Tag: American Federation of Labor

Hellraisers Journal: Samuel Gompers Demands Senate Investigation of Government by Gunthug in West Virginia

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones, Doomed, Wmsn WV, June 20, 1920, Speeches Steel, p213———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday July 5, 1920
Gompers Demands Investigation of Government by Gunthug in West Virginia

From the United Mine Workers Journal of July 1, 1920:

Asks Investigation of Killing at Matewan

Gompers, Ogden Standard Examiner p1, June 7, 1920
When Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, heard of the killing of ten men in a battle between coal company gunmen and coal miners at Matewan, W. Va., he sent a letter to Senator Kenyon, chairman of the Senate committee on labor and education, asking him to have his committee make an investigation of the case. His letter was as follows:

The men were shot and killed by an armed band of men sent into the state by the order of and in the pay of private interests. The men who were killed were interested only in seeing that the statutes and the constitution of the state and of the United States were respected, according to the newspaper reports of the outbreak. I am of the opinion that the invasion of West Virginia by an armed band of men in the pay of absentee owners of West Virginia mining property constitutes a suspension of the constitutional guarantees.

It will be remembered that a public official, testifying in the investigation of 1912-13 before the committee of which you are now chairman, swore that the constitution of the United States did not apply in West Virginia. It was brought out that miners had been kidnapped and given long sentences by drumhead court martial. This official was not rebuked by West Virginia for his testimony as to its lawlessness. On the contrary, he was appointed by the governor of the state to be the impartial investigator of crime against the miners, their wives and their children, in the mining camp of Guyan Valley, and this within the year.

For a generation the only law in the mining camps of West Virginia, save in those few instances where the power of organized labor and outraged public opinion has forced a return to constitutional methods, has been the law of the thug and the gunman disguised as deputy sheriffs and usurping the police power of the land. The blackjack and the pistol, the high-powered rifle and the machine gun have been substituted for statute law, judges and juries.

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Mingo County W.V. Holds First Mine Workers Convention; District is 100% Organized

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones, Doomed, Wmsn WV, June 20, 1920, Speeches Steel, p213———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday July 4, 1920
Williamson, West Virginia – Mine Workers Hold First Mingo County Convention

From the United Mine Workers Journal of July 1, 1920:

Williamson Conv ed, Mother Jones, UMWJ p7, July 1, 1920

Every coal miner in Mingo county, W. Va., is now a member of the United Mine Workers of America. Mingo county, up to this time, has been one of the worst hotbeds of anti-unionism in the entire state of West Virginia. It was only a few weeks ago that a gang of Baldwin-Felts gunmen undertook to clean out the union from that field, and as a result there was a battle in the streets of Matewan, Mingo county, in which seven of the gunmen, Mayor Testerman and two miners were killed. This battle seemed to mark the end of the reign of the vicious gunmen system of terrorism in Mingo county, for soon afterward the remainder of the thugs disappeared from that county.

The international union and the District 17 organization sent a number of organizers into Mingo county at once and instituted an intensive campaign of organization. The miners were ready and anxious to join the union, but they had been prevented from exercising this right by the brutality of the Baldwin-Felts thugs in the employ of the coal companies. Once these outlaws were out of the way there was a great rush for membership in the union.

Mingo county is now 100 per cent organized. Approximately 6,000 new members have been taken in in that county since the Matewan battle.

The first convention of the United Mine Workers of America ever held in Mingo county was held at Williamson, the county seat, on June 23. The sessions were held in the court house, the purpose of the convention being to formulate a set of demands as to wages and working conditions to be presented to the operators. The above photograph was taken on the court house steps, and it shows the delegates, some of the officials of District 17, and also some of the international organizers who were active in effecting the organization.

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Hellraisers Journal: Appeal to Reason: Mother Jones Doing Good Work for Striking Coal Miners of Lonaconing

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote JA Wayland, Mother Jones, AtR p1, Mar 17, 1900———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday June 29, 1900
Lonaconing, Maryland – Mother Jones Stands with Striking Coal Miners

From the Appeal to Reason of June 23, 1900:

Mother Jones, Kenosha Ns WI p7, June 26, 1900

Mother Jones has been doing her usual amount of good work with the coal miners of Lonaconing, Pa [Maryland]. A local paper says in an account of a strike meeting: “Mother Jones was then introduced and proved herself beyond question a remarkable woman. She received liberal applause, and a number of ladies were present to hear her.”

[Drawing and emphasis added.]

From the Washington Times of June 23, 1900:

VIEWS OE MOTHER JONES
—–
Woman Labor Leader Explains Her
Interest in the Cause.

BALTIMORE, June 22.-“Mother” Jones, the widely known labor leader, was in Baltimore today in the interest of the striking coal miners of the Georges Creek region. The Federation of Labor is arranging a series of mass meetings for the near future to be addressed by her.

Mrs. Jones does not look like the fiery agitator that she has been described. A motherly, good natured face is lighted by kindly blue eyes and crowned by silver hair. She is evidently over the half-century mark, but is as active as a young girl. “I love my work and it loves me,” she said when her physical vigor was commented upon. She speaks deliberately, with a pleasant voice suggestive of an ancestry to be credited to Ireland, and uses excellent language.

“Why shouldn’t a woman take part in all efforts for the benefit of labor?” she asked in response to a question. ”

Labor is the basis of all society. A woman should surely be interested in her surroundings and her home and do her part to uplift both. When did I begin this work? So many years ago that I have forgotten. I go wherever I think I can be of use. I have taken part in strikes all over the country, and have always urged peaceful methods. All these complex problems will be solved peacefully in time through the molding of public sentiment and the ballot box.

Am I a woman’s suffragist? Well, I have never been identified with the movement or belonged to any organization that was. I think beneficial results have always followed the placing of the ballot in woman’s hands. The excellent labor laws of Australia and New Zealand came only after women began to vote. Colorado, where women vote, is the only State that has taken steps to investigate the labor laws of Australia and New Zealand with a view of adopting them.

A woman becomes no less a woman when she studies social and political conditions and takes part in public affairs. A broadened intellect teaches her to love her home better. Such a woman, as a rule, loves her home and family better than the society woman who hands her children over to hired people to rear.

“Mother” Jones returned to western Maryland today, but will come to Baltimore again next week to make several speeches.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for May 1920, Part I: Found in Washington, DC: Age 90, Still Fit to Battle “Wall Street Sewer Rats.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones Likes Fighters, WDC Eve Str p4, May 11, 1920———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday June 19, 1920
-Mother Jones News for May 1920, Part I
Found in Washington, D. C., Age 90 and Fit to Fight Another 40 Years

From The Washington Times of May 4, 1920:

“SISSIES”
—–
Mother Jones on 90th Birthday Pays Respects
to Prohibition Advocates.
—–

‘SUFFS” GIVE HER PAIN
—–
Wants to Live Forty Years More
to Fight “Wall Street Rats.”
—–

Mother Jones v Suffragists, Topeka St Jr p3, May 4, 1920
The Topeka Daily State Journal
May 4, 1920

Mother Jones came to town today breezily announcing that she had just observed her ninetieth birthday and was fit for forty more years of battle against “them Wall Street sewer rats.”

It was suggested that she might live long enough to see a woman President of the United States.

“May God save us!” she said.

She looked sharply at the reporter.

[She said:]

Maybe you’re one of them fools who’s worrying about the women not getting the ballot. It won’t hurt the country any if they don’t. It’ll help. Colorado elected some good men until them women out there got to voting.

The women of today give me a pain. Whining for the ballot like sick cats! Do you find ’em at home rearing their babes in fine ideals. No, you find ’em at the club uplifting the nation smoking cigarettes or dancing the fol-de-rol, looking like naked hussies. Ask ’em why they don’t put their nightgowns on and they get insulted. Say ‘Hell’ before them like an honest woman and they faint with shame. And where d’ye find their babes? At the picture show.

Reminiscing, she lamented the passing of the era “when the America of Patrick Henry was still on the throne and people were clean and fine and you got pure whiskey.”

“That was seventy-five years ago,” she said. “None of them prohibition sissies running around taking nourishment out of the mouths of honest working men.”

[Newsclip added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little Reports to Industrial Worker on Fight of Local 66 to Speak on Streets of Fresno, California

Janet RayeFrank Little
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Quote Frank Little, re Fresno FS May, IW p2, June 11, 1910———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday June 13, 1910
Fresno, California – Fellow Worker Little Reports on Fight to Organize Local 66

From the Industrial Worker of June 11, 1910:

IWW Dont Buy Jobs, IW p4, June 11, 1910

LIBERTY VS. THE LAW.

Fresno, Cal., May 29, 1910.

Editor Industrial Worker: The meeting of the I. W. W. in the public park today was suppressed by the county officials, backed by the uniformed thugs of the city. The constitution of the nation and state was stolen by the chief of police. The Industrial Worker was taken from one of the members. This park is supposed to belong to the people of Fresno county.

So you can see we are up against a big fight here in the near future. All fighters must prepare to come to Fresno when the call is sent out.

The chief of police says he will call on the G. A. R. and the Spanish War Veterans to wipe out the i. W. W.

Yours for Industrial Freedom,
F. H. LITTLE,
Organizer of the I. W. W.

———-

We are taking in new members every day, and the sentiment is strong for Industrial Unionism. We expect to do something here this summer, as this is one of the best places in the west for agitation. There are lots of Germans and Russians here and they are ripe for organization. The Mexicans, Japanese and Chinese are lining up.

We have a bunch of agitators here-English, Mexican, German and Japanese-and are stirring things up. The masters see that we are jarring the workers loose from their conservative ideas.

The papers have announced that the A. F. of L. will organize the laborers-that is, the white slaves. They are going to run the Japanese out of the country.

They are also going to organize the farmers and the farm employes into one union. Ye gods and little fishes! Just think. The man who sweats and toils out in the hot sun, the man who produces all things good and has nothing, to belong to the same union as his master, who does nothing and has all. But I think they will fail, for the blanket stiff who is forced to hike over the road and carry his home on his back is too wise for the A. F. of L. labor faker.

All Fellow Workers who are looking for a master and who want to do good work for the I. W. W. would do well to stop at this place. We need as many agitators in this part of the country as we can get, for we expect to tie up this whole country this fall. We have the silent strike on. It is on a job for the Southern Pacific. The slave drivers are wild-the slaves won’t work as hard as they want them to. We have a bunch of I. W. W. men on the job and we swill get control soon. Then we expect to give them a dose of I. W. W. direct action. So keep your eye on Fresno and watch Local No. 66 grow. Will send you a line from time to time and let you know what is doing. Yours for Freedom.

F. H. LITTLE

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Hellraisers Journal: International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union Established at Labor Lyceum in New York City

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Rose Schneiderman Quote, Stand Together to Resist———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday June 6, 1900
New York, New York – Garment Workers Meet to Establish International Union

From the New York Tribune of June 4, 1900:

ILGWU Fdg Conv, NY Tb p12, June 4, 1900

An international union of cloakmakers and garment workers was formed in this city yesterday [June 3rd]. Delegates from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newark and other cities met in convention in the Labor Lyceum, No. 64 East Fourth-st. The new organization will be known as the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. Officers were elected as follows: Herman Grossman, president; Marcus O. Braff [Bernard Braff], secretary. General Executive Board—Isadore Silverman, Baltimore; Samuel Salat, New York; Joseph Schwarz, Philadelphia; Adolph Schwerger [Schweiger], Philadelphia, and Jacob Leibowitz, Newark.

President Grossman said that the principal objects of the organization included agitation for the adoption of union labels on all manufactured garments and the regulation of prices when feasible. It is expected that local unions will not only be formed in cities in the United States, but also in Canada. Between forty thousand and fifty thousand garment workers, the president said, would be represented in the new National body. The convention will be continued to-day.

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From The One Big Union Monthly: “First of May in Minneapolis” by E. W. Latchem, Part II

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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BBH Quote re May Day, AtR p2, Apr 27, 1907———-

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday June 3, 1920
Minneapolis, Minnesota – May Day-I. W. W. and A. F. L March Together

From The One Big Union Monthly of June 1920:

May Day in Mpl Sec Lundberg, OBU p6, June 1920

[Part II of II.]

Some of those in charge attempted to turn the speaking into a “campaign rally” to boost some local aspirants for different political offices and relegate all other speakers to the rear and have the crowd tired out before any genuine working class speakers could get the platform, and they succeeded to a certain extent; but when W. F. Dunne, editor of the Butte Daily Bulletin, managed to get the floor he lost no time in explaining how the Workers’ International Labor Day had been desecrated by those who had no other desire except to get into office, no matter how, and that those who would stoop to misuse Labor’s holiday would need watching.

May Day in Mpl Justice Is Dead, OBU p9, June 1920

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for March 1920, Part III: Jim Seymour on Mass Meeting for Labor Defense in San Francisco

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones Raising Hell, NYT p1, Oct 6, 1916———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday May 9, 1920
-Mother Jones News for March 1920, Part III
Jim Seymour Describes Labor Defense Meeting in San Francisco

From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 29, 1920:

Mother Jones Raises Hell in San Francisco, BDB p4, Mar 29, 1920—–

Bulletin’s “Minister Without Portfolio”
Attends Interesting Gathering of
“Vicious Syndicalists.”
—–

BY JIM SEYMOUR.

(Special to the Bulletin.)

Mother Jones, Crpd Lg, Chg Tb p120, Oct 26, 1919

Frisco (known bourgeoiseally as San Francisco), March 20 (By Mail).-Last night [Friday, March 19th] California hall was filled to “S. R. O.” by specimens of the various breeds of workers and a very few others. William Cleary, attorney for a number of vicious criminal syndicalists, and some woman called “Mother Jones,” were billed to speak under the auspices of the Labor Defense league. Cleary jimmed the meeting by exercising his prerogative as a member of the bar and coming late. The trial was kept waiting for him until several of the chairs got too hot for the comfort of the sitters, whereupon Robert Whitaker, ex-sky pilot [preacher] and chairman of the meeting, who seems too good-natured to be named anything more dignified than Bob, delivered a serm-an opening address in which he mentioned the names of Anita Whitney, Kate O’Hare and one Eugene Debs. The applause percentages follow: Whitney, 96; Debs, 72; O’Hare, 49. Collection for defense of criminal syndicalists, for which the Lord be praised, $148.03.

The Rev. Bob then addressed us a few remarks that convinced us that the white-haired old woman on the stage was really Mother Jones and that nobody was trying to palm off a ringer on us. I don’t know just what it was, but Whitaker said something that Mother Jones didn’t quite agree with; and I don’t know just what Mother Jones’ reply was, but she gave him a good-natured bawling out that seemed to amuse the audience but failed to disturb the equanimity of the man who had just collected $148 for the cause. And so long as it didn’t harm him, or us, or the boys in jail, we will remark that it served him jolly well right-he should have known better than to pull that absurd burgeoise stunt of introducing a speaker that is better known than Jesus Christ. [Note: Mother Jones as a devote Catholic would certainly dispute that description of her fame.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: “The Car Strike and the General Strike in Philadelphia” -Part II

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote EVD, Lawmakers Felons, Phl GS Speech, IA, Mar 19, 1910———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday April 4, 1910
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – “When the Sleeper Wakes” by Joseph E. Cohen, Part II

From the International Socialist Review of April 1910:

Phl GS, Shooting at Workers, ISR p865, Apr 1910—–

[Part II of II.]

On February 23rd, Mayor Reyburn dispatched a telegram to Governor Stuart, asking for the state constabulary, or cossacks, as they are more popularly known. Four companies of them, 158 men all told, arrived next day and remained until March 1st.

Now, the people of Philadelphia had no particular quarrel with the state constabulary. Their antipathy was confined largely to the transit company and its strike breakers. To fight against the cossacks meant to engage in bloody warfare, not with fists or bricks, but guns, and this the people were not prepared to do. Were it otherwise, the handful of cossacks would never have left Philadelphia alive. So, aside from a drubbing administered to a few of their number, they were permitted to depart in peace.

Phl GS, State Cossacks, ISR p870, Apr 1910—–

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: “The Car Strike and the General Strike in Philadelphia” -Part II” →

Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: “The Car Strike and the General Strike in Philadelphia” -Part I

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote EVD, Lawmakers Felons, Phl GS Speech, IA, Mar 19, 1910———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday April 3, 1910
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – “When the Sleeper Wakes” by Joseph E. Cohen, Part I

From the International Socialist Review of April 1910:

Phl GS, Shooting at Workers, ISR p865, Apr 1910—–

[Part I of II.]

Letter A, ISR p865, Apr 1910CHILD does not blossom into maturity in a day, nor can a weakling to transformed into a Hercules over night. It requires the lapse of many years in the one instance as in the other. And several decades may pass before a city or a nation attains its majority. Yet there is no telling for how long a time the elements have been gathering for some mighty upheaval; how soon, when the surface of things seemed as calm as ever, there would break out an eruption such as would rearrange all that seemed stable and permanent.

Philadelphia is the third city, in population, in America. It has its own peculiar makeup, fondles its own brand of conservatism and will have to work out its own method of salvation from the condition of “corruption and contentment” which has been ascribed to it.

It is a city of “magnificent distances.” That, of itself, explains a great deal, for solidarity and separation are usually antithetical, and Philadelphia is spread over such a wide territory, that people who work and live in Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, Germantown, Olney, Fox Chase, Frankford and Bridesburg—all within the city limits—come down to the center of the city much as country folk go “into town.” Many wage-workers in these localities have had no notion at all of what a trades union is. The seeds of class feeling were only beginning to be scattered among them, their outlook was for all the world, that of some fair sized village—not of the third city in America.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: “The Car Strike and the General Strike in Philadelphia” -Part I” →