An article (see below) in the Everett Northwest Worker of August 23rd challenges the usual portrayal of recent rebellion in southeastern Oklahoma as being merely a riot caused by “slackers” bent on evading the draft. The rebellion was swiftly crushed and and the rebels rounded up.
From the San Bernardino News of August 14, 1917:
Here is the first actual photograph received of the “draft rebellion” in southeast Oklahoma, where hundreds of Indians, negroes and white tenant farmers took to the hills and wilds in an effort to evade army service. Picture shows eight draft rioters just brought in from the scene of a battle near Holdenville. Note carefully the types of men among the prisoners-the men who are leading this organized effort to defy the military army of Uncle Sam. Note, too, the ready rifles in hands of the possemen.
Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 24, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Anti-War Prisoners Enter Bridewell
Cover of the International Socialist Review for August 1917:
A reminder of our Fellow Workers and Comrades now behind the prison bars-
———-
121 Behind the Prison Bars
One hundred twenty-one men entering Bridewell Work House, Chicago. They were sentenced to one year’s hard labor by Judge Landis for refusing to register.
—–
One Hundred and Twenty-One Men
THE following accounts of the trial and imprisonment of 121 Socialists and members of the I. W. W. who voluntarily gave themselves up to the sheriff rather than register is taken from the Chicago newspapers.
Judge Landis first won fame by fining the Standard Oil Co., $29,000,000.00—which of course was never paid.
I am not a member of the I. W. W.
or an industrial workers of the world sympathizer
but a woman who believes in
the constitutional rights of every man and woman.
-Rosa McKay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 23, 1917
From the Appeal to Reason: Two Brave Women Speak for Labor
The Appeal to Reason of August 18th featured the opinions of two women elected to represent the people: the first, Miss Jeannette Rankin of the United States House of Representatives, and the second, Mrs. Rosa McKay of the Arizona House of Representatives. Yesterday we featured the speech by Miss Rankin who outlined conditions at Butte. We conclude today with an article by Mrs. McKay who describes recent events in Bisbee.
Butte and Bisbee Outrages Scored
by Brave Woman Representatives
…In an article to the Appeal, Mrs. Rosa McKay, member of the Arizona House of Representatives from Bisbee, Cochise county, Arizona, tells of the Bisbee deportation….
By Mrs. Rosa McKay
Member Arizona House of Representatives
For fourteen years I have claimed Bisbee as my home. But after Thursday, the twelfth day of July. I hang my head in shame and sorrow for the sights I have witnessed here. When the full truth about Bisbee reaches the outside world, it will be looked upon with deserved aversion.
In this article I shall give an honest and unbiased statement, from a fair and impartial standpoint, of the labor situation in Bisbee today. I belong to no labor organization or mining corporation. I am merely an onlooker and spectator, and a firm believer in the constitutional rights of all American citizens, whether by birth or naturalization, the rights that our forefathers fought, bled and died for.
No one is safe where lynching is sanctioned.
-Jeannette Rankin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 22, 1917
From the Appeal to Reason: Two Brave Women Speak for Labor
The Appeal to Reason of August 18th featured the opinions of two women elected to represent the people: the first, Miss Jeannette Rankin of the United States House of Representatives, and the second, Mrs. Rosa McKay of the Arizona House of Representative. Today we begin with Miss Rankin who outlines conditions at Butte. We will conclude tomorrow with Mrs. McKay and her view of recent events in Bisbee.
Butte and Bisbee Outrages Scored
by Brave Woman Representatives
The stories of the labor troubles in Butte, Mont., and Bisbee, Ariz., are told below by two women, both of them elected representatives of the people from their respective districts.
Miss Jeanette Rankin, of Montana, the first Congresswoman of the United States, told of conditions in Butte in a speech [August 7th] before the national House of Representatives.
In an article to the Appeal, Mrs. Rosa McKay, member of the Arizona House of Representatives from Bisbee, Cochise county, Arizona, tells of the Bisbee deportation.
The activity of these two women in behalf of justice for the workers and in defense of the cause of true democracy, leaves little wonder why the reactionary, corporation-serving politicians have sought to prevent the entrance of woman into politics. Speed the day when woman will take her full share in the affairs of government! Miss Rankin and Mrs. McKay have done the cause of suffrage a great service in the noble stand they have taken.
Stand shoulder to shoulder.
You can’t lose.
Yours, fraternally,
W. D. HAYWOOD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 21, 1907
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Haywood Guest at Socialist Picnic
From The Green Bay Gazette of August 19, 1907:
HAYWOOD GIVEN OVATION
—–
Twenty Thousand Milwaukeeans
Turn Out to Greet Miner.
Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 19.-Twenty thousand men, women, and children crowded Pabst park yesterday afternoon to listen to William D. Haywood, secretary treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners, when he addressed the gathering of Milwaukee social democrats at their second picnic of the season.
The picnic was the most successful held by the party in this city and Mr. Haywood was given a most gratifying ovation.
Pray for the dead
and fight like hell for the living.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 20, 1917
Clay, Kentucky – Town in Mourning for Lost Miners
A town in western Kentucky continues to mourn its dead as the reported death toll now stands at 64.
From Hopkinsville Kentuckian of Aug 16, 1917:
Total of 64 Dead.
—–
—–
Clay, Ky., Aug. 15.-The West Kentucky mine, the scene of the greatest mining disaster that has occurred in a west Kentucky coal mine was cleared of the dead today, when the last dead bodies were brought out. A total of 63 dead bodies have been removed.
You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 19, 1917
Bloomington, Illinois – Victory for Street Car Strikers
From the International Socialist Review of August 1917:
STREET CAR WORKERS WIN
IN SPITE of the fact that more than one thousand Illinois soldiers were rushed to Bloomington, Ill., in record time, the street car workers won their strike.
The solidarity of labor was 100 per cent strong. More than two thousand employees of the Alton shops downed tools at three o’clock on the afternoon of July 6th and marched to the office of the street car company, where they demanded that the car strike be brought to a satisfactory settlement at once. Every union in Bloomington lined up behind the strikers.
The big power house was closed. Newspapers were unable to misrepresent the strike as there was no power to run the presses, and many of the big industrial plants had to close down for the same reason.
This is a striking example of how solidarity means success. If the workers will stand together as they did in Bloomington they can always win.
You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday August 18, 1917
Mother Jones News for July, Part II: Organizing West Virginia
From the United Mine Workers Journal of July 12, 1917:
The following was published as an advertisement in the The Beckley (West Virginia) Messenger of July 10, 1917, but without the final paragraph.
“Mother” Jones’ Refreshing Experience
“Mother” Jones had a most refreshing experience at a great meeting of the miners at Quinnimont, West Virginia, on the 14th day of June. The Layland mines, where the meeting was held, is owned by the Berwin-White Coal Company, and a large number of men are employed at this place. It is in the very heart of the mountainous New River coal fields. In the years gone by this section has been a veritable Gibraltar of the foes of unionism, and armed guards have patrolled the works of the companies looking for those who were trying to carry the message of unionism to the miners of this section. Happily, this condition has passed away in many parts of this field, and the private gunman is being driven farther and farther back into the remote mountain fastnesses.
The refreshing part of the Layland meeting was the manner and spirit in which Mr. O. A. Kneer, the superintendent of the Berwin-White Coal Company received the visit of “Mother” Jones. Instead of following the tactics of some of the less enlightened companies and forbidding “Mother” holding a meeting at the mines, he told the miners to go to the meeting, and was present himself. After the meeting was over he said it was one of the best addresses he had ever heard. Having an open mind and the spirit of fair play, he was ready to meet the miners half way and deal with them as men with rights.
If all the coal companies were enlightened enough to show the same spirit, the coal fields of the country would not so often be the scene of bitter industrial struggles. Mr. O. A. Kneer, by his fairness and good will, has done much to bring peace between the miners and operators in that section. His attitude is commended to the companies who think to crush the miners by private armies of gunmen. There is nothing that appeals to the average miner so much as fair play.
You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 17, 1917
Mother Jones News for July, Part I: Blamed for Riot
During the evening of Thursday, July 5th, Mother Jones spoke on behalf of striking street carmen in Bloomington, Illinois. She was blamed for the riot which broke out following her speech.
From The Daily (Bloomington) Pantagraph of July 6, 1917:
Bloomington this morning is practically under martial law following one of the wildest nights of rioting in its history. Troop G, First Illinois cavalry from Peoria reached the city at 7:30 a. m. over the Big Four under the command of Captain Thomas J. Simpson. There were 58 men and three officers. They proceeded immediately to the B. & N. power house at the intersection of Roosevelt avenue and the Big Four tracks, where they pitched camp.
Several more companies of troops are on their way to Bloomington from Chicago and will reach here about noon……
The “Mother Jones” Meeting.
“Mother” Jones, it is said, closed her address by telling the men “to do something.” With this incentive hundreds of men and women gathered in front of the Eagles hall apparently waiting for a leader….
