Hellraisers Journal: From Ohio Socialist: O’Hare Headed to Prison; Ruthenberg Wagenknecht, & Baker Released

7th December 2018 Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs

Quote Kate Richards OHare, Dangerous to war profiteers, ab Dec 1917
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 7, 1918
Canton, Ohio – Ohio Socialist Released, O’Hare Schedule to Speak

The town of Canton was the scene of joyous celebration on December 2nd when Comrades Ruthenberg, Wagenknecht, and Baker were released from the Stark County Workhouse. On hand to greet them was none other than Eugene V. Debs, along with several prominent Ohio Socialists.

Canton will be visited on December 9th by Kate Richards O’Hare who is expected to begin serving her prison term shortly thereafter.

From The Ohio Socialist of December 4, 1918:

FREE THE
POLITICAL PRISONERS

Within the walls of American prisons are held many of the noblest men and women of this land. Many others, men and women with the highest attributes, which characterize true and noble manhood and womanhood, are under indictment and facing charges as political offenders. Men and women with the highest ideals which human beings are endowed are today rotting in American prisons.

For expressing an OPINION at variance with that which the law stated may be expressed these men and women are paying a penalty out of all proportion to their offenses. The espionage law has produced a crop of jail sentences in America absolutely undreamed of even in Germany under the rule of the junkers and their kaiser. Compare the four-year sentence of Liebknecht for “high treason” to that of ten years for Debs, for Kate O’Hare and Rose Pastor Stokes.

If we have been able to surmise correctly the reason (or excuse) for the passage of the espionage law, if punishment was not the purpose of the law then the further confinement of our political prisoners is an atrocity.

If to silence opposition to the war was the purpose of this law, there is now no longer any necessity for their confinement. The war is over. Liberties under which we formerly thrived should be returned to us.

Those in power today have nothing to gain by longer jailing political offenders. On the contrary they stand to lose considerable. This is no time to preach the gospel of hate nor to practice it. It is a false gospel at all times. Now that peace has come its teachings and practices are criminal.

The movement to free our political prisoners is gaining momentum. The great mass of the people, as well as liberal minds among the bourgeoisie, favor it. Those who oppose an early liberation of political offenders are of a class and character with those whom the workers of Europe have lately shorn of power. Let every worker’s voice rise in protest against the longer confinement of political prisoners.

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Hellraisers Journal: The International Socialist Review on the September 5th Raids Made Upon the IWW and the SPA

2nd October 2017 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

We ask the membership to redouble their efforts
to build up the organization to the end that
the lot of the workers may be bettered,
and their toil-worn existence brightened.
-Big Bill Haywood

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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday October 2, 1917
From the International Socialist Review: Raids and More Raids

This month’s edition of the Review describes the raids conducted September 5th by Federa Agents at the behest of the U. S. Department of Justice upon the headquarters and regional offices of the Industrial Workers of the World and the Socialist Party of America:

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The I. W. W. and the Socialist Party

SIMULTANEOUSLY on September 5th, representatives of the U. S. Government raided the national offices of the Socialist party and of the I. W. W. Chicago, and of some twenty branch offices of the I. W. W. in different states. U. S. marshals armed with search warrants have taken files, records, pamphlets, leaflets and in many places the entire offices were cleaned out.

Such a wholesale and simultaneous invasion upon the offices of a labor and Socialist organization have never taken place before in the history of this country. The charge has been made that the I. W. W. is a seditious organization and that the I. W. W. and the Socialist Party headquarters are guilty of violating the Espionage Act.

From the National Office

SEPTEMBER 5th a force of Federal Agents took possession of the national office. A thoro search of the office was made and later copies of books, leaflets, records and lists were taken.

This material is to be placed before the grand jury. The charge made against the national office is that some of the comrades have violated the Espionage Act.

It may have been the intention to conceal the real purpose of this search, but the inference was left that there was no disposition to interfere with the routine work of the party. If the information given us is correct, we will be permitted to continue our regular activities except so far as we interfere with the war program.

We appeal to the members of the party to lay special stress on organization at this time. Every member should enlist as a recruiting officer in order to build up the party machinery so that we can win a sweeping victory in the congressional elections of 1918.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for October 1916: Aids New York Street Car Strike & Campaigns for Democrats in Illinois and Kentucky

9th November 20169th November 2016 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

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

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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday November 9, 1916
Mother Jones News Round-Up for month of October, 1916

UMWJ, Feb 10, 1916, Cover, Mother Jones, TVP, Pres White

During the month of October, Mother was first found in New York City advising the wives of the street car strikers to put on their fighting clothes and go out and raise hell. Her words greatly shocked the kept press, the same press which is never much shocked whenever workers are killed on the job, or beaten, shot, and otherwise brutalized on the picket line by the powers-that-be.

Mother was next found in Illinois and Kentucky campaigning for the re-election of President Wilson and Senator Kern. She was sent into the region by the United Mine Workers of America to speak to the miners and other working men.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for October 1916: Aids New York Street Car Strike & Campaigns for Democrats in Illinois and Kentucky” →