Tag: Haywood-Moyer-Pettibone Case

Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs for the Appeal to Reason: Kidnapping Case Brought Before Congress

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Their only crime is
Loyalty to the Working Class.
-Eugene V. Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday March 12, 1907
Girard, Kansas – Eugene V. Debs Fights for Our Idaho Comrades

From the Appeal to Reason of March 9, 1907:

KIDNAPING CASE IN CONGRESS
—–

Appeal Succeeds in Placing Facts of the
Moyer-Haywood Case on Record
in Washington.
—–

BY EUGENE V. DEBS.
Staff Correspondent Appeal to Reason.
—–

HMP, Pettibone Moyer Haywood, AtR, Feb 16, 1907

Washington, D. C., March 2.-At the opening of congress this morning, the Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone case was introduced, together with petitions for investigation and the dissenting opinion of Justice McKenna, of the supreme court. Senator Carmack, of Tennessee, presented the case on the floor of the United States senate, with the request that it be admitted to the records, and this was consented to.

The introduction of the conspiracy was a great surprise to most of the senators, but when the statement was made that the demand for an investigation was backed by two millions of organized workers, the unanimous consent which was necessary, and without which it would have failed, was given by the senate, excepting that Heyburn, of Idaho, requested that the decision of the supreme court be included with the dissenting opinion of Justice McKenna, to which no objection was made on our side.

The foundation is now laid for a congressional investigation and both senators and congressmen agree that, in obedience to the demands of organized labor, this will certainly to be authorized by the next session of congress. Senator Carmack has been particularly helpful in this matter and Senator Lafollette, of Wisconsin, has also treated me with great courtesy.

With this impending congressional investigation, which will develop all the facts in the conspiracy and reveal the whole horrible truth to the people, it is now perfectly safe to predict that Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone will soon have been rescued from the clutches of their kidnapers and would-be murderers and walk forth free men without a blemish upon their honor.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Calls for Nation-Wide Protests on Behalf of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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I am as ready to die with you now
as I have been ready to fight
with you in the past.
-Mother Jones

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday February 26, 1907
From the Appeal to Reason: Mother Jones on Idaho Injustice

While Eugene V. Debs continues his campaign to save Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone on the front page of this week’s edition of the Appeal to Reason, a stirring article from Mother Jones appears on page three:

THE DAWNING OF A NEW ERA

(BY MOTHER JONES.)
—–

HMP, Mother Jones Ready to Die, AtR Feb 23, 1907

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

IN the history of the country-I go farther, in the history of the world-there is nothing more criminal and heartless than the kidnaping of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone and walling them in alive without the shadow of a charge against them. Two governors, in league with the money power, are guilty of this crime. We who know these men know them to be innocent and we also know that they are worthy to receive our loyal support and that they shall have it to the end.

This diabolical deed, accomplished at night, upon honest workingmen is enough to set one’s brain in a whirl and stir one’s soul to revolt.

King Ruzvlt entered no word of protest, but indirectly approved and backed up this attack upon organized labor.

When Gooding said: “These men shall never leave Idaho alive” he said more than he intended. That is what he meant, but he has since realized that it was unfortunate for him to blurt it out.

General Miles says he can bring 250 honest citizens into court to swear that the beef trust murdered three thousand American soldiers by feeding them poisoned beef.

The mine owners, with the aid of United States deputy marshals, murdered seven miners in the dead of night on Stanford Mountain, W. Va., February 23, 1903.

These are two typical incidents which show the murderous march of King Capital. Life counts for less than nothing. But let it be noted that it is always the life of labor.

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Hellraisers Journal: Kidnaping Anniversary Edition of Appeal to Reason, Edited by Eugene Debs & Consecrated to “Holy Cause of Emancipation.”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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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 February 19, 1907
From the Appeal to Reason: Kidnaping Anniversary Edition

This week’s edition of the Appeal to Reason commemorates February 17, 1906, the one-year anniversary of the state-sponsored kidnaping of the valiant leaders of the Western Federation of Miners, under the banner:

Labor Is Forging The Thunderbolt
for the Conspiracy!

Eugene V. Debs is the special editor of the first page of this edition, and raises his voice on behalf of our imprisoned comrades:

HMP, AtR Kidnap Anniversary Edition, Feb 16, 1907

THESE are the three comrades whose kidnaping under the most extraordinary circumstances ever recorded we are celebrating with a special edition of three million copies and with fresh consecration to the holy cause of emancipation for which they have offered up their liberty and jeopardized their lives.

Verily, “it is an ill wind that blows no good,” and “God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform.”

At first glance the kidnaping of our comrades by the chief magistrate of a state sworn to execute the law against kidnapers, and who, if not a perjurer is a felon, and if not a felon a perjurer would seem to be a monstrous crime without a feature to redeem it from execration. But not so. What else, or what less than this would have served to arouse the working class of the whole nation like an alarm blast from the trumpet of an avenging deity?

What else could have lashed the stagnant waters of organized labor into foaming billows, tossing high their spray of life and discontent?

In all the history of labor there is no event to equal it. A year ago the names of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone were known to but a few thousands in the Western states; today they are hailed and honored by millions, who applaud their fidelity and honor their fortitude.

And thus are heroes snatched from the common multitude.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for January 1907: Found Touring on Behalf of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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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, Thursday February 14, 1907
Mother Jones News for January: Campaigns for Idaho Prisoners

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

Mother Jones began the month of January in the city of Chicago where she spoke on behalf of the leaders of the Western Federation of Miners imprisoned in Idaho.

From The Public of January 12, 1907:

NEWS NOTES

— Mother Jones addressed a large meeting in Chicago on the 4th in behalf of the labor leaders of Colorado who are about to be tried in Idaho for the murder of ex-Governor Steunenberg.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Now in Girard Assisting Appeal to Reason in Effort to Save Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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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, Sunday February 10, 1907
Girard, Kansas – Debs Rallies Readers of Appeal to Reason

From The Girard Press of February 7, 1907:

Eugene Debs, Wilshire's Magazine, Nov 1905

Eugene V. Debs, twice the candidate of the Socialist party for President, has been in Girard during the past week, and is assisting in preparing matter for a special edition of the Appeal to Reason.

“The Kidnaping Edition” of the Appeal to Reason is now one week away from publication, and orders for Number 585 have already surpassed the one million mark. On the front page of this week’s edition, we find Comrade Eugene Debs rallying the troops of the Appeal Army to:

Turn on the Light! Spread the Truth!! Every labor and every Socialist paper is engaged in this righteous and supremely important work.

Now is the time to widen the circulation of these heralds of light and truth.

Let the workers everywhere bestir themselves as never before in this crucial hour, so fraught with possibilities for weal or woe to the American people.

Let every atom of latent energy and determination be aroused and the cloud that now threatens will be dispelled and the cause of Justice triumphantly vindicated.

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Hellraisers Journal: Tories, Then & Now, Denounce “Incendiary” Speeches of Patrick Henry and Vincent St John

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

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday February 3, 1907
Goldfield, Nevada – Red Flags, Red Banners, Red Ribbons Rule!

WFM button

The kept press finds itself in a state of supreme outrage in view of the fact that the rabble of the nation are not conducting themselves in a calm and reasonable manner as the authorities of the states of Colorado and Idaho, acting in the interests of the Mine Owners Association, attempt a frame-up on Big Bill Haywood and Charles Moyer, officers of the Western Federation of Miners.

From the Appeal to Reason of February 2, 1907:

KING GEORGE AND CAPITAL
—–
The Words of Vincent St. John Have the
Same Effect on American Tories as
Those of Patrick Henry Had
Upon the British Tories.
—–

Vincent St John, New Castle (PA) Herald, Aug 11, 1906

TO illustrate the attitude invariably assumed by the conservators of the dominant order at various times in the world’s history, I herewith reprint two articles taken from papers published more than a hundred years apart. One refers to the demonstration of the Goldfield miners last Sunday, in behalf of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone, and is clipped from the Denver Republican; the other describes the scenes in the Virginia House of Burgesses, when Patrick Henry delivered his famous philippie against King George, and is selected from a history in which was copied the article as it was taken from an old English paper. The Denver Republican typically represents the cause of capitalism today; the old english paper typically represented the cause of toryism a century ago.

