Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for December 1909, Part I: Found in New York City Speaking to Shirtwaist Strikers

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Quote Mother Jones, Parade past swells who wear waists, Speech Dec 9, NY Cl p2, Dec 10, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday January 9, 1910
Mother Jones News Round-Up for December 1909, Part I:
-Found in New York City Speaking to Shirtwaist Strikers

From the New York Call of December 10, 1909:

“This is not a play this is a fight!”

Mother Jones, Elkhart IN Dly Rv p2, Crpd, July 19, 1909

With these ringing words, Mother Jones, the valiant agitator for the freedom of the workers, struck the keynote of the enthusiastic mass meeting, in behalf of the waist strikers, held by Local New York, of the Socialist party in Thalia Theater yesterday afternoon. The big crowd applauded this sentiment to the echo……

Mother Jones Speaks.

Mother Jones, the friend of the miners and champion of all oppressed, was greeted with a very hearty reception by the big crowd. She was in excellent conditions. As she scored the system with sledge-hammer blows of logic and wit, the enthusiasm of the crowd broke into storms of applause.

[Said Mother Jones in opening:]

Through all the ages you have built a wonderful monument of civilization, but you don’t own it. You make all the fine waists, but you do not wear them. You work hard and are poorly paid, and now you have been forced to strike for better conditions of labor, shorter hours and higher wages.

You ought to parade past the shops where you work and up the avenues where the swells who wear the waists you make live. They won’t like to see you, they will be afraid of you!

If I belonged to a union and was on strike I would insist that we parade past the shops and homes of the masters.

You must stick together to win. The boss looks for cheap workers. When the child can do the work cheaper he displaces the woman. When the woman can do the work cheaper he displaces the man. But when you are organized you have something to say about the conditions of labor and your wages. You must stand shoulder to shoulder. The women must fight in the labor movement beside man. Every strike that I have ever been in was won by the women.

Last Great Fight of Man.

[Declared Mother Jones, as she concluded amid storms of applause:]

Whether you know of it or not, this is the last great fight of man against man. We are fighting for the time when there will be no master and no slave. When the fight of the workers to own the tools with which they toil is won, for the first time in human history man will be free.

———-

[Photograph added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for December 1909, Part I: Found in New York City Speaking to Shirtwaist Strikers”

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1909, Part II: Found Speaking at Convention of the Western Federation of Miners

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Quote Mother Jones, We Will Rest, UMWC Jan 27, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday August 9, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for July 1909, Part II:
-Found Speaking in Denver at W. F. of M. Convention

From Proceedings of the Convention of Western Federation of Miners
-Held at Denver, Colorado, July 12-August 3, 1909:

Third Day, Afternoon Session of July 14, 1909:
-From Financial Report of Secretary-Treasurer Earnest Mills

Mother Jones, Elkhart IN Dly Rv p2, July 19, 1909

We have been in receipt of $3,911.72, principally through the efforts of “Mother” Jones, for the defense of the Mexican Political Refugees, whose cases were discussed at the Sixteenth Annual Convention, and $3,809.75 has been paid to the Bisbee Mexican Defense Committee, and used directly in behalf of securing the liberty of the imprisoned men, while the balance, $101.97, has been forwarded to the Political Refugee Defense Committee at Chicago at the request of “Mother” Jones for the defense of Calixto Guerra, a political refugee, whose extradition is demanded by President Diaz of Mexico.

Fifth Day, Afternoon Session of July 16, 1909:

Mother Jones, having entered the hall at this time [following the Report of Vice-President C. E. Mahoney], was escorted to the platform, where she was introduced by the chair to the delegates, who received the venerable “mother” with ringing applause.

“Mother” Jones spoke at length, describing the struggle of the coal miners who are now on strike, and urging the delegates to elect men to their respective legislatures and congress who would look after the interests of the working class. At the conclusion of her address, “Mother” Jones was loudly applauded.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1909, Part II: Found Speaking at Convention of the Western Federation of Miners”