Hellraisers Journal – Monday February 3, 1902 Mother Jones Describes Conditions for Coal Miners in Old Virginia
From The International Socialist Review of February 1902:
Coal Miners of The Old Dominion. ———-
[-by Mother Jones]
A FEW Sundays ago I attended church in a place called McDonald, on Loop Creek, in West Virginia. In the course of his sermon the preacher gave the following as a conversation that had recently taken place between him and a miner.
“I met a man last week,” said the preacher, “who used to be a very good church member. When I asked him what he was doing at the present time he said that he was organizing his fellow craftsmen of the mines.”
Then according to the preacher the following discussion took place:
“What is the object of such a union?” asked the preacher.
“To better our condition,” replied the miner.
“But the miners are in a prosperous condition now.”
“There is where we differ.”
“Do you think you will succeed?”
“I am going to try.”
Commenting on this conversation to his congregation the preacher said: “Now I question if such a man can meet with any success. If he were only a college graduate he might be able to teach these miners something and in this way give them light, but as the miners of this creek are in a prosperous condition at the present time I do not see what such a man can do for them.”
Yet this man was professing to preach the doctrines of the Carpenter of Nazareth.
Let us compare his condition with that of the “prosperous” miners and perhaps we can see why he talked as he did.
At this same service he read his report for the previous six months. For his share of the wealth these miners had produced during that time he had received $847.67, of which $45 had been given for missionary purposes.
Besides receiving this money he had been frequently wined and dined by the mine operators and probably had a free pass on the railroad.
What had he done for the miners during this time. He had spoken to them twenty-six times, for which he received $32.41 a talk, and if they were all like the one I heard he was at no expense either in time, brains or money to prepare them.
During all this time the “prosperous” miners were working ten hours a day beneath the ground amid poisonous gases and crumbling rocks. If they were fortunate enough to be allowed to toil every working day throughout the year they would have received in return for 3,080 hours of most exhausting toil less than $400.
Jesus, whose doctrines this man claimed to be preaching, took twelve men from among the laborers of his time (no college graduates among them) and with them founded an organization that revolutionized the society amid which it rose. Just so in our day the organization of the workers must be the first step to the overthrow of capitalism.
* * * * * * *
Then my mind turns to the thousands of “trap boys,” with no sunshine ever coming into their lives. These children of the miners put in 14 hours a day beneath the ground for sixty cents, keeping their lone watch in the tombs of the earth with never a human soul to speak to them. The only sign of life around them is when the mules come down with coal. Then as they open the trap doors to let the mules out a gush of cold air rushes in chilling their little bodies to the bone. Standing in the wet mud up to their knees there are times when they are almost frozen and when at last late at night they are permitted to come out into God’s fresh air they are sometimes so exhausted that they have to be carried to the corporation shack they call a home.
The parents of these boys have known no other life than that of endless toil. Now those who have robbed and plundered the parents are beginning the same story with the present generation. These boys are sometimes not more than 9 or 10 years of age. Yet in the interests of distant bond and stockholders these babes must be imprisoned through the long, beautiful daylight in the dark and dismal caverns of the earth.
Savage cannibals at least put their victim out of his misery before beginning their terrible meal, but the cannibals of to-day feast their poodle dogs at the seashore upon the life blood of these helpless children of the mines.A portion of this bloodstained plunder goes to the support of educational incubators called universities, that hatch out just such ministerial fowls as the one referred to.
The very miner with whom this minister had been talking had been blacklisted up and down the creek for daring to ask for a chance to let his boy go to school instead of into the mines. This miner could have told the minister more about the great industrial tragedy in the midst of which he was living, in five minutes than all his college training had taught him.
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday February 1, 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts – Syrian Boy, John Ramey, Second Martyr of Textile Strike
From The New York Call of January 31, 1912:
—–—– CHEERING THE STRIKERS
———-
LAWRENCE, Mass., Jan. 30.-Murder was committed on the street in this city today, when an 18-year old Syrian boy striker was bayoneted by a member of a squad of Massachusetts militia on Oak street, and died later in the Lawrence hospital.
The dead boy, John Rami [Ramey], was stuck through the back like a pig as he and some companions were endeavoring to escape from an absolutely unprovoked assault by the soldiers, who are under instructions to look for trouble and when they had it to use steel and ball cartridges as often and as accurately as possible. Many of the militiamen are under-graduates of Harvard University, the president of which is a large shareholder in the Lawrence mills.
Although the police, who witnessed the murder of Rami, declare the boy was doing nothing wrong, the authorities are endeavoring to shift the blame for the lad’s death upon the strikers, and the report has been spread that it is doubtful who killed him. For several hours after the murder the authorities were terrified least the strikers, learning of the fate of the boy, should demand and take vengeance, and every effort was made to hush up the details of the tragedy.
The squad of militiamen, one of whom was responsible, has evidently concocted a story, probably with the connivance of their officers, for they are industriously lying about the matter, declaring they were not near enough to the boy to stab him, and that it was one of his fellow strikers who took his life.
Rami, according to eye-witnesses, was walking along Oak street, with seven companions. As they neared a corner of the street, where a squad of eight armed militiamen were standing, one of the boys said, jestingly:
“There are the soldiers now. Let’s have some fun with them.”
Stabbed in Back.
Immediately the man in charge of the squad ordered the soldiers to charge. Rami, unable to run as fast as his companions, brought up the rear. His steps were slightly retarded by the slippery pavement and he appeared to stumble. As he did so, one of the militiamen caught up with him, and thrusting viciously forward, stuck his bayonet into Rami’s back.
The boy screamed and staggered forward. He ran a few more steps and fell, fainting. Officials at the hospital where he was taken would not say how far the long bayonet blade went into his lungs…..
Strike Leader is Arrested.
Joseph J. Ettor, of New York, national organizer of the Industrial Workers of the world and leader of the woolen strike here, was arrested shortly before midnight on a charge of being an accessory to the murder of Annie La Pizza [Anna LoPizzo], the Italian striker who was killed during the clash in Union street early last evening. Ettor was taken into custody at the hotel where he is stopping when he was about to go to bed and was taken to the police station, where he was locked up. An extra guard of militiamen was thrown about the station for fear that when the news went abroad and attempt might be made by the strikers to storm the place and rescue Ettor.
The strike is assuming its real character-a hunger strike, it is a strike in which empty bellies clamor for food, in which children cry for life’s joys, and woman fight desperately with their men to save themselves from prostitution. And every hour the 25,000 victims of a merciless corporation’s greed realize more clearly the nature of their fight, and grow more grimly determined to win.
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday January 31, 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts – Woman Shot and Killed During Strikers’ Demonstration
From The Boston Daily Globe of January 30, 1912:
——
From The New York Call of January 30, 1912:
WOMAN SLAIN BY SHOT IN LAWRENCE STRIKE EXCITEMENT ———-
[…..]
LAWRENCE, Mass., Jan. 29.-After a two hours’ demonstration, during which the woolen and cotton mill strikers had full control of the streets of this city, there was a clash between the police and militia on one side and about 1,000 strikers near the Everett mills just before 6 o’clock to night.
The affray resulted in the killing of an Italian woman, who was standing on the sidewalk, the stabbing of Patrolman Oscar Benoit and sore heads for many of the strikers, who were finally put to flight.
The woman killed was the victim of senseless shooting by an unknown individual, who seemed to be taking great joy in firing revolver bullets into the ground on the opposite side of Union street from the woman. It is claimed that neither the police nor militiamen fired a shot during the battle and it is believed that the woman was killed by a bullet which glanced off a stone in the street.
Hellraisers Journal – Monday January 29, 1912 Boston, Massachusetts – Joe Ettor Speaks on Behalf of Lawrence Strikers
From The Boston Daily Globe of January 27, 1912:
ETTOR SPEAKS IN FANEUIL HALL ———–
Joseph J. Ettor was the star of the great meeting in the interest of the Lawrence strikers which was held last evening in Faneuil Hail under the auspices of the socialist party of Boston. His picturesque looks and his vivid description of conditions in Lawrence contributed in part to the applause which greeted him.
This man differs in appearance from any labor leader that has ever been seen in this part of the world before. He has a face on him which at first impresses you as being feminine, but which becomes masculine and full of expression when he talks. His skin looks as soft as a girls and his eyes are as black as coals.
More than $200 was taken up in a collection for the benefit of the strikers. The hall was crowded, though not uncomfortably so, and the rather large force of policemen found nothing to do but listen. There was a band of music, which kept the crowd entertained until 8:20, when a great cheer went up as the red Socialist flag and the American flag were borne up the center aisle and behind them came Ettor, James P. Carey and a number of people who were to sit on the platform.
The meeting was called to order by George D. Hall, who said he had personally visited all the textile cities in New England and had found nowhere more miserable conditions than existed in Lawrence.
———-
Woman Striker Speaks.
Miss K. S. Hanscom, one of the Lawrence strikers, addressed an audience for the first time and found a little difficulty in expressing herself. But she was so deeply impressed with the thing she wanted to say that she found no difficulty in making herself understood. She wanted to express first her admiration for the courage of the poor people who went out on strike, but more especially for the Italian women who were the first to walk out of the Wood Worsted mill. The average wage of most of the men and women, she said, was $5 a week, and they were compelled to do three and four times more work than formerly. The weavers and spinner do not average $9 a week.
