And, if in Glorious battle,
Your life should offered be,
Your body will be sent home sure-
But strictly C. O. D.
-W. H. Piper
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Hellraisers Journal, Friday June 17, 1898
St. Louis, Missouri – Body of Corporal Walker Sent Home C. O. D.
From the Appeal to Reason of June 11, 1898:
Poem by W. H. Piper
Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Poem for Militiaman Walker, Sent Home for Burial C. O. D.”
I’ll vote for Debs, for the Hope I have
That shall flood the world with its light!
-Harry Tichenor
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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday June 10, 1908
From the Appeal to Reason – A Poem for Eugene Debs
Note: The poets name is Henry Tichenor.
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National Socialist Ticket
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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday June 3, 1908
Girard, Kansas – Comrades Wanted to Sell New Debs Book
From the Appeal to Reason of May 30, 1908:
Women of the World, Unite.
You have double chains to lose
and you have the world to gain.
-May Wood Simons
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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday May 31, 1908
Chicago, Illinois: City of the Impoverished Men, Women and Children
From the Montana News of May 21, 1908:
Extracts from the speech of May Wood Simons at the opening of the Chicago convention:
When his auditors had come back from he heights to which Wanhope had lifted them, it remained for May Wood Simons to take them down into the Valley of the Shadow. It is safe to say that such a stirring appeal to the heart of an American audience was never made before. Before Mrs. Simons had spoken for five minutes there was hardly a dry eye in the house.
The sobs of women resounded through the vast auditorium. In one of the front seats William D. Haywood, who came through his great persecution and trial at Boise without batting an eyelash-the man who did not even pale before danger and death when they menaced him and his-was crying openly.
At the press table the hardened reporters, who have seen misery in all its many forms time and again, until their very souls were calloused, were coughing suspiciously and unbidden tears were falling on the shorthand notes of the speech. It was a masterpiece of pathos, that simple description of “The State of Things as They Are.”
Plain Little Recital.
And yet there was nothing theatrical about the little statement. It did not savor of the dramatic in the least. It was just a plain little recital of fact. That was all. And yet a big six-footer just behind the writer of this article was blubbering like a baby. And he was a magazine writer, too. Not for a small magazine, but for one of the most prominent in America.
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Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 30, 1898
Terre Haute, Indiana – Debs Remembers Edward Bellamy
On the evening of May 28th, from his home in Terre Haute, Comrade Debs spoke fondly of his friend, Edward Bellamy who died of tuberculosis on May 22nd at his home in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts.
From the Terre Haute Express of May 29, 1898:
Mr. Debs on Bellamy
It was with the most sincere regret that I learned of the death of Edward Bellamy. He was a very warm friend of mine.
When in 1888 the first edition of Looking Backward appeared, the name of Edward Bellamy flashed around the world. Of this epoch-making book it is estimated that fully 200,000 copies have been sold, and it has been translated into German, French, Italian, Russian, and many other languages.
Rarely has a book created such a profound impression on the popular mind. For years there has been agitation of the social question in other countries, especially in Germany and France, where a mighty international socialist movement was developing at a rate to arouse apprehension among the ruling class. Looking Backward was the first popular exposition of socialism in this country. Thousands read it with keen delight without being aware that it undermined the existing social order and paved the way for the social commonwealth.
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday May 26, 1908
Girard, Kansas – Town Throws Surprise Party for ‘Gene Debs
From the Appeal to Reason of May 23, 1908:
All of Girard and half of the county assembled in the court house park last Saturday afternoon [May 16th]. A hastily improvised platform had been erected, and, to the music of bands and lusty cheering of the citizens of this little town, irrespective of party affiliation, ‘Gene Debs was escorted forward and introduced to the enthusiastic crowd by Mayor Ryan. The mayor was preceded by E. N. Richardson, who, in a few moments’ speech, voiced the sentiment of every man and woman and child in Girard when he said:
Ladies and Gentlemen-My Friends and My Comrades:-Here is a man whom you all know-many of you may not yet agree with him in his political beliefs; many of you will not vote for hem, but you all love him-you love him because you can’t help yourself; you love him because he is the most lovable man America has ever produced…
Comrade Debs had been kept in complete ignorance of the little surprise party. For a few moments he seemed overwhelmed at the expressions of good will and the smiling faces on every hand. But he quickly recovered from the slight embarrassment, and began to talk. And such a talk! As a father talks to his children, Debs talked to those gathered under the shade of the spreading elms in the court house yard. It wasn’t a wildly enthusiastic gathering, such as one would expect to see on an occasion like this. It was rather a gathering of men and women in dead earnest who realized the deep significance of the occasion and were determined to let no single word which fell from the speaker’s lips escape them. One could almost feel the spirit of the revolution-it impressed me as a counterpart of those meetings of colonial patriots just prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. “Momentous and significant.” These words sum up the Girard meeting at which the citizens of this village, without a dissenting voice expressed their congratulations to their fellow townsman, nominated for the presidency by the Socialist national convention.
At the close of the address a group of little children, bearing baskets of flowers and wreaths, and their little faces suffused with smiles, marched to the platform and literally smothered their friend with roses. Tears came to the big brother’s eyes as he gathered the little ones to him. An hour later, I passed ‘Gene sitting on the curb with a dozen bright haired lassies clinging to his arms and shoulders! Mark my words: “You can pin your faith to the man loved by children.”
Women are tired of being “included,”
tired of being taken for granted.
They demand definite recognition,
even as men have it.
-Josephine Conger Kaneko
Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 11, 1908
Chicago, Illinois – National Convention of Socialist Party of America
From the Appeal to Reason of May 9, 1908:
The Convention
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The greatest political convention ever held in the interest of the working class in the United States will begin its deliberations on May 10th in the city of Chicago. This convention will represent every state and territory in the union and it will be the only political convention which will adopt a platform and name national candidates wholly in the name, and for the benefit of the working class.
Compared to the conventions of capitalist parties this will be a unique gathering. It will consist of both men and woman and its deliberations will be marked by the one unvarying purpose to faithfully express in political terms the economic interests of the working class….
The Appeal sends greetings to the delegates assembled at Chicago. It has full faith in their ability to clearly see the important duties which lie before them, and in their fidelity to discharge those duties with equal credit to themselves and the party.
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[Photograph added.]
From The Socialist Woman of May 1908:
ARE THE INTERESTS OF MEN AND WOMEN IDENTICAL?
A Suggestion to the National Convention
—–Josephine C. Kaneko.
It is an oft repeated phrase among Socialist agitators that the interests of men and women of the working class are identical, and therefore there should be no methods of education and appeal instituted for one sex alone; but that all efforts of this kind should be directed from one point, whether it be newspaper, pamphlet, street corner or platform, to all persons regardless of sex, creed or color.
And on this theory our educational work has proceeded, in this country at least, for the past quarter of a century. That is, we think we have proceeded on this theory. But it does not take very careful thought on the matter to discover that we have not acted in accordance with our theory at all, but have worked always as a matter of expediency along the line of least resistance with the male portion of humanity. It has never been very likely that we could reach the workingman in his wife’s kitchen or nursery, or her little parlor, and as it has seemed more expedient to work with him than with her, we have followed him to his lair—to the street corner, to the trade union hall, to the saloon. We have opened our locals in localities where he could be most easily reached, and have accommodated the environment to his tastes and needs. The little room at the rear of the saloon has not been so comfortable as his wife’s parlor or sitting room, and sometimes no larger. but he has felt more at ease in it when congregating with other men, so the locals have in some instances been established in the rear rooms of saloons, and frequently in other dreary, comfortless halls which are always obnoxious to women.
We have said, half-heartedly, that women could come to our locals in these dreary places. But they haven’t cared to come to any great extent, any more than the men would have cared to meet in the women’s parlors. It has been plainly a discrimination in favor of one sex above another. But it has always seemed a matter of expediency.
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday May 10, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for April 1908
–Found in Texas on Tour for the Socialist Party of America
From the Appeal to Reason of April 4, 1908:
[…..]
[…]
Mother Jones-Tyler, April 2-8; Chandler, 10; Brownsboro, 11; Athens, 13…
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Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 9, 1898
On Co-operation: “Love rules instead of hate.”
From the Appeal to Reason of May 7, 1898:
PUT two men in competition, let them set up in store, shop or factory and sell in the same territory, ans see how they will grow to dislike each other and try to outdo and break each other up. That is the natural effect of such relation and can no more be avoided than the law of gravity. The success of each fully depend on the failure of the other. Now let these two men combine, form a partnership, and see how each will at once begin to work for the success of the firm which means the success of his partner. Neither can do anything for himself without at the same time helping his fellow. Mutual interest takes the place of self interest, love rules instead of hate. Can you give any valid reason why the same will not be true with three men instead of two? or of three hundred or three millions instead of three? That is the principle of socialism-that the industrial relations of men should be mutual instead of competitive, that all industries should be owned and operated by all the people collectively instead of individually, it would mean peace, plenty and pleasure for all.
Anything but calm submission
To the yoke of toil and pain?
Come what may, then, hope and longing,
Deed and daring still remain.
-Karl Marx
Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 6, 1918
Young Karl Marx: The Poet with a “fine spirit against tyranny.”
From The New Appeal of May 4, 1918:
