Tag: August 1918

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for August 1918, Part II: Found Organizing in West Virginia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Mother Jones Quote, 2x4 kaiser union recognition hell freeze over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 20, 1918
Mother Jones News for August 1918, Part II
-Mother Found Organizing in West Virginia

From the Fairmont West Virginian of August 19, 1918:

MOTHER JONES AND FOWLER
AT OWINGS PICNIC
—–
Talk To Miners About Their Attitude
Toward the Union.
—–

AND TOWARD THE CO.
—–
Men Are Urged To Dig Coal
Because Uncle Sam
Needs It.
—–

Mother Jones Fire Eater, St L Str, Small Crpd, Aug 23, 1917

“Mother” Jones is back in West Virginia and will remain here until after Labor Day when she is scheduled to make addresses at both Monongah and Enterprise. She returned to Fairmont Saturday afternoon in order to make a speech at the picnic held at Owings Sunday. “Mother Jones has been away since the scale convention of the miners, going to Illinois where she addressed two important Mooney meetings, out to Colorado for some addresses and back to Chicago for some important conferences with government and labor officials.

“Mother” Jones gets around the country without difficulty even though she is in her eighty-eighth year. She boarded the Baltimore and Ohio sleeper at Chicago at nine o’clock Friday night, changed to the accommodation shortly afternoon Saturday at Benwood and was in Fairmont shortly after five o’clock Saturday afternoon. “Mother” Jones does not carry any excess baggage, getting along with two bags which are smaller than the women folks generally carry.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for August 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia & at Chicago IWW Trial

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Fear Not Organize, Rkfd Mrn Str p3, Mar 19, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 19, 1918
Mother Jones News for August 1918, Part I
-Mother Found in West Virginia, Chicago, and Denver

From the United Mine Workers Journal of August 1, 1918:

Mother Jones Fire Eater, St L Str, Small Crpd, Aug 23, 1917

WEST VIRGINIA NEWS

Charleston, W. Va.—A local of about 250 members has been organized at the Wyatt mines near Shinnston, by Mother Jones and President William F. [M.] Rogers of the State Federation of Labor.

Local Union 2839, Kaymoor, has invested $300.24 in War Savings Stamps and donated $25 to the Red Cross.

Board Member Ballantyne, Mother Jones and Organizers B. A. Scott and Joe Angelo held meetings last week at Worthington, Rosebud, Watson, Shinnston and Mt. Clair.

The Eccles miners have made a splendid showing in the purchase of War Savings Stamps. The assigned quota was $34,000, but the miners have pledges $42,000.

Miners and citizens of Longacre in voting precinct No. 3, have pledged $19,460 for War Savings Stamps.

The mining camp of Donwood, with a population of 450, and a local union membership of 160, has pledged $10,420.79 to the purchase of War Savings Stamps.

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Fellow Workers at Chicago IWW Trial Draw Big Fines and Long Prison Sentences from Landis

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Why should the temporary withdrawal
of a hundred members seriously affect
the welfare of a group composed
of nearly 100,000 laborers in
the United States alone?
-Big Bill Haywood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday September 1, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Judge Landis Imposes Severe Sentences

From The Chicago Daily Tribune of August 31, 1918:

HAYWOOD GIVEN 20 YEAR TERM;
93 SENTENCED
—–
Big Fines and Prison Sentences
for the I. W. W.
—–

BBH Sentenced, Bst Glb p1, Aug 31, 1918

William D Haywood, “uncrowned king” of the Industrial Workers of the World, and ninety-two other principal officers and organizers, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the American war program, were sentenced to terms ranging from one to twenty years in the federal prison at Leavenworth, Kas., and given heavy fines by Federal Judge K. M. Landis yesterday.

With Haywood fourteen of his principal aids must spend twenty years in prison; thirty-three others of the organization leaders must spend a maximum of ten years in prison; thirty-three others a maximum of five years, and twelve others one year and one day. Two of the defendants escaped with ten day sentences in the county jail, while the case against two others was continued.

The combined prison sentences of the defendants aggregates 807 years and 20 days.

Added to this prison penalty is a total of $2,300,000 in fines assessed against the ninety-three prisoners. Individual fines ranged from $20,000, the minimum, up to $30,000.

In Jail Here Till Friday.

The defendants were permitted to remain in the county jail until next Friday before they will be removed to the federal prison. In the meantime, George F. Vandeveer, chief counsel for the “Wobbles,” announced a writ of supersedeas will be asked of the Court of Appeals and petition will be made for enlargement upon bail. Ninety days’ time was granted in which to file bills of exception on behalf of the convicted men.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Ohio Socialist: Eugene V. Debs Sends Out Hearty Hail to All Workers of the World

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Debs is a SOCIALIST and a
REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALIST at that.
Prepare to do your share in his defense!
-The Ohio Socialist
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Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 30, 1918
Eugene V. Debs: “I proudly march to Victory or Death!”

From The Ohio Socialist of August 28, 1918:

EVD, OH Sc p1, Aug 28, 1918

—–

EVD Hail Comrades, OH Sc p1, Aug 28, 1918

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Hellraisers Journal: “A Letter to All Reds” by A. S. Embree, Acting Secretary I. W. W. General Defense Committee

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 29, 1918
From the Cook County Jail: “Hold the Fort! We have nothing to regret.”

From The Ohio Socialist of August 28, 1918:

A Letter To All Reds

IWW Defense Fund, OH Sc p3, Aug 21, 1918

After 4 1-2 months of the most bitterly fought legal battle in the history of American labor, the prosecution scored an initial victory in the trial of one hundred of our fellow workers in Chicago.

A masterly defense was provided by Attorney George F. Vanderveer, assisted by William B. Cleary of Arizona, Otto Christensen of Chicago and Miss Caroline A.Lowe of Seattle. It is not too much to say that everything seemed to point to an acquittal, even the charge to the jury by Judge Landis, who, we gladly admit, proved himself to be impartial in all respects. The verdict of “Guilty” came as a shock, a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

The jury was out fifty-five minutes. It may have been only a formality that they left their seats to go to the jury room. A Chicago paper states it is evident that only one ballot was taken.

Motion for a new trial will be filed immediately and if necessary, appeal will be taken. All defendants are now in Cook County Jail. A word of cheer from the fellow workers in the field will be appreciated by them.

Fellow Worker Haywood gave out the following:

[Said Haywood, at the county jail:]

I have no fault to find with Judge Landis, and none of the rest of us have. He was fair to us, absolutely square throughout the whole trial. His instructions were fair, I thought, and certainly he treated us excellently while the trial was in progress.

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Hellraisers Journal: From Ohio Socialist: Editorial from The Messenger: “Negroes Organizing in the Socialist Party”

Janet RayeA. Philip Randolph
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Nothing counts but pressure, pressure, more pressure,
and still more pressure through broad,
organized, aggressive mass action.
-A. Philip Randolph
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 28, 1918
New York City – Socialist Locals Organized Across Race Divide

From The Ohio Socialist of August 21, 1918:

-The following article is reprinted from The Messenger:

Negroes Organizing in
Socialist Party

A. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen, Messenger, Nov 1917
Editors of The Messenger

The new negro is awakening. After having been the political Rip Van Winkle of America for fifty years, sleeping in the cesspools of Republican reaction, he has at last opened his eyes. In New York city, in the very heart of the negro settlement, there has been organized the Twenty-first Assembly District Socialist Branch, which includes all white and colored Socialists in the district. The branch has grown to about one hundred members in two weeks, all of whom are dues paying and in good standing.

The new negro leaders are pointing out the Republican party as the worst fraud under which negroes have been laboring.The Democratic party is openly against the negro. The Republican party is ever striking him a blow in the back. Either one or the other of those parties has been in power for the last fifty years, the Republicans the greater part of the time. The Jim Crowism, segregation, lynching, defranchisement and discrimination are as much the work of the Republican as the Democratic party. Jim Crowism railroads was upheld in a decision by Charles E. Hughes. Lynch laws thrived under McKinley, Roosevelt and Taft. The Grandfather disfranchisement laws were passed under the guardianship of the Republican party. The Summer Civil Rights bill was declared unconstitutional by the Republican Supreme Court.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part IV: Found Speaking at Mooney Protest in Rockford, Illinois

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Flag Organize, Evle IN Prs, Mar 29, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 25, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part IV: Found in Rockford, Illinois

From The Rockford Daily Register-Gazette of July 26, 1918:

MOTHER JONES, REW, CARBINE
—–

WILL BE SPEAKERS AT UNION LABOR MASS
MEETING SUNDAY AFTERNOON
—–

BIG PARADE IS PLANNED
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

Rockford’s union labor hosts expect many union men from other cities to be here Sunday to take part in the street parade and the mass meeting at Fair Grounds park. The local committees are confident it will be the biggest showing of the kind that union labor has made in Rockford in years.

Lieut. Col. William H. Brogunier will be marshal of the day and John E. Peters will be chairman. Mayor Robert Rew, Mother Jones and Ed Carbine will be the speakers…

The meeting is to be made the occasion of Rockford Union Men’s protest against the sentencing to death of Thomas Mooney as a result of the preparedness parade explosion in San Francisco. Mother Jones will tell about the parade. Mooney has been removed to the California state penitentiary where he awaits execution.

The program will be continued in the evening at People’s park, where it is hoped Mother Jones will find it possible to speak for a few minutes. There will be other speakers. The program for the park will be announced at the close of the Fair Grounds park meeting.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part III: West Virginia Miners’ Scale Convention

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Flag Organize, Evle IN Prs, Mar 29, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday August 24, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part III: Found in West Virginia

From the Fairmont West Virginian of July 25, 1918:

UNION MINERS HOLDING SCALE CONVENTION HERE
—–
Meetings at Willard Hall Are Expected
to Last Several Days.
—–

MOTHER JONES HOT SHOT
—–
W. M. Rogers Makes Plea for Big
Labor Day Celebration.
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

The scale convention for the mines of the Fairmont field which have no contract with the United Mine of America is being held at Willard Hall this week, and opened at 10:30 this morning. The morning session was devoted to the adoption of the call, the filing of credentials and addressees by “Mother” Jones and W. M. Rogers, president of the State Federation of Labor.

Frank Keeney. president of District No. 17…called the meeting to order. P. F. Gaitens [Gatens], international board member for District No. 17, acted as secretary in the absence of Mr. Mooney, who is expected to be here on the morrow…

“Mother” Jones’ address was filled with interesting discussion of social and economic questions, as well as talk on coal mining and union organization.

W. M. Rogers made a plea for a big Labor Day celebration in spite of the fact that coal operators were opposing it. “They argue that a day’s production will he lost. I say that you can work a Sunday or extra hours for several days-that labor is entitled to one big day all its own.”

“Civilization never advances beyond he women.” declared “Mother” in her address to the scale convention. “The great danger is when the hog is developed in the woman instead of the human.”

“Mother” Jones, introduced as the most beloved labor leader in the world by Frank Keeney, president of District No. 17, was discussing the duty that lay before the coal miner delegates assembled for this convention.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part II: Found Organizing in West Virginia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Some of those parasitical fellows come along
and tell [the miners] they can’t have beer.
I don’t care about the whiskey,
but the boys do need the beer.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 23, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part II: Found in West Virginia

From the Fairmont West Virginian of July 20, 1918:

U.M.W. ORGANIZERS BUSY IN REGION
—–
Meetings Being Held in Mining Towns
Practically Every Day.
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

United Mine Workers in this section held several meetings yesterday evening giving instruction as to further organization and inspiring miners to produce more coal. W. F. Ray and Sam Ballentyne were in Wilsonburg where they were straightening up an organization which had not been properly organized. B. A. Scott and Joe Angelo were at the Dawson mine in Clarksburg for the same purpose. P. E. Gaiens was at Lumberport yesterday evening looking after interest of the United Mine Workers Association. James Diana and Representatives Peters were at Gypsy.

W. F. Ray, B. A Scott and Organizer Peters will leave tonight to spend a few days at their homes. Mr. Ray is a resident of St. Albans,, W. Va., while Peters and Scott are both from Charleston.

President C. F. Keeney will return to Fairmont tonight from Charleston, where he has been for the past several days.

David Fowler, who has been in the Morgantown section for the past several days assisting in the organisation of miners, returned to Fairmont yesterday.

J. L. Lewis, of Indianapolis, Ind., international [acting] president of the United Mine Workers of America, came to Fairmont last night and paid a visit to the local office of United Mine Workers.

Mother Jones returned to Fairmont yesterday evening.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part I: Found Organizing in West Virginia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Flag Organize, Evle IN Prs, Mar 29, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 22, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia

From the Fairmont West Virginian of July 5, 1918:

MINERS PROVE PATRIOTISM BY WORKING TODAY
—–
Not a Mine in the Region Out of Operation
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

The car supply for the mines along the Monongahela railroad tomorrow will be one hundred per cent.

—–

As a proof that the patriotism of the miners in the Fairmont district is of the 100 per cent. quality every mining property so far as in known is in operation today with full forces in most instances…

This is a remarkable showing for the day following the Independent day holiday. In former years the men used to make a several days’ affair out of the Fourth of July but this year the Fuel administration made a direct to them to go right back to work so that the much needed coal would keep coming in a steady stream and the way they have responded will be gratifying to all interested in keeping p the production records.

Miners’ Picnics.

Fully fifteen hundred people, mostly miners and their families, gathered at Traction park yesterday afternoon for the big all day picnic held there.

The program began shortly after 10 o’clock in the morning with addresses by William M. Rogers, president of the State Federation of Labor, and James Dianna, the latter of Bomer, W. Va. and one of the most prominent labor organizers in the state. He addressed the miners assembled at the park yesterday morning in the Italian language. In the afternoon an address as delivered by Frank Keeney, who is in charge of the United Mine Workers for the seventeenth district.

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