Chairman Hall announced that the Boston Socialist Club proposed through a committee of 300 to collect by means of a house-to-house campaign clothing and funds for the strikers.
———–
Ettor Speaks of Wood.
Joseph J. Ettor was loudly cheered when he was introduced and it took considerable protesting with his hand to stop the applause.
This evening I was an conference with Mr. William M. Wood and he assured me that while I represented 20,000 workers he had 14.000 investors. Some of them live on the Riviera. (Laughter).
[Continued Ettor with a laugh:]
That’s way off in Russia, I guess. You see the capitalist class know no East nor West, nor any other boundary.
The important thing today is that 20,000 mill workers of Lawrence are out on strike. The other side has done all in its power to crush out every effort that has been made by these people in the past to express themselves. The one who made a complaint was always made the victim of oppression by bosses and superintendents.
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Learn They Are Not Slaves.
An attempt is being made to bring the workers back to the mills, that they may be able to weave their lives into cloth on the old terms. John Golden with Billy Woods, say that in Lawrence we have no strike-we have a revolution. Well, where it is a question of life and death it is sure a revolution.
Twelve days ago the strikers were slaves, with nobody to speak for them-slaves attached to the looms who did not dare to raise their heads. All that has been changed in 12 days. These people have discovered that they are not slaves to superintendents or agents of mills.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday January 28, 1922
Senator Kenyon Advocates Tribunal and Coal Code to Settle West Virginia Troubles
From the Washington Evening Star of January 27, 1922:
KENYON ADVOCATES TRIBUNAL AND
CODE FOR COAL INDUSTRY
———-
Senator, as Head of Inquiry,
Makes Individual Report
on Mingo Conflict.
A government tribunal for regulation of the coal Industry under a statutory code of industrial law enforced only by power of public opinion was recommended in a report presented to the Senate today by Chairman Kenyon of the labor committee, which recently investigated disorders in the West Virginia-Kentucky coal fields.
The report held that both the coal operators and miners were responsible for the recent fatal conflicts and property destruction in West Virginia, and said mutual concessions by the coal operators and United Mine Workers would have to be made to end the conflict.
“The issue is perfectly plain,” said Senator Kenyon’s report. “The operators in this particular section of West Virginia…openly announce…that they will not employ men belonging to the unions,…and further, that they have the right and will exercise it, if they desire, to discharge a man if he belongs to the union. …On the other hand, the United Mine Workers are determined to unionize these fields, which are practically the only large and important coal fields in the United States not unionized.”
His Personal Suggestion.
The proposal for a federal coal tribunal and code of laws applying both to operators and miners was his personal suggestion, Senator Kenyon said. Other members of the investigating committee did not sign the report, and are at liberty to submit individual reports.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday January 27, 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts – Big Bill Haywood Arrives to Cheering Crowds
From The Boston Daily Globe of January 25, 1912:
By F. P. SIBLEY.
LAWRENCE, Jan 24-The first attempt to hold a conference between the striking employes of the textile industry and the mill owners and mill agents fizzled flat tonight.
The mill owners’ representatives did not all come to the meeting in City Hall. Nobody appeared for the Kunhardt, the Duck, the Pemberton nor the Arlington Mills. Of the seven men representing the other mills, all but two left almost immediately.
The strikers’ committee was then told that the mill agents who were there had not sufficient authority to treat with them. “We’re wasting our time,” said a strikers’ delegate and the strike committee adjourned to its own hall.
[…..]
Greeting to Haywood.
In the meantime [while Ettor was in conference with the Mayor] the scenery was setting for the first big spectacular event of the day. For two hours the strikers and their sympathizers, with tour bands, were gathering at the North Lawrence Station to greet William D. Haywood, the famous labor agitator, whose coming has been so eagerly expected here.
Hellraisers Journal – Friday January 26, 1912 News from Lawrence Textile Strike: Joe Ettor Travels to Boston, Seeks Settlement
From The Boston Daily Globe of January 24, 1912:
By F. P. SIBLEY.
LAWRENCE, Jan 23-Mayor Michael A. Scanlon and Alderman Robert S. Maloney went to Boston this afternoon and enlisted the services of the State Board of Arbitration in the effort to bring the striking textile mill operatives and their employers to a conference with the view of settling the strike.
Joseph J. Ettor and five members of the strikers’ committee also went to Boston today at the call of Max Mitchell [emissary of the the American Woolen Company] and had a conference with two men closely allied with the mill owners. The conference was a secret one and Ettor refused to make any statement as to what took place. On his return he made a date with Mayor Scanlon to meet the mill owners if they agreed to his plan.
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