Read and observe the parallel:

HMP, St John Speech at Goldfield, AtR, Feb 2, 1907

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Hellraisers Journal: Debs Indeed on Deck of Appeal to Reason, Calls for Action: “We Must Fight!”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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If they hang Moyer and Haywood,
they’ve got to hang me.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday January 27, 1907
From the Appeal to Reason: “We Must Fight! by Eugene V. Debs

HMP, We Must Fight, EVD, AtR, Jan 26, 1907

THE supreme court and the president of the United States have left us no other alternative. We have got to stand up like men or crawl on our bellies like cravens.

There is no compromise.

The class struggle is as clearly reflected in the supreme court decision and the president’s action as if traced in the skies in letter of fire. All the powers of capitalism, from Standard Oil down, are combined against Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone, and find expression along the political line all the way from Ruzvlt [Roosevelt] to McPartland [McParland] and along the judicial line all the way from the supreme court of the United States to a police magistrate in Idaho.

It is not a case of punishing crime that law may be vindicated, but the violation of law that crime may be committed.

The case against our comrades is notorious in court annals for the utter defiance of all law, state and national, statutory and constitutional, that has marked its proceedings from its inception. Indeed, the case, to be properly understood, must be traced back at least as far as the purchase by the mine owners and smelter trust of the legislature of Colorado, at the current Colorado rates per head, thereby defeating the eight-hour amendment which the people of that Guggenheim state by a clear majority of nearly 50,000 votes had commanded these political perverts to enact into law. This was followed by the military despotism of the infamous Peabody and his sodden satraps, who emblazoned the escutcheon of his murderous administration with the immortal shibboleths: “To hell with the constitution,” “To hell with habeas corpus” and “To hell with any court that decides against us.” These are some of the foundation stones of the fabric of law and order which Ruzvlt sent Taft out to Idaho to commend to the people of that state.

This law and order cry issues from the brazen throats of political hirelings, the tools of capitalism, to conceal its own crimes.

When such monsters as Peabody and Gooding and such misshapen degenerates as McPartland talk about law and order in the lurid light of their own crimes, and President Ruzvlt sends his fat special emissary to the scene of these crimes to give them the backing of the national administration, all in the name of law and order, and this in the very shadow of a dungeon in which innocent kidnaped American citizens are guarded by criminal body-snatchers-when it comes to this, then, indeed, has justice fled to brutish beasts, all law is miserable mockery, and even hypocrisy, used as she is to sickening saturnalia, is nauseated and deserts the scene.

That our comrades have been kidnaped and are unlawfully held by legalized brute force is admitted; there is no question about it, not even by the supreme court. That the preconceived purpose is to do them to death, regardless of their innocence, has been apparent from the start.

It is not as individuals that these workingmen are to be murdered, but as the incarnation of class-conscious organized labor that they must be annihilated.

That makes the issue my issue and their cause my cause.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Comes Aboard Appeal to Reason in Behalf of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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If they hang Moyer and Haywood,
they’ve got to hang me.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday January 20, 1907
Girard, Kansas – Good News From the Appeal to Reason!

HMP, Kidnap Anvrsy Ed, AtR, Jan 19, 1907

HMP, Debs on Deck, AtR, Jan 19, 1907

Eugene Debs, Wilshire's Magazine, Nov 1905

After the first forms of the edition for this issue were on the press the following letter came by special delivery from Comrade Eugene V. Debs. Every APPEAL reader will throw up his hat, yell for Debs, and go in for the greatest fight ever waged by the working class on its own behalf.

The toilers of the world have heretofore fought all the battles of the ages and have handed the spoils over to the masters.

Today the working class stands united and will make the last glorious fight in its own behalf!

Listen to Debs’ burning words and make up your mind to enlist under his banner:

I am getting over my rheumatic attack and I leave for Cincinnati Monday, where a specialist will treat my throat. I expect to be out in a few days. As soon as I get through with this and am in physical shape I will come to Girard and stay until the kidnaping edition is made up, and take a hand at helping you on the APPEAL. I am full of fire and want to pour it into the APPEAL. I would like a chance to edit the APPEAL for a couple of weeks, or help you edit it, or help in any way to do the thing that this supreme hour tells me must be done.

Now is the time to strike!

A few weeks more and it will be too late. I have a rush of ideas and want to fuse them with yours and I believe that in combination we can raise hell with the capitalist plans, so far as Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone are concerned. I believe furthermore, that we can do work in three or four weeks’ time that will give you a hundred thousand more subscribers and after the trial begins send it up to half a million and climbing towards a million. I say I believe this can be done and I would like a chance to try it. Should the trial be announced while I am in Girard I could go from there straight to Caldwell, for I propose to be in the center of the fight.

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Hellraisers Journal: Luella Twining Reports From New York on “Frenzy” of Central Federated Union to Save WFM Officials

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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If that is frenzy, I plead guilty
and I notify the Globe
I shall not soon recover.
-Luella Twining

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday January 13, 1907
From the Appeal to Reason: New York Workers Aroused!

Luella Twining of Denver can now be found in New York City assisting in the organization of the defense movement for Comrades Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone by the working men and women of that city.

From the Appeal to Reason of January 12, 1907:

NEW YORK IS AROUSED
—–
Working Class of City Organizing
Powerful Defense Movement
for W.F.of M. Officials.
—–

By Luella Twining.
—–

Luella Twining

New York, Jan. 4.-New York workingmen and women are demonstrating the solidarity of the working class. The second meeting of the Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone conference, composed of all workers who want to save their brothers in Idaho, irrespective of race, color, creed or politics, was more enthusiastic even than the first. Many new delegates were seated. Among the unions represented were the District Council of the Carpenters and Joiners, Central Federated Union, Brewers, Bill Posters, Typographical Union, Tobacco Workers, Bakers and Confectionary, Cloak and Suit Tailors, Cigar Makers, Butchers, Hat and Cap Makers, Beer Drivers, Beer Bottlers, Painters and Decorators, Steam Fitters, Bricklayers, Machinists, United Hebrew Trades, Sick and Death Benefit and Waiters. All of these trades were represented by more than one local, most of them by three or four.

The financial secretary reported the receipt of $2,760.20 for the “Defense Fund,” and $1,500 for the “Agitation Fund.” While we are laying particular stress on the necessity of money to carry on the trial, still we are setting forth also the necessity for agitation. We shall hold many meetings to warn the workers of the murder that is being planned in Idaho. We shall also distribute tons of literature setting forth the facts. New York City shall be buried in papers and pamphlets. Everybody shall know of this conspiracy, planned in New York, in that magnificent stone building on Broadway, and to be executed in that desolate, isolated region of Idaho. We do not intend to wait till our brothers are in their graves for the working class to say: “We did not know, we thought they would have a fair trial.”

The unions visited show intense interest. Many of them are holding special meetings for the reason that their by-laws do not permit them to give more than a prescribed sum. For instance, the “Sheet and Metal Workers” gave the maximum amount at their regular meeting. They held a special meeting the next week and gave $500. No unions before which speakers have appeared have refused to assist. All have displayed the greatest enthusiasm and expressed their indignation in burning words at the foul conspiracy to break up organized labor, and all resistance to capitalistic encroachment. They realize that Standard Oil, successful in ridding themselves of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone, would be like wild animals after having a taste of human blood, and thirsting for more. They know they would be the next victims.

The action of the Central Federated Union, in displaying such intense interest in the “Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone Conspiracy” was a hard blow for the prosecution. The Globe commented on it editorially, and said that the C. F. U. should not have allowed such statements to be made on its floor. They called me a “Maenad” (frenzied woman). I suppose that was for portraying the sufferings of Comrade Haywood’s invalid wife, also the agony she has endured during the long year in which her husband has been incarcerated in a cell, denied every right of an American citizen. If that is frenzy, I plead guilty and I notify the Globe I shall not soon recover. I am not alone. The C. F. U. all became “frenzied,” gave all they could and promised all moral support possible.

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