Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Tours Nation on Red Special from Spokane to New Ulm, Minnesota, to Indianapolis

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The Socialist Party is the political expression of
the socialist movement in the emancipation of
the working class from wage slavery.
-Eugene Victor Debs
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Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 25, 1908
Long Cheers Welcome the Red Special in Spokane, Washington

On September 16th, the Red Special carried Socialist Party Presidential Candidate Eugene Debs into the city Spokane. By September 20th our indefatigable comrade was found in New Ulm, Minnesota. Debs is scheduled to speak at Tomlinson Hall in Indianapolis tonight.

From the Spokane Spokesman-Review of September 17, 1908:

Thousands Greet Debs in Spokane

EVD Socialist f Prez, Sx Fls SD Arg Ldr p6, Aug 6, 1908

Class conscious socialism had its inning in Spokane last night when 3,000 people turned out at the Great Northern depot to greet Eugene V. Debs, Socialist candidate for President, upon the arrival here of his “Red Special,” and later when 4,000 people paid 15 and 25 cents each admission and contributed $203 additional in voluntary collection to hear him deliver an address at the armory.

Both gatherings were comprised largely of men of the laboring classes. In both gatherings starched shirts were the rare exception and at the depot assembly many men appeared in working clothes minus their coats. The train, which was due to arrive at 3:30, was three hours late and the greater portion of the crowd remained at the depot throughout the entire interval in the excess of their zeal or their curiosity to see the man who is making his third Socialist race for the Presidency.

Long Cheering Welcomes Train.

Even after their long wait they were disappointed in their desire to see the candidate. They caught sight of the train as it pulled into the depot yards and gave vent to a cheer which lasted two or three minutes, but Mr. Debs, who had already delivered six speeches yesterday, had retired for a little sleep and his companions were reluctant to permit him to be disturbed.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for August 1908, Part II: Found Visiting the Appeal to Reason

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Quote re Battle Scarred Mother Jones, AtR p3, Aug 29, 1908
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Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 18, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for August, 1908, Part II
Found Visiting the Appeal to Reason at Girard, Kansas

From the Appeal to Reason of August 22, 1908:

Two Noted Agitators.
—–

Mother Jones from Cripple Creek Strike by EFL, 1908 edition

The Appeal has the distinction this week of entertaining two of the most distinguished agitators in the Socialist movement. At almost precisely the same hour Mother Jones and Luella Twining entered the Temple of the Revolution. There was genuine delight and surprise all around. The heartiest greetings were exchanged and the visitors made to feel that they were among comrades who know of their work and appreciate them at their full value.

And here let it be said that it is a distinction of no ordinary account to entertain two such crusaders. The work Mother Jones has done for the downtrodden of this nation can never be told. Her three score years have whitened her hair, but not in the least abated her ardor in the cause. She is a born agitator and wherever she goes there is something doing. A grand old warrior she is who will be known better long after she is at rest, for then only will the true story of this warrior in the cause of human freedom be known.

Luella Twining, though much younger in years and in service, has already a wonderful work to her credit. Her service during the Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone struggle is well remembered, and if she had not lived a day after this was completed she would have written her name indelibly into the labor movement. But she has all her years still before her, and is filled with the spirit which seeks to serve without thought of personal reward, and she is certain to add fresh luster to the future chapters of her life work.

Truly it is an honor to have such royal guests and the Appeal and its comrades will leave nothing undone to make them feel that here they are thrice welcome and always at home.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for August 1908, Part II: Found Visiting the Appeal to Reason”

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for August 1908, Part I: Found Campaigning in Kansas with Eugene Debs

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Quote re Battle Scarred Mother Jones, AtR p3, Aug 29, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 17, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for August, 1908, Part I
“Our Dear Old Battle-Scarred Mother Jones” Found in Kansas

On Wednesday August 19th, an all-day picnic was held in Pittsburg, Kansas, with Mother Jones and Eugene V. Debs as the principal speakers of the day and evening. The Appeal to Reason of August 29th describes the event:

Mother Jones from Cripple Creek Strike by EFL, 1908 edition

The Pittsburg meeting was a winner. An all-day picnic was arranged. In the afternoon Comrade George D. Brewer, our next representative from Crawford county to Topeka, acted as chairman. George’s speech was enthusiastically received. He started off the program on the right foot, which gave the whole situation an assured success, culminating in a wonderful climax with Debs at night. After Brewer, Comrade Snyder gave one of his characteristic speeches which gripped the audience with intensity. Then followed Phil Callery, who, although speaking but a brief time, lifted the audience into the white heat of enthusiasm. Next came Comrade Miss Caroline A. Lowe with her sweet and convincing message