Tag: December 1909

Hellraisers Journal: From the Socialist Montana News: “Free Speech War Rages At Spokane” -to Speak Until All Are Arrested

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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Quote EGF, Compliment IWW, IW p1, Nov 17, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 12, 1909
Spokane, Washington – Fellow Workers to Speak Until All Are Arrested

From the Socialist Montana News of December 2, 1909:

IWW Spk FSF, Free Speech War Rages, MTNs p1, Dec 2, 1909

[Part II of II.]

Justice Orders Ordinance Made to Order.

Justice Mann who is holding up the judicial end of the government persecution detected the flaw in the first ordinance, as class legislation, and dismissed the prisoners under it. Another ordinance was then framed on the judge’s advice, designating any speaking on the street where a crowd gathers as disorderly. Thus the judge makes the laws, and decides on it, and passes sentence on it.

The second day 133 were arrested and 33 sentenced to 30-day terms in jail.

Attorney Moore for the I. W. W. gave notice of appeal to the superior court.

Foote, the editor of the Industrial paper published at Portland, was arrested as soon as he reached town.

A bulletin posted at headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World was as follows:

Fellow workers, tomorrow this fight will be carried on with greater determination than ever. We have only begun to fight; 200 men will go to jail tomorrow.

Immediately below was posted another, which read:

Every man who is appointed captain to select five or more men and proceed to hold meetings.

Every captain and squad go to the places designated and speak until all are arrested.

Remember, the authorities claim to have broken the backbone of the organization. Show them that they are just as ignorant as bulls usually are…..

The socialist of Spokane have actively taken up the I. W. W. fight.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Socialist Montana News: “Free Speech War Rages At Spokane” -IWW Causing a Little Stir

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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Quote EGF, Compliment IWW, IW p1, Nov 17, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 11, 1909
Spokane, Washington – I. W. W. Causing a “Little Stir”

From the Socialist Montana News of December 2, 1909:

IWW Spk FSF, Free Speech War Rages, MTNs p1, Dec 2, 1909

[Part I of II.]

The Industrial Workers of the World are making a little stir in this western section of the country in its valiant maintenance of the right of free speech. A battle royal was commenced with the authorities of Spokane. The authorities show an unusual malignancy against these I. W. W. because they so openly denounce capitalism, its laws, its government and its authorities; they call on the workingmen of all grades and stations to unite on these principles, and to openly, radically and emphatically fight the capitalists and their government.

Now this attitude is not particularly soothing to officials of a class government, even though the insurgents are backed by a constitutional guarantee. With officials it is “To Hell with the constitution”, whenever its enforcement jeopardizes their graft.

Dirty Chicanery.

The Spokane authorities have played a dirty trick with the I. W. W. A year ago the Industrial entered upon a desperate fight for free speech. They filled the jail and nonplussed the city administration. The city thought fit to call a truce and asked that hostilities be suspended pending a court decision. The I. W. W. agreed to these terms, but no action has ever been taken on the part of the city to get a settlement of the case. Tired of being buffaloed in this shape the I. W. W. prepared for a march on Spokane, the authorities prepared to resist them, and the Workers are now fighting capitalist domination, and unjust abridgment of legal personal rights with all the forces at their command. The capitalist papers of Spokane have announced in staring headlines that 8,000 revolutionists from all over the northwest were gathering for the fray.

The “Industrial Workers”, the Spokane organ of the I. W. W., issued the call for this gathering of the clans. Different unions were notified by wire how many men to send to Spokane. One capitalist paper stated that 500 recruits for the battle boarded trains out of Portland, Oregon, without the formality of purchasing tickets.

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Hellraisers Journal: “A Boy Mine Worker” and the Cherry Mine-Fire Disaster from the International Socialist Review

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Mother Jones Quote, Child Labor Man of Six Snuff Sniffer———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 10, 1909
“A Boy Mine Worker,” Like Those Who Perished in the Cherry Mine-Fire

From the International Socialist Review of December 1909:

“A Boy Mine Worker”

PN Child Mine Worker, ISR p512, Dec 1909

Note: Photograph is by Lewis Hine of Trapper Boy in a West Virginia Coal Mine, see Survey of October 2, 1909.

From the Editor’s Chair

The Murder of Illinois Miners

On Saturday, Nov. 13, fire broke out in the mine of the St. Paul Coal Company at Cherry, Ill., where 708 miners were at work. Next morning 125 men responded to roll call. A few more may have escaped, but the actual number dead in the mine is probably close to 500. The newspaper reports of the fire were so conflicting, and so obviously toned down in the interests of the mine owners, that the Review sent its own representative to Cherry, in order that we might make an accurate statement of the facts before commenting on them. He found the reporters of the capitalist papers snugly housed in Pullman cars, wined and dined by St. Paul officials. He found the surviving miners unanimous in the opinion that the death of their comrades was directly due to the action of the mine officials in keeping the men at work long after the fire started. Direct evidence that this is the case is not wanting. Our representative asked President Earling of the St. Paul Railway at what hour the fire started. He replied, “One thirty.” To the question, “Why weren’t the men notified?” his only answer was an eloquent gesture indicating that he had nothing to say.

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WE NEVER FORGET-James Kelly Cole Who Lost Life on November 17, 1909, En Route to the Spokane Free Speech Fight

Janet RayeWe Never Forget
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Quote Mother Jones, Pray for dead, Ab Chp 6, 1925———-

WNF, James Kelly Cole, IWW Spk FSF, Nov 17, 1909, Rev Writings Poems p12, 1910 ———-

WE NEVER FORGET
James Kelly Cole Who Lost His Life in Freedom’s Cause,
November 17, 1909, at Tomah, Wisconsin
———-

James Kelly Cole, Poems Cover, 1910
“It was on a pilgrimage to help others
who believed in the rights of men
that James Kelly Cole was halted suddenly by death.
A railroad accident at Tomah, Wis., November 17th, 1909,
ended only too untimely his brief, young, hopeful life.
He lived well and bravely and thus did he die.”

———-

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Hellraisers Journal: James Kelly Cole Killed While Riding the Rods from Chicago to Spokane Free Speech Fight

Janet RayeFree Speech Fights
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Quote re James Cole, Spk FSF Martyr, ISR p557, Dec 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 5, 1909
Fellow Worker James Kelly Cole Killed on the Road to Spokane

From the International Socialist Review of December 1909:

IWW Spk FSF, Chg HQ Signs, ISR p557, Dec 1909

KILLED ON WAY TO SPOKANE.

James K. Cole, one of the members of Chicago Local 85, I. W. W., who left here in company with many comrades Monday evening, November 15th, to join the men and women engaged in the fight for free speech at Spokane, was killed on Tuesday [Wednesday November 17th] while jumping a train, en route, in Wisconsin. James Cole was only 23 years of age and for a long time had been known as one of the most uncompromising members of the I. W. W. Always ready to lend his aid to any struggle of the wage-working class, Cole was one of the first to volunteer to go to Spokane. The following photograph of the men who left this city on the 15th was taken Sunday the 14th. Comrade Cole is the fourth man from the right of the picture, in the front row. Cole said:

It’s a long trip and it’s a cold trip out to Spokane at this time of year. But don’t talk about that. We’re going and we are going to WIN.

Men like Cole are the fighting timber of the revolutionary movement of the working class. They do not weigh consequences, they scoff at dangers threatening themselves; silently, without any demonstration, or brass bands, or RAILROAD TICKETS they pick up [their] hats and are on the way whenever their class sends out a call for help. James Cole and his fellow-workers are the BACK-BONE of the revolutionary army. Cole never looked back. He was never afraid. He never gave up. He was the best that can be said of any man or woman of our class—he was a revolutionist. He fought living and died on the way to help in a great fight.

—–

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Hellraisers Journal: Comrade Tom Lewis Reports from Portland: Proletarian Army Heads to Spokane to Fight for Free Speech

Janet RayeFree Speech Fights
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Quote EGF, Compliment IWW, IW p1, Nov 17, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 4, 1909
Portland, Oregon – Proletarian Army Heads to Spokane to Fight for Free Speech

From the International Socialist Review of December 1909:

The Free Speech Fight at Spokane
—–

[Part II-Report from Portland, Oregon, by Comrade Tom Lewis]

IWW FSF On Road to Spk, ISR p489, Dec 1909

And now, from almost every state in the union, socialists are on the way to help their comrades in Spokane. Comrade Tom Lewis writes us from Portland, Oregon, that in response to the telegrams sent out by the I. W. W. and Socialist Party headquarters calling for men, the Portland friends arranged a meeting to call for volunteers.

At that meeting forty men lined up. A collection was taken and handed to the little band to be used for “Coffee-and-” [coffee and a donut] while the men were enroute. At this time the rainy season is on and it requires men of the real stuff to volunteer to go, especially since nearly all of them will have to make their way jumping freights. Where would we be without such material!

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Hellraisers Journal: “We can keep up the fight all winter.” -Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Reports from Spokane Free Speech Fight

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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Quote EGF, Compliment IWW, IW p1, Nov 17, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 3, 1909
Spokane, Washington – Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Reports from Scene of Battle

From the International Socialist Review of December 1909:

ISR IWW FSF, p483, Dec 1909

[Part I-Report from Spokane by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn]

Letter T, ISR p483, Dec 1909HE working class of Spokane are engaged in a terrific conflict, one of the most vital of the local class struggles. It is a fight for more than free speech. It is to prevent the free press and labor’s right to organize from being throttled. The writers of the associated press newspapers have lied about us systematically and unscrupulously. It is only through the medium of the Socialist and labor press that we can hope to reach the ear of the public.

The struggle was precipitated by the I. W. W. and it is still doing the active fighting, namely, going to jail. But the principles for which we are fighting have been endorsed by the Socialist Party and the Central Labor Council of the A. F. of L.

IWW Spk FSF JP Thompson, ISR p483, Dec 1909

The I. W. W. in Spokane is composed of “floaters,” men who drift from harvest fields to lumber camps from east to west. They are men without families and are fearless in defense of their rights but as they are not the “home guard” with permanent jobs, they are the type upon whom the employment agents prey. With alluring signs detailing what short hours and high wages men can get in various sections, usually far away, these leeches induce the floater to buy a job, paying exorbitant rates, after which they are shipped out a thousand miles from nowhere. The working man finds no such job as he expected but one of a few days’ duration until he is fired to make way for the next “easy mark.”

The I. W. W. since its inception in the northwest has carried on a determined, relentless fight on the employment sharks and as a result the business of the latter has been seriously impaired. Judge Mann in the court a few days ago remarked: “I believe all this trouble is due to the employment agencies,” and he certainly struck the nail on the head. “The I. W. W. must go,” the sharks decreed last winter and a willing city council passed an ordinance forbidding all street meetings within the fire limits. This was practically a suppression of free speech because it stopped the I. W. W. from holding street meetings in the only districts where working men congregate. In August the Council modified their decision to allow religious bodies to speak on the streets, thus frankly admitting their discrimination against the I. W. W.

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