs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday January 13, 1908
Eugene V. Debs Defends the Memory of Thomas McGrady, Part I

From the Appeal to Reason of January 11, 1908:

CALUMNIATING THE DEAD.

BY EUGENE V. DEBS.

[Part I]

HMP, EVD, Eugene OR Guard, May 30, 1907

THE Appeal does not court religious or sectarian controversy. Its columns bear sufficient testimony of this fact. We may go farther and say that the Appeal, for obvious reasons, shrinks from such discussion and avoids it whenever possible. This has been the policy under the most extreme provocation, and when there is an exception to this rule it must be for good and sufficient reason. The Socialist movement is made up of people of all religions, and of no religion at all, the same as any other political party; and no more than any other political party does it interfere with the religious beliefs of its adherents. This is well known to every Socialist.

The charge so frequently made that the Socialist party is an irreligious party and that its aim is to destroy the church and wipe out religion is simply a made-to-order falsehood, one of the many coined in the mint of capitalism, and circulated through its propaganda to injure the Socialist movement.

The facts above stated can be verified by simply reading the platform of the Socialist party, in which its essential principles and purposes are clearly enunciated, and by reading any of the numerous Socialist papers in which these principles and purposes are discussed with the widest freedom. It is true that an occasional article appears in the Socialist press touching the institutional church, and the priesthood or ministry but in such cases it will usually be found that the Socialist press is on the defensive, not on the offensive.

When the Pope issues an encyclical misrepresenting Socialism, the Socialist press cannot without stultifying itself remain silent. When a popular and pampered minister slanders Socialists from a rich and fashionable pulpit, they would be cowardly not to resent the insult. When a priest is engaged to tour the country under the patronage of capitalists to disseminate the falsehood that Socialism will destroy the home, and turn the family into a harem, and love into lust, what would be said of the Socialist press if it sat by in mute and supine submission? When a catholic paper publishes a special edition filled with capitalist advertisements, and with editorial and contributed matter exhorting wage-slaves to be meek and lowly and submit to the will of their masters, and this special edition, ordered and paid for by capitalist exploiters, is delivered in bundles at factories where the slaves are fettered and fleeced, and they ar asked to read this rot-which Christ would have trampled and spat upon-as the law and gospel of their spiritual advisors, is it likely that self-respecting Socialists who seek the freedom and uplifting of the working class could contemplate such an unspeakable outrage in silence without sinking to fathomless depths of self-contempt?

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Defends Thomas McGrady “to rescue the memory of a faithful and devoted comrade.” Part I” →

Hellraisers Journal: George Pettibone in Los Angeles, Gives Interview, Visits With Clarence Darrow at Hospital

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday January 12, 1908
Los Angeles, California – Pettibone On Labor Spies and Frame-Ups

From the Los Angeles Herald of January 11, 1908:

PETTIBONE TELLS STORY
——

NOW IN CITY AND MAY RESIDE HERE
—–
Man Accused of Complicity in Assassination
of Former Governor Steunenberg Gives
Interesting Opinions
—–

HMP, Pettibone day of acquittal, crpd, Colliers Jan 25, 1908

Weak from long confinement in the jail at Boise, Idaho, where he was held a prisoner on a charge of complicity in the assassination oE former Governor Steunenberg, George A. Pettibone has arrived in Los Angeles and is staying at the Touraine apartments, 447 South Hope street.

In company with his wife, Mr. Pettibone contemplates making Los Angeles his permanent home. His trial attracted attention wherever the words “labor union” are known.

He spoke heatedly of the efforts which were made to connect him with the murder of Steunenberg.

[He said:]

False testimony concocted by Pinkerton agents was responsible for the arrest of William D. Haywood, Charles H. Moyer and myself and the sole purpose of their efforts was to give them an opening wedge so that they could retain their official position as agents of the Mine Owners’ association.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: George Pettibone in Los Angeles, Gives Interview, Visits With Clarence Darrow at Hospital” →

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for December 1907, Found Attacking Roosevelt in Chicago

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

I long ago quit praying and took to swearing.
If I pray I will have to wait
Until I am dead to get anything
But when I swear I get things here.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mother Jones, Tacoma Times, Sept 19, 1904Hellraisers Journal, Saturday January 11, 1908
Mother Jones News Round-Up for December 1907:
-Found Speaking before Chicago Federation of Labor

During the month of December 1907, Mother Jones was first found in the pages of the Appeal to Reason regarding a planned tour of the state of Texas as an organizer for the Socialist Party of America. She was next found speaking at a meeting of Chicago Federation of Labor where, according to The Inter Ocean, she used “a choice selection of profanity” and attacked Roosevelt for sending troops to quell the Goldfield miners’ strike. We also found a trip planned to the city Milwaukee on behalf of George Pettibone who was then facing trial in Boise, Idaho. And lastly, we found the city of Dallas, Texas, looking forward to visit from Mother Jones sometime in the January.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for December 1907, Found Attacking Roosevelt in Chicago” →

Hellraisers Journal: With Band Playing “The Marseillaise,” Bolsheviki Steamer Shilka Leaves Seattle, Sets Sail for Russia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

I have no country to fight for
My country is the earth
And I am a citizen of the world.
-Eugene Victor Debs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal: Thursday January 10, 1918
Seattle, Washington – The Shilka Sets Sail to Cheers of Supporters

From The Tacoma Times of January 9, 1918:

Rss Rev, Shilka lvs Stt, Tacoma Tx p5, Jan 9, 1918

—–

(Special to the times.)

SEATTLE, Jan. 9.-Serenaded by a volunteer brass band playing “The Marseillaise” and “The Star Spangled Banner,” cheered by more than a hundred admirers and friends, the Russian steamship Shilka, which had return from Tacoma on Monday morning with her bunkers full of coal, bade farewell to Seattle at Pier 5 at 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon when she sailed for Kobe via Yokohama.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: With Band Playing “The Marseillaise,” Bolsheviki Steamer Shilka Leaves Seattle, Sets Sail for Russia” →

Hellraisers Journal: An Editorial From The Messenger: “The Hanging of the Negro Soldiers” on December 11, 1917

Janet RayeA. Philip Randolph
Share

How can America hold up its hands
in hypocritical horror at foreign barbarism
while the red blood of the Negro
is clinging to those hands?
-Hubert H. Harrison

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday January 9, 1918
“One law for the white man…and another for the black man.”

From The Messenger of January 1918:

THE HANGING OF THE NEGRO SOLDIERS
—–

Court Martial of 64 Members of 24th Infantry, Fort Sam Houston, ab Nov 1, 1917
Court Martial of 64 members of 24th Infantry at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio

The hanging of thirteen Negro soldiers for the shooting up in Houston, Texas, a few months ago marks the acme of national indiscretion, on the one hand, and the triumph of Southern race prejudice, on the other. THE MESSENGER is not prepared to pass upon the guilt or innocence of the colored men, but, for the sake of argument, we shall assume their guilt. We shall next proceed to compare the punishment of the Negro soldiers with other soldiers guilty of similar or greater offenses. And if we find that the punishment of the black soldiers has been harsher, sterner and more merciless than that meted out to the other races, we shall seek to find out what the cause of the difference was.

Briefly to compare. On the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of July in East St. Louis, white troops from Illinois in broad daylight, under the eyes of tens of thousands of people, shot, wounded and killed over one hundred Negroes without any reasonable or apparent provocation from the Negroes of East St. Louis. It was the most disgraceful and unabashed exhibition of mob violence ever known in the United States. Evidence against the soldiers was not circumstantial, but direct. It was also overwhelming and abundant. Yet in spite of the brazen, unmitigated contempt for the law, no white soldier was even apprehended or tried.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: An Editorial From The Messenger: “The Hanging of the Negro Soldiers” on December 11, 1917″ →

Hellraisers Journal: George Pettibone Found “Not Guilty” & Case Against WFM President, Charles Moyer, Discharged

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday January 8, 1908
Boise, Idaho – George Pettibone Finally Freed from Behind Bars

After almost two years of confinement George Pettibone is finally a free man. He was found “not guilty” of the murder of ex-Governor Steunenberg on Saturday, January 4th. Following the acquittal of Pettibone, the case against Charles Moyer was dismissed. The rejoicing over this welcomed news, however, is muted by the realization that Mr. Pettibone leaves his prison cell seriously ill and may not live long enough to enjoy his newfound freedom.

From the Globe Daily Arizona Silver Belt of January 5, 1908:

HMP, Pt Acquitted My Discharged, Dly AZ Slv, Jan 8, 1908

—–

HMP, Pettibone day of acquittal, crpd, Colliers Jan 25, 1908

BOISE, Idaho, January 4.-The end of the prosecution of the men charged with the murder of ex-Governor Frank Steunenberg, except the cases of Harry Orchard and Jack Simpkins, came today with the acquittal of George A. Pettibone.

Charles H. Moyer, president of the Western Federation, was formally released this afternoon and will return with Pettibone in a few days to Denver.

The case of Orchard is in the hands of Prosecuting Attorney Van Duyin of Canyon county. No statement of further procedure in the case has been made, but it will be called during the next session of the court at Caldwell, when it will probably be finally disposed of.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: George Pettibone Found “Not Guilty” & Case Against WFM President, Charles Moyer, Discharged” →

Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on Roosevelt’s Quandary: What to do with Troops in Goldfield, Part II

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
Share

The people are as capable of achieving
their industrial freedom as they were
to secure their political liberty,
and both are necessary to a free nation.
-Eugene Victor Debs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday January 7, 1908
Goldfield, Nevada – What to do with Roosevelt’s Troops, Part II

From the Appeal to Reason of January 4, 1908:

CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN NET
—–
Federal and State Authorities in a Quandary
as to What to Do With the
Soldiers at Goldfield.
—–

Instantaneous and Widespread Effect of the
“Goldfield Extra” Issued by the
Appeal to Reason Protesting
Against Troops.
—–
BY EUGENE V. DEBS.
[Part II]

Goldfield Strike, Scrip, AtR p4, Dec 28, 1907

The history of strikes shows beyond question what soldiers are used for. Honest union men who dare assert their rights are not protected, but scabs who are imported from slums and reek with crime, “gun-men” and professional strike-breakers, and other degenerates hired to undermine labor and defeat its aspirations, are saints and saviors, and must have the soldiers of the republic to see that no harm comes to them in their holy mission, and that nothing occurs to prevent them from consummating the munificent work to which their energies are so unselfishly consecrated.

In the eyes of soldiers in the employ of this capitalistic government of ours, honest workingmen who seek to defend their rights, and stand up for their homes, their wives and babes, are traitors to be shot and rioters to be bayoneted, while scabs are patriots to be protected in the name of law and order.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on Roosevelt’s Quandary: What to do with Troops in Goldfield, Part II” →

Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on Roosevelt’s Quandary: What to do with Troops in Goldfield, Part I

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
Share

The people are as capable of achieving
their industrial freedom as they were
to secure their political liberty,
and both are necessary to a free nation.
-Eugene Victor Debs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday January 6, 1908
Goldfield, Nevada – What to do with Roosevelt’s Troops, Part I

From the Appeal to Reason of January 4, 1908:

CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN NET
—–
Federal and State Authorities in a Quandary
as to What to Do With the
Soldiers at Goldfield.
—–

Instantaneous and Widespread Effect of the
“Goldfield Extra” Issued by the
Appeal to Reason Protesting
Against Troops.
—–
BY EUGENE V. DEBS.
[Part I]

Pres T Roosevelt, SF Call p37, Dec 29, 1907

When President Roosevelt issued his order, based upon the requisition of Governor Sparks and the Mine Owners of Nevada, converting the mining town of Goldfield into a military camp, the whole country was more or less surprised. It was the suddenness of the action of the president rather than the action itself which created such intense interest and elicited approval of provoked condemnation, according to the point of view.

The telegraphic dispatch containing this military order struck the APPEAL almost as if it had been a blow in the face.

There was absolutely nothing in the Goldfield situation to warrant such an arbitrary act of interference in a purely local situation. The president knew it, and so did every one else at all familiar with the situation. The act could have but one meaning and one purpose. The APPEAL instinctively understood it. The blow had been struck without warning; it must be returned without delay. The facts of the case must be given to the working class as promptly and as fully as the means and facilities at the command of the APPEAL would allow.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on Roosevelt’s Quandary: What to do with Troops in Goldfield, Part I” →

Hellraisers Journal: “The Truth About the I. W. W.” by Harold Callender, Part II from the International Socialist Review

Janet RayeFrank Little
Share

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday January 5, 1918
Reprinted from The Masses: Part II-Harold Callender on the I. W. W.

From the International Socialist Review of January 1918:

The Truth About the I. W. W.

By HAROLD CALLENDER

EDITOR’S NOTE: Harold Callender investigated the Bisbee deportations for the National Labor Defense Council. He did it in so judicial and poised and truth-telling a manner that we engaged him to go and find out for us the truth about the I. W. W., and all the other things that are called “I. W. W.” by those who wish to destroy them in the northwest.-The Masses.

[Part II]
—–

WWIR, IWW WNF Truth, ISR Jan 1918

—–

Perhaps the funeral tribute to Little by the working people of Butte may be considered the reply to the warning which the lynching constituted. About 7,000 marched to the cemetery, representing most of the labor unions of the city. As the casket was lowered into the ground the last thing seen was a pennant of the Industrial Workers, bearing the words, “One big union,” lying across the coffin. At the headquarters of the mine union there hangs a photograph of Little, and under it, “Frank Little, victim of the copper trust, whom we shall never forget.” When I saw James Rowan, secretary of the Lumber Workers’ Industrial Union, in the county jail at Spokane, Wash., he wore on a lapel of his coat a button bearing a picture of Little and the motto: “Solidarity.” Behind him sat a youth in khaki, fingering a rifle and watching him as he talked.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “The Truth About the I. W. W.” by Harold Callender, Part II from the International Socialist Review” →