Hellraisers Journals: Arturo Giovannitti Addresses Mass Meeting of Silk Strikers at Turn Hall, Paterson, New Jersey

Share

Quote Giovannitti, The Walker, Rest My Brother—————

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday March 6, 1913
Paterson, New Jersey – Giovannitti Speaks to Silk Strikers at Turn Hall

From the Passaic Daily News of March 5, 1913:

Arturo Giovannitti Speaks at Paterson, Ps Dly Ns p1, Mar 5, 1913

The first move toward a settlement of the silk strike in Paterson came last night, when, at a meeting of delegates from dyers and broad silk weavers, demands were formulated for presentation to manufacturers today. These demands, in brief, are:

Abolition of the four-loom system and and eight-hour day at the same price now paid per week for the dyers…..

Arturo Giovannitti, I. W. W. leader, who was recently tried and acquitted in Lawrence, Mass., on a charge of murder in connection with the strike riots in that city, arrived in Paterson this morning shortly after 11 o’clock. He went at once to Turn Hall where he addressed nearly 5,000 strikers, speaking first in Italian and then repeating his speech in English. 

Giovannitti urged the strikers to stand by their action in walking out, saying that they were bound to receive their rights and that their demands would be granted. He was received as a hero of the “cause,” with much applause. He was introduced by Carlo Tresca, the I. W. W. leader who was arrested last week with Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Patrick Quinlan. He did not advocate violence.

[…..]

[Emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journals: Arturo Giovannitti Addresses Mass Meeting of Silk Strikers at Turn Hall, Paterson, New Jersey”

Hellraisers Journal: Big Bill Haywood Will Be Jailed Whenever He Arrives in Paterson Is Threat of Chief of Police Bimson

Share

Quote BBH re Capitalist Class, Lbr Arg p4, Mar 23, 1911—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday February 28, 1913
Paterson, New Jersey – Chief of Police Bimson Threatens Arrest of Haywood

From The Boston Evening Globe of February 27, 1913:

Paterson NJ to Jail BBH, Bst Glb p2, Feb 27, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Big Bill Haywood Will Be Jailed Whenever He Arrives in Paterson Is Threat of Chief of Police Bimson”

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Released on Bail; Tresca and Quinlan Kept Behind the Bars of the Paterson Jail

Share

Quote EGF, Work for Justice Despite Hardships, Tacoma Tx p7, Dec 29, 1909—————

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday February 27, 1913
Paterson, New Jersey – Miss Flynn Released; Tresca and Quinlan Remain in Jail

From the Passaic Daily News of February 26, 1913:

EGF Bailed Out, Ps Dly Ns p1, Feb 26, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Released on Bail; Tresca and Quinlan Kept Behind the Bars of the Paterson Jail”

Hellraisers Journal: Paterson Police Scatter Strike Meeting; Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Tresca and Quinlan Arrested at Turn Hall

Share

Quote EGF, Heaven n Hell, ISR p617, Jan 1910—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday February 26, 1913
Paterson, New Jersey – Police Invade Turn Hall and Arrest Strike Leaders

From the Asbury Park Evening Press (New Jersey) of February 25, 1913:

EGF Arrested, Asbury Prk Prs p1, Feb 25, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Paterson Police Scatter Strike Meeting; Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Tresca and Quinlan Arrested at Turn Hall”

Hellraisers Journal: 15,000 Silk Workers of Paterson, New Jersey, Will Be Affected by General Strike to be Led by Haywood’s IWW

Share

Quote BBH re Capitalist Class, Lbr Arg p4, Mar 23, 1911—————

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday February 25, 1913
Paterson, New Jersey – General Strike of Silk Workers Planned by Industrial Workers

From The Boston Daily Globe of February 24, 1913:

Paterson Silk Workers to Strike, Bst Glb p9, Feb 24, 1913

From the Spokane Industrial Worker of February 20, 1913
-Preamble of the Industrial Workers of the World:

IWW Preamble, IW p3, Feb 20, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: 15,000 Silk Workers of Paterson, New Jersey, Will Be Affected by General Strike to be Led by Haywood’s IWW”

Hellraisers Journal: General Strike of Silk Industry in City of Paterson, N. J., to Be Called by Local 152, IWW, Next Week

Share

Quote BBH re Capitalist Class, Lbr Arg p4, Mar 23, 1911—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 23, 1913
Paterson, New Jersey – Silk Workers Vote with Great Enthusiasm for General Strike

From the Paterson Morning Call of February 20, 1913:

GENERAL STRIKE DUE NEXT WEEK?
———-
Labor Committee Will Decide on Date
at Tonight’s Meeting.
———-

Paterson Faces Big Silk Strike, Newark Eve Str p8, Feb 20, 1913
Newark Evening Star
February 20, 1913

Two meeting rooms were necessary in Turn hall last night to accommodate all the silk workers that attended to take action on a proposed general strike throughout the industry in this city. When more than a thousand had crowded into one hall and the police prohibited any additional people there, the committee from local 152, Industrial Workers of the World, under whose auspices the mass meeting was conducted, opened a smaller hall, where between two and three hundred stood while they listened to urgent appeals on the part of the labor leaders to join the walkout, which they claimed to be inevitable now. Men and women continued going and coming during the entire evening, so that it is safe to assume there were more than two thousand who heard all or part of the speeches at least.

