Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks at Convention of United Mine Workers of America, Held at Columbus, Ohio

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Quote Mother Jones, Grow Big Great Mighty Show CFnI, UMWC p269 Jan 21, 1911———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday January 23, 1911
Columbus, Ohio – Mother Jones Speaks at Miners’ Convention

From the Washington Sunday Star of January 22, 1911:

LIE IS PASSED FREELY AT MINERS’ CONVENTION
—–
“Mother Jones” Makes Address Calling
Supreme Court Judges Real Anarchists.
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Mother Jones crpd ed, WDC Tx p5, June 18, 1910

COLUMBUS, Ohio, January 21.-Control of the United Mine Workers’ convention came to a severe test in the contest for the seating of delegates from nine locals of district No. 2 of central Pennsylvania. Charges of falsehoods were made freely by each side and the convention finally adjourned to continue the fight Monday.

Expected contests over the seating of President Francis Feehan of the Pittsburg district did not materialize and he was seated without final objection.

“Mother” Jones spoke before the convention. She classes members of the United States Supreme Court and Gov. Harmon of Ohio among “the real anarchists of the country.”

[…..]

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for August 1910, Part II: Found Speaking to Miners at Shenandoah, Pennsylvania

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Quote Mother Jones, Union Card n Pious Christian, Shenandoah Eve Hld p1, Aug 27, 1910———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday September 18, 1910
Mother Jones News Round-Up for August 1910, Part II:
-Found Speaking to Mine Workers at Shenandoah, Pennsylvania

From the Shenandoah Evening Herald of August 27, 1910:

MOTHER JONES WAS IN SCOLDING MOOD
—————

Mother Jones crpd, WDC Tx p5, June 18, 1910

“Mother” Jones was the big noise at the open air mass meeting of mine workers at Main and Centre streets last night, and despite her seventy-five years of terrestrial pilgrimage she was in excellent physical trim.

“Never felt better In my life,” she said to a friend who commented upon her fine appearance, and added,

You know I’m good for seventy-five more years. I don’t think I’ll ever die, so long as I want to live.

“Mother” Jones was in fine voice and the verbal lambasting she administered to John Mitchell, former head of the United Mine Workers of America, ex-President Roosevelt and President Taft caused her hearers “to sit up and take notice,” as the phrase goes when something surprising and unexpected is sprung on an unsuspecting audience. There were other speakers, but “Mother” Jones was the attraction, and she certainly furnished the necessary entertainment, but her denunciation of John Mitchell as a traitor to the cause of labor did not gain her many sympathizers. She excoriated Mitchell for hobnobbing with Roosevelt and declared that both Mitchell and Roosevelt were the “two biggest bluffs at large.” She found fault with Bishop Hobin, of Scranton, for a humorous reference of the Bishop’s at a dinner to Roosevelt and Mitchell that it was the first time he had the honor of sitting between two presidents. She was quite emphatic in utterance and her oratory was attended by the usual gesticulations so familiar during the troublous times of some years ago.

She was more rabid of utterance last night than on any former occasion in this region, and she waved red-flag sentiments with defiance.

Speaking of the State Police she declared they were patterned after the Irish Constabulary.

[She fairly shrieked:]

I was six years old when I was driven from home at the bayonet point by the constabulary in Ireland, and I have never forgot it, and never shall.

I’d sooner go to heaven with a union card as a passport than as a pious Christian of the employer class who have accumulated their millions by grinding the lives out of the down trodden women and children.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for August 1910, Part I: Found Speaking to Miners of Hazleton District, Pennsylvania

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Quote Mother Jones, Brutal Ruling Class, Cnc Pst p7, May 31, 1910———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday September 17, 1910
Mother Jones News Round-Up for August 1910, Part I:
-Found in
Hazleton Coal District Addressing Miners’ Meetings

From the Pittston Gazette of August 3, 1910:

“Mother Jones.”

Mother Jones crpd, WDC Tx p5, June 18, 1910

“Mother Jones,” the miners’ friend, is spending some time in the Hazleton district, recuperating from a severe illness, and nearly every evening addresses a meeting of mine workers.

—–

[Photograph added.]

From the Pottsville Republican of August 4, 1910:

Socialists to Observe Labor Day.

At a meeting of the Socialists of Pottsville held last evening in the barber shop of C. F. Foley arrangements were made to hold a big celebration here on Labor Day. Fred Warren, editor of the Appeal to Reason, will be the speaker of the occasion. Mother Jones will also be in attendance. The meeting will be held at Schuettler’s grove at the western end of Pottsville. Dancing will be one of the attractions of the day. Mr. Foley announced that his declination to run for lieutenant governor had been favorably acted. upon.

—————

From the Shenandoah Evening Herald of August 12, 1910:

Will Go to Dubois Next.

“Mother” Jones the United Mine Workers organizer, who is stopping at Hazleton with Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gildea, will go from Hazleton to Dubois. She expects to stay at Hazleton for several weeks yet, part of which time she will spend in the Panther Creek sub-district.

