Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs May Become First Socialist Congressman from Indiana

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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday October 25, 1916
Terre Haute, Indiana – Mr. Debs from Fifth Congressional District

From the Logansport Pharos-Reporter of October 24th:

DEBS, SOCIALIST LEADER, NOW RUNS FOR CONGRESS
—–

Eugene Debs, Wilshire's Magazine, Nov 1905

TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Oct. 25.-Eugene Debs, twice Socialist party candidate for president, may become the first Socialist congressman from Indiana. He is a candidate from the Fifth Indiana district against Ralph Moss, Democrat and one of the authors of the rural credits bill, and Everett Sanders, Republican attorney of this city.

Debs is making a rapid-fire campaign. Contributions have come from Socialists in many parts of the United States and other countries. Many miners in the district are Socialists and Debs’ followers count heavily on his personality, which once carried him into the office of county clerk with more votes than all his opponents combined.

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Hellraisers Journal: Italy To Aid Tresca’s Defense in Minnesota, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Tours Mesabi Range

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By the Gods, it shall not be!
The bloated, beastly Steel Trust pirates
shall not murder our innocent
comrades and fellow-workers!
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday October 22, 1916
Mesabi Range, Minnesota – Italy Takes Up Case of Carlo Tresca

From the Appeal to Reason of October 21, 1916:

Italy Takes Hand to Save Tresca
From Steel Trust

EGF, Tresca, MN Iron Miners Strike, Ev IN, Aug 17, 1916

The SteelTrust wants to get rid of several striking workers (including Carlo Tresca and other leaders), because of their activities in the recent strike of the iron workers on the Mesabe Range in Minnesota. Of course, the Steel Trust has plenty of money and employs a sufficient number of thugs to have the work of “disposition” done in an efficient and effective manner. But since the Colorado incident [Ludlow Massacre], it is exceedingly unwise to do too much rough stuff at first hand, so the dirty work is left to the state. In other words, the Steel Trust is using the commonwealth of Minnesota to railroad Carlo Tresca, four strikers, one woman and two union leaders, to the gallows.

The Steel Trust decided to have these defendants charged with first-degree murder, so the legal machinery was set in motion, and the victims were thrown into cells. They will be tried in a section that is highly charged with bitterness against anyone who strives to improve the conditions of the toilers. They are the victims of a great injustice and the institutions of so-called free America are being used to aid in the conspiracy, rather than to protect the liberties of the people.

One would imagine that if this were a free country, Congress would do something to shelter these workers in chains, but, so far as is known, Republican and Democratic Congressmen hardly knew that there was a great strike in Minnesota. It remained for Italy to take a hand-Italy, with its king and its court, interfering with America, the land of the free hot air!

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Italy To Aid Tresca’s Defense in Minnesota, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Tours Mesabi Range”

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Reports to the Appeal to Reason from Oklahoma Territory

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I have been on the firing line
of the industrial battle for years,
and when democratic bullets shot workingmen,
their blood watered the highways just the same
as when republican bullets shot them.
-Mother Jones

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday October 21, 1906
Oklahoma Territory – Mother Jones Travels and Speaks

From the Appeal to Reason of October 20, 1906:

MESSAGE FROM MOTHER JONES
—–

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

Dear Appeal:-I want to report conditions as I find them in the new states. I entered the territory at Wilburton. There the democratic nominee for United States Senator was holding a meeting. The committee called on me and asked that the meetings be held jointly, as mine was also billed. I wanted to hear how he presented the struggle of the toiling millions from a democratic standpoint. He showed the wrongs of the republican party, and the beauties of his own. I followed, and showed up that they were both wings of the vulture class and if that class did not have both those wings they could not exist twenty-four hours. I explained to the audience that I had been on the firing line of the industrial battle for years, and that democratic bullets shot workingmen, and their blood had watered the highways just the same as when republican bullets shot them. The result was that a Socialist local of seventy of eighty members was organized soon after.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Protests Frame-Up of Organizers & Strikers on Mesabi Range

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By the Gods, it shall not be!
The bloated, beastly Steel Trust pirates
shall not murder our innocent
comrades and fellow-workers!
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday October 2, 1916
From the International Socialist Review: Support Mesabi Range Rebels!

From the current edition of the Review, Comrade and Fellow Worker Eugene Debs calls upon unionists and socialists everywhere to support the Minnesota iron ore strikers and I. W. W. organizers who are now under indictment for first-degree murder:

Eugene Victor Debs, ISR, Oct 1916

Murder in the First Degree

By EUGENE V. DEBS

TRUE bills against four strikers and one woman and against Carlo Tresca and two other leaders of the striking iron workers on the Mesabe Range in Minnesota charging them with murder in the first degree, have been returned by a Steel Trust grand jury.

Not one of the accused is guilty. On the contrary, they are all absolutely innocent of the crime charged against them.

It is another case of punishing the workers for the crimes committed against them by their masters. Let us briefly review the facts in this extraordinary strike on the Mesabe Range.
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Hellraisers Journal: IWW Convention Meets in Chicago; Haywood Sends Message from Ada County Jail

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Big Bill Haywood on IWW, 1906

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Hellraisers Journal, Saturday September 29, 1906
Chicago, Illinois – Report from I. W. W. Convention

From the Appeal to Reason, a first-hand account of the Second Annual Convention of the Industrial Workers of the World:

THE I. W. W. IN SESSION
—–
Industrial Unionism Shows Itself to
Be a Virile Infant at Second
Annual Convention.
—–

by F. M. EASTWOOD,
Special Representative APPEAL TO REASON.
—–

IWW Label, 2nd Conv, Sept 17-Oct 3, 1906

CHICAGO. ILL., Sept. 20.-The second annual convention of The Industrial Workers of the World convened in this city September 17th, at 10 o’clock a. m., and is still in session.

The presence of factions has delayed the progress of the convention from the beginning but at this time all credential contests have been disposed of with the exception of that of the transportation department, which now is pending.
Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: IWW Convention Meets in Chicago; Haywood Sends Message from Ada County Jail”

Hellraisers Journal: Italian Government Takes Interest in Case of Carlo Tresca, Imprisoned in Minnesota

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There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday September 12, 1916
Virginia, Minnesota – Cablegram from Congressman Caroti of Rome

From The Duluth News Tribune of September 10, 1916:

I. W. W. WOULD DRAG IN ITALIAN GOVERNMENT
—–
Cablegram Talked of With Intimation of Interesting
Mother Country of Alleged Murderer.
—–

hilton-defends-mesabi-strikers-lansing-mi-state-jr-sept-11-1916

VIRGINIA, Sept. 9._The following telegram was exhibited today by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, concerning the I. W. W. strike on the range and tending to show that it is having international effect:

Via New York City. Sept 8.

Carlo Tresca, County Jail, Duluth.

Received cablegram from Congressman Caroti at Rome. He is interpelling the Italian government. Agitation started all over Italy. Tom Mann is leading agitation England.

CAMMILLO DEGREGORIUS.

Where the forgoing telegram means that the I. W. W.’s are attempting to interest the Italian government in the case of Tresca is not known, but intimated.

J. J. McCarthy, one of the new leaders, today stated that there were 11,000 miners on the Mesaba range before the strike started, according to figures compiled by the I. W. W.’s. He declares that 2,500 have left the range and that only 2,500 are now working for the mining companies at all range properties. He claims that the strikers’ strength is 10,000 strong.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on “The Class War” -for the International Socialist Review

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The industrial union embracing all
and fighting and winning for all
is the demand of the hour and
the lesson of the years.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 1, 1916
For the Review: Debs Reflects on Labor Day

ISR, Debs on Class War, Sept 1916

LABOR DAY is drawing near and I have been asked by the Review to say a word for the special number to be issued for the celebration of that day. Labor Day this year will furnish abundant material and inspiration for its celebration.

At this writing twenty thousand iron workers are fighting for their lives on the Misaba Range. We see scarcely a mention of this desperate battle in the capitalist press and, if it were not for our own papers, chiefly the INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW, we would know little about the fierce industrial conflict raging in that section of the country.

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Hellraisers Journal: I. W. W. and Socialists Leaders Coming to New Castle for Labor Day Celebration

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If the plutocrats begin the program,
we will end it.
-Eugene V. Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 12, 1906
New Castle, Pennsylvania – Debs and DeLeon to Appear Together

From the New Castle Herald of August 11, 1906:

LEADERS OF SOCIALISM COMING
TO NEW CASTLE
—–
(Four of the Orators Who Will “Spell-Bind”
at Cascade Park on Labor Day)

St John, Sherman, New Castle PA, Coming for Labor Day, Aug 11, 1906

DeLeon, Debs, New Castle PA, Coming for Labor Day, Aug 11, 1906
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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on “The Socialist Party and the Trade Unions,” Part IV

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The working class and the employing class have nothing in common.
There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found
among millions of working people and the few, who
make up the employing class, have
all the good things of life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday August 6, 1906
From The Worker: Debs on Leaving the A. F. of L.

Eugene Debs, Wilshire's Magazine, Nov 1905

Over the past few days we have been offering the response made by Eugene V. Debs to questions posed by the New York Worker regarding the debate on the relation of the Socialist Party of America to the trades unions. Today’s installment concludes the series.

The Worker introduces what it calls a symposium:

The question of the relation of the Socialist Party to the trade unions having again attracted attention within our ranks, The Worker has inaugurated a symposium to which representative comrades are being invited to contribute, setting forth various points view.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on “The Socialist Party and the Trade Unions,” Part IV”

Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on “The Socialist Party and the Trade Unions,” Part III

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The working class and the employing class have nothing in common.
There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found
among millions of working people and the few, who
make up the employing class, have
all the good things of life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday August 5, 1906
From The Worker: Debs on Leaving the A. F. of L.

Eugene Debs, Wilshire's Magazine, Nov 1905

Over the past few days we have been offering the response made by Eugene V. Debs to questions posed by the New York Worker regarding the debate on the relation of the Socialist Party of America to the trades unions. Today’s installment is part three of four parts.

The Worker introduces what it calls a symposium:

The question of the relation of the Socialist Party to the trade unions having again attracted attention within our ranks, The Worker has inaugurated a symposium to which representative comrades are being invited to contribute, setting forth various points view.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on “The Socialist Party and the Trade Unions,” Part III”