After all the speakers had concluded, the chairman of the meeting asked what decision the people had arrived at and what they considered doing in the matter of the movement to do away with the three and four-loom system in Paterson. One man to the rear of the hall yelled “strike” in no uncertain tones, and the hundreds applauded.

“How many vote to have this striker?” asked the chairman, and then requested that all in favor of going out raise their right hands. The people had been worked to a white heat of enthusiasm by the addresses and many of them raised both hands and then jumped on chairs to make their approval the more pronounced. After joining in huzzas for the period of a minute or more the people filed out.

Whether this spirit is a lasting one will remain to be seen when the executive committee of the local 152 call upon the workers to strike. It was evident last night that the men were more than interested in the matter, but even sanguine labor leaders would not vouch for their support. Such action by the people was expected after the oratorical fireworks that had been presented, but there was no indication that the same line of action would be adhered to when the privations consequent to the loss of work and wages are met with.

Between 500 and 600 of the workers that crowded the two halls last night did not wait until the vote was taken, and their presence might be accounted for by assigning curiosity as the cause. They made no expression of their opinion one way or another, and while their support is banked upon, there is no positive assurance that the support will be there when wanted.

A Polish speaker named Lauer, an Italian speaker, Organizer Kaplen, who spoke in Yiddish, and Miss Elizabeth Flynn made up the list of talkers that had been brought into the city for the meeting. When it became necessary to open the second hall, several of the local leaders jumped into the breach and made addresses on the situation as they sized it up.

One thing is certain, a general strike will be called. The executive committee of local 152, I. W. W., will hold a closed meeting this evening in Turn Hall, where manifestos will be brought up and translated into several languages. As soon as they are taken from the press they will be distributed directly to the silk workers.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: General Strike of Silk Industry in City of Paterson, N. J., to Be Called by Local 152, IWW, Next Week”

Hellraisers Journal: Arrest of Carlo Tresca Leads to Discovery of Browning Love Poems Dedicated to Him by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

Share

Quote EGF, Work for Justice Despite Hardships, Tacoma Tx p7, Dec 29, 1909—————-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday January 31, 1913
New York, New York – Love Poems Found Dedicated to Tresca by Miss Flynn 

From the Spokane Daily Chronicle of January 30, 1913:

EGF Romance Poetry for Tresca, Spk Dly Chc p1, Jan 30, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Arrest of Carlo Tresca Leads to Discovery of Browning Love Poems Dedicated to Him by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn”

Hellraisers Journal: Paterson Silk Weavers on Strike against Four Loom System, Expect Arrival of Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

Share

Quote EGF, My Aim in Life, Spk Rv p7, July 8, 1909—————

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday January 30, 1913
Paterson, New Jersey – Silk Weavers Revolt Against Four Loom System

From The Paterson Evening News of January 29, 1913:

HdLn Paterson Silk Strike ag Four Loom Syst, Pt Eve Ns p1, Jan 29, 1913

Where Three and Four Loom Systems Are Being Operated
-Big Mass Meeting Arranged for Tomorrow.
———-

EGF, York Daily PA p1, Jan 28, 1913

Yesterday afternoon about five hundred striking weavers, who have quit their work in the Henry Doherty mill at Lakeview, proceeded to the Samuel Aronsohn mill at Tenth avenue and East Eighteenth street, in an effort to get the weavers at this place to go out on strike against the four loom system. In order to spread their fight in mills where four looms are operated, the striking Doherty weavers propose to try and get all other weavers who operated four looms to go out on strike with them. When the five hundred strikers made their appearance in the vicinity of the Aronsohn mill, police headquarters was notified, and Sergeant John Ricker dispatched the automobile patrol with reserves to the scene.

Aronsohn brothers complained that the strikers who gathered on the outside were trying to attract the attention of their workmen and in this way their business was interfered with. When Sergeant Sautter and the police reserves arrived the strikers made their way to a nearby hall with the intentions of holding a mass meeting, but the great crowd which had marched from Lakeview to Tenth avenue were too tired to hold any meeting. In order to prevent all other weavers of the city from running four looms the Doherty strikers hope to carry their fight into every mill where this system is carried out, for they are opposed to the four loom system.

Tomorrow night at Helvetia Hall the Doherty strikers will hold a large mass meeting. It has been decided by the officials of the I. W. W. that any weaver who runs four looms shall be considered a strike breaker. In order to accomplish this, however, it will be necessary to conduct their strike along peaceful and orderly lines.

It is to expected that Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who took such an active part in the waiters’ strike in York city, will come to this city and make her headquarters here so that she may take an active interest in the fight against four looms. Miss Flynn is just twenty-two years, and her success in holding together for almost a month 4,000 striking waiters, whom nobody has ever been able to handle in a harmonious manner, has amazed labor agitators with far more experience. They haven’t been able to understand how this young woman could dominate the situation for nearly a month.

With her assistance the Doherty weavers hope to secure the sympathy of other weavers who are now operating four looms in a number of mills in the city. Organizer Edward Keettegen [Ewald Koettgen], the I. W. W. organizer who is conducting the strike at the Doherty mill, will preside at the mass meeting tomorrow evening.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Paterson Silk Weavers on Strike against Four Loom System, Expect Arrival of Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn”

Hellraisers Journal: New York City Waiters’ Strike Collapses; I. W. W. Organizers Urge Strikers to “Live to Fight Another Day”

Share

Quote EGF, My Aim in Life, Spk Rv p7, July 8, 1909—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday January 29, 1913
New York, New York – Waiters’ Strike Collapses Under Policemen’s Clubs

From the Honesdale Citizen (Pennsylvania) of January 28, 1913:

WAITERS’ STRIKE COLLAPSES.
———-
Lack of Public Sympathy and Police Clubs
Causes of Failure.

EGF, NYC Waiters Strike, York Daily PA p1, Jan 28, 1913

New York, Jan. 27.-The general strike of the hotel workers, which was promoted and nursed by the agitators of the big Bill Haywood organization, the Industrial Workers of the World, has collapsed. The strike leaders admitted that the fighting spirit had oozed out of their followers and that within twenty-four hours waiters and cooks and others would be scrambling for their old jobs.

The organizers sent by the Industrial Workers of the World to show the hotel workers how to fight according to the tactics of Haywood and Ettor were the first to admit defeat. Patrick Quinlan, the general organizer, and Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the principal speechmaker, were hard at work trying to convince the leaders of the International Hotel Workers’ union that he who fights and runs away can live to fight another day.

Less astute perhaps than the professionals of the Industrial Workers of the World, the leaders of the Hotel Workers’ union were struggling at the executive committee meeting to prolong the strike, but they were told frankly by the Industrial Workers of the World strategists that the battle was lost and that terms had better be made as quickly as possible. There were a number of causes for the failure of the strike. Among them were an absence of public sympathy, the lukewarm attitude of 75 per cent of the union waiters satisfied with their pay and the discovery of the strikers that the police were not afraid to use their clubs.

After three days of window smashing, of assaults on nonunion waiters and of noisy demonstrations there was less work last night for the police and the private guards by whom most of the hotels and restaurants were heavily guarded.

[Newsclip added from York Daily (Pennsylvania) of January 28, 1913.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: New York City Waiters’ Strike Collapses; I. W. W. Organizers Urge Strikers to “Live to Fight Another Day””

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Leads Big Strike of Restaurant Waiters in New York City, Describes Vile Conditions

Share

Quote EGF, Heaven n Hell, ISR p617, Jan 1910—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday January 19, 1913
New York, New York – Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Leads Waiters’ Strike

From The Rock Island Argus of January 18, 1913:

New York.-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn is just a woman, but she has demonstrated her ability to lead a big strike in New York City. When the hotel and restaurant waiters decided that they wanted more pay, they asked Miss Flynn to help them. She played a prominent and successful part in the Lawrence, Mass., textile strike a year ago.

She came to New York City about the time the strike started and has been on the job ever since. She’s a good organizer and a fiery speaker. She says the best way to hit the hotel-keepers is to prove that the food they serve is unclean. Addressing a big crowd of strikers the other night she said:

I want you all to come and tell about the adulteration of food. I want you to tell how dishes which are refused by one guest because of their inferiority are sent back again to another guest; and how sauces are poured upon bad food to make it taste like good food. I want you to make affidavit to it, so we may give our information to the board of health and to the newspapers.

If the guest knew half much as you do about the food they eat and the places it comes from, they wouldn’t dare go into some of our best known hotels and restaurants.

Miss Flynn declared that of course the board of health wouldn’t do anything in the matter. All public officials, naturally, had their palms crossed with filthy capitalistic lucre when they went on “inspection.”

[She resumed:]

We want Mr. Capitalist, when he  sits down to his dainty dinner, to know that its daintiness rose out of a vile spot like a lily out of a mud pool. We want to let the evil smell of your waiters’ quarters spread throughout New York.

He doesn’t care where you work, of course. But if you can impress him with the fact that you work in a vile place, and that his food comes from a vile place, you may be helped. For you will hit him square in the stomach, and that’s where all the senses of the American capitalist are located.

Miss Flynn has been trying to induce the waiters to adopt an anti-tipping resolution. In this she has been unsuccessful.

[Emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Leads Big Strike of Restaurant Waiters in New York City, Describes Vile Conditions”