—————

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for August 1910, Part I: Found Speaking to Miners of Hazleton District, Pennsylvania”

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for October 1909, Part II: Reports Found of Mysterious Disappearance in San Antonio

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Quote Mother Jones Save Our Mexican Comrades, AtR p3, Feb 20, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday November 15, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for October 1909, Part II:
-Reports Found of Mother’s Mysterious Disappearance in San Antonio, Texas

From The Buffalo Enquirer of October 18, 1909
-the following story was reported by newspapers from coast to coast:

SECRET SERVICE MEN ARE ACTIVE
—–

SOCIALISTS AND ANARCHISTS APPREHENDED IN
ADVANCE OF PRESIDENT TAFT’S ARRIVAL
-MOTHER JONES GONE.
—–

(By the American News.)

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

San Antonio, Oct. 18.-The failure of a half dozen or more Socialists in this city to show up at their homes and a search instituted by local newspaper men, revealed the fact that the Secret Service authorities had taken into custody quietly a number of Socialists and Anarchists just before the visit of President Taft to this city.

Mother Jones, the friend of the miners, who was in the city Sunday it has been learned to day, also mysteriously disappeared. Friends of Mother Jones assert that she too was taken into custody and her whereabouts kept secret until after the departure of President Taft.

Activity among Anarchists and Socialists in this vicinity is thought to have been the cause for the arrests.

———-

[Photograph added.]

From the Shenandoah (Pennsylvania) Evening Herald of October 21, 1909:

“Mother” Jones Heard From.

Charles Gildea, a national organizer of the United Mine Workers at Hazleton, has received a letter from “Mother” Jones, who took a prominent part in miners’ strikes here, that she intends to be at the meeting between President Taft, of the United States, and President Diaz, of Mexico, near El Paso, Texas. Whether she was among those present or not has not yet been learned, as the letter was posted before the time of the meeting.

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little & “Agitators” of Butte “Against Everything” Proclaims Company Newspaper

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 25, 1917
Butte, Montana – “Agitators” Support Striking Miners

Metal Miners, Butte MT, Mining Artifacts, date unknown

The Anaconda Standard, voice of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, declared recently that the “agitators” of Butte are “against everything.”

Yet the striking miners have made it quite clear exactly what they stand against-i.e., the blacklist (Rustling Card system), long hours, low wages, and unsafe working conditions such as led to the deaths of 168 copper miners in the Speculator Mine Fire Disaster just a few short weeks ago.

From the Anaconda Standard of July 23, 1917:

AGITATORS TALKING AGAINST EVERYTHING
—–

A mass meeting for miners of the Butte district, held last evening at the ball park, was attended by about 2,000 men. All the speakers urged the miners to stay out and said the modifications of the rustling card and the weekly pay day announced by the Anaconda Copper Mining company on Saturday should be disregarded.

Joe Shannon made a fiery speech in which he urged every miner to start picket duty today, and he remarked that the Campbell union [Butte Metal Mine Workers Union] had the “number of every miner now working.”

R. L. Dunn, strike leader of the electricians, who had pledged the miners the electricians would not go back to work until the miners were underground, said the papers had called him an I. W. W. and he would admit it.

[Said Dunn:]

This strike is an expression against the form of society which allows a few to control the wealth of the nation and a protest against the system of society which keeps workingmen from enjoying the comforts and good things of life.

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Hellraisers Journal: Western Federation of Miners Hands “Lemon” to Industrial Workers of the World

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Wealth to Producer, WFM Motto, Miners Mag Jan 1, 1914

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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday June 23, 1907
Denver, Colorado – Report from W. F. of M. Convention

From the Duluth Labor World of June 22, 1907:

WESTERN MINERS HAND LEMON
TO I. W. OF W.
—–
Revolutionary Organization of
Industrial Workers Are Repudiated.
—–
Annual Convention of Western Federation
Takes Decisive Action.
—–

WFM button

DENVER, Col., June 20.—”To hell with Moyer and Haywood—they are merely individuals.”

“To hell with Eugene V. Debs—we are revolutionists.” These inflammatory utterances made on the floor during the second annual convention of the Industrial Workers of the World in secret session in Chicago last September, were probably largely responsible for the split that has since occurred in the ranks of that organization.

This was brought out in the afternoon session of the federation convention yesterday afternoon. The disclosures were made in a communication read from Charles O. Sherman, former president of the Industrial Workers of the World. There were some quickly hushed hisses and some applause following the conclusion of the reading of the lengthy document.

The Western Federation of Miners, is known as the “mining department” of the Industrial Workers of the World. The latter association is divided into two factions—the “revolutionists” and the advocates of an economic industrial organization. The federation members are mostly from the latter class and practically left the Industrial Workers last December when they refused to pay a per capita to that body.

Since then there has been much dissension between the two organizations and many attempts on the part of the Workers to have the federation return to the fold. The question is to be settled at the convention now in session in Denver.

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