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…
———-
It should be encouraging for workingmen
to see women enter their ranks and,
shoulder to shoulder, fight for economic freedom.
-Sophie Beldner Vasilio
Hellraisers Journal: Thursday April 30, 1908
Sophie Beldner Vasilio on Women and Industrial Unionism
On Tuesday we republished an article from The Industrial Union Bulletin of April 25th of this year, written by Sophie Beldner Vasilio, on the topic of Women and the I. W. W. Today we republish an earlier work by the same author on the topic of Women and Industrial Unionism.
From The Industrial Union Bulletin of August 3, 1907:
Work for Women in Industrial Unionism
To give an instance of the solidarity prevailing amongst women I shall have to talk of my own experience.
Working in New York in the garment industry with women mostly, here is what I observed. Twice a year, about the summer and winter season, their discontent was heard. Usually the piece workers were the ones that kicked, the prices being cut in slack time, and the new styles paying so little that it was necessary to organize in order to get even less than they asked for.
Twice a year three or four girls would get together to talk about organizing. Then these girls would start to talk to the rest of them about it. All would promise to attend a meeting for the purpose of organizing. Then they would appeal to the walking delegate of the waist makers’ union to organize them.
The meeting announced, only a few would make their appearance, the rest of them giving all sorts of excuses for not attending it. Still we would be organized, as few of we were. The demand for the prices was sent to the employer through the business agent, usually being compromised. About two or three months after the settlement, dues paying was postponed for a while by most of them, then they would say frankly: “We have no use for the union. We’re going to get married before long it’s no use paying dues to the union.”
Working in San Francisco, the City of Unionism, a Mexican women and myself began to talk about organization. One of the girls gave the definition of unionism thus: “To pay fines when you don’t parade on Labor Day or when you don’t attend the meetings, and besides, to pay dues for nothing.”
It should be encouraging for workingmen
to see women enter their ranks and,
shoulder to shoulder, fight for economic freedom.
-Sophie Beldner Vasilio
Hellraisers Journal, Monday April 27, 1908
A Letter from a San Francisco Woman to the I. U. B.
Women in the I. W. W.
To the Editor of THE BULLETIN:
1. Is a married women of the working class a chattel slave or a wage slave?
2. Has she the right to belong to a mixed local of the I. W. W.?
I ask these questions because objection has been raised by some member of the Denver local to the effect that a married woman, a housekeeper, has no right to belong to a workingmen’s organization.
I wish to be made clear as to the attitude of the general organization on this matter.
As far as I know, the purpose of a mixed local is to educate and organize branches of different industries when there are enough members to form a local. Does a woman, that keeps house for her husband, interfere with the progress of the organization by being a member of a mixed local?
Some assert that we have no grievance against the capitalist class, therefore we have no place in the union. Our grievance is against our husbands, if we are dissatisfied with our condition.
I believe the married woman of the working class is no parasite nor exploiter. She is a social producer. In order to sustain herself, she has to sell her labor power, either in the factory, directly to the capitalist, or at home, indirectly, by serving the wage slave, her husband, thus keeping him in working condition through cooking, washing and general housekeeping.
Her being a mother and a housekeepers are two different functions. One is her maternal, and the other is her industrial function in society. And as an industrial factor in society. I believe the wage slave’s wife has got a right to belong to a mixed local. I think it should be encouraging for workingmen to see women enter their ranks and, shoulder to shoulder, fight for economic freedom.
It’s great to fight for freedom
with a Rebel Girl.
-Joe Hill
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday April 25, 1908
Western Speaking Tour of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Postponed
From The Industrial Union Bulletin of April 18, 1908:
Flynn Lecture Tour Temporarily Postponed
Fellow Worker Elizabeth Gurley Flynn will be unable to undertake the Western trip, for which arrangements had been in part completed, owing to the advice of physicians that to do so would endanger her health. She was compelled to abandon her program at Detroit, and will rest for several months in Minnesota, where she hopes to regain her strength and be prepared for active work in the fall of the year.
Readers of THE BULLETIN will, with us, regret this enforced abstinence from the lecture platform of our talented friend and sincerely hope for an early and complete restoration to health.
The Detroit News of April 9 gives the following appreciative notice of Comrade Flynn’s meeting in that city:
A union not to break the law, but a union to enforce the law when it is being broken by the capitalist class. A union that will enforce the will of the working class as expressed at the ballot box. A union that seeks not to enslave labor, but to emancipate it. A union that is organized on the principle that labor produces all wealth and is entitled to all it produces. A union that says there is no identity of interests between the owners of the tools of production and the workers who are bought by the week to run them for the benefit of the few and the the impoverishment of the many.
This is in part the outline given by Mrs. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Jones, of what the Industrial Workers of the World are organized for and what they expect to accomplish before an audience that filled Arbeiter hall to the doors Wednesday night.
Hellraisers Journal: Monday April 13, 1908
New York, New York – Robert Hunter Blamed for Bombing
The unemployed, and those who stand up for them, are to blame for a bomb thrown by a murderous criminal unconnected with them, this according to the Police Force of New York City. The actual crime of the protesting unemployed men, women and children was, apparently, their failure to starve silently and in an orderly manner.
From the Appeal to Reason of April 11, 1908:
Robert Hunter.
—–
In his address to the public following the breaking up of the meeting of the unemployed in Union Square, New York, Police Commissioner Bingham assumed an insolent and pompous attitude toward the working class. He served notice that the was going to deal with such meetings hereafter with an “iron hand.” We have heard such talk before. There is nothing in it.
Bingham goes on to defend the police. Of course. The police acted under his orders. Thousands of eye-witnesses declare that the police acted with unspeakable brutality in riding rough shod over the people and clubbing them without mercy. Hundreds who were unable to escape from the crowd bear the marks of the outrageous and unprovoked assaults of the police hirelings. Of course the police were not to blame, and of course Bingham comes to their rescue and defends them. The police were the mere tools in the hands of such politicians as Bingham.
Among other things, Bingham took occasion to misrepresent Comrade Robert Hunter and place him in a false light before the people. We happen to personally know Comrade Hunter and to have known him from his childhood. There is no gentler, kindlier, more considerate soul. Nor at the same time one more courageous. His heart throbbed in sympathy with the thousands of the unemployed. With all the passion of his noble nature he yearned to serve them, to comfort them. And so he was to speak to them on that fateful day when the blue-coated Cossacks swooped down upon the hungry hordes and scattered them with as little mercy as if they had been so many tarantulas. Robert Hunter did not speak. He had no chance to speak. But he was blamed for the trouble because he sympathized with the unfortunates; because he did not have a heart of stone.
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday April 12, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for March 1908
–Found in Kansas and Texas on Tour for S. P. of A.
From Proletarec of March 3, 1908
-Slovenian Language Socialist Newspaper:
Vi delavci gradite palače in ječe. Bogati postopači stanujejo v prvih, a v zadnje potisnejo vas. — Mother Jones.
From The Chicago Daily Tribune of March 3, 1908:
Here we find Mother Jones and Lucy Parsons connected by Chicago Chief of Police Shippy to the recent attempt on his life. The Chief blames the speeches of Mother Jones, Lucy Parsons and, apparently, even the settlement workers of Hull House and Graham Taylor of Chicago Commons, for the attempted assassination upon him by the alleged anarchist, Lazarus (Harry) Averbuch. Averbuch was killed by the Police Chief during the attack.
Mischief Done by Anarchist Speakers.
The situation which developed into the tragedy of yesterday was thus discussed by the chief:
“A number of attacks were made on the police at the Brand’s hall meeting [a few days previous to the assault]. Several of the speakers might just as well have told their deluded hearers to go out and murder every policeman they saw. That was what one of the speakers said he wished he could do-go out and kill every policeman and throw their bodies in the lake to the fish. Lucy Parsons spoke at this meeting, attacking the police bitterly.
“A few nights after this meeting Mother Jones, who was one of those who denounced the police at Brand’s hall, spoke at Hull house and Lucy Parsons was in the audience.
The social settlements,” continued the chief, gravely, “are first cousins to the anarchists. Graham Taylor, who spoke recently before the Association of Commerce, denounced the police as the most corrupt body of men. This kind of talk is what leads to assassination.”
Oh, I like my boss,
He’s a good friend of mine,
That’s why I am freezing
Out in the bread line.
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday April 8, 1908
Spokane, Washington – Jawsmiths and Good Singers Enliven Street Meetings
From The Industrial Union Bulletin of April 4, 1908:
Developments at Spokane
[by J. H. Walsh]The membership of the Mixed Local in this city have pushed the agitational work, and hung on with that tenacity that is necessary to accomplish the desired results of industrial organization. They are now located in a new headquarters, and since my arrival here three weeks ago we have taken in something like 125 new members, paid off all the back indebtedness to headquarters, and also organized a branch of the Servians of some 35 members. The boys here are charging 50 cents initiation, but at the times generally are not quite as strenuous as on the coast, and it can be collected much easier than it could be at places like Tacoma, Seattle or Portland.
There are so man hundred idle men in this country that many around the headquarters have little to do but study the question, compose poetry and word up songs for old tunes. It might be of interest to some to know about the program that has been followed out in this city for a few weeks and which has its effect. Among the I. W. W. membership there are a few good singers as well as jaw-smiths, and their genius has been expressed in the following composition and rendition at the street meetings as well as in the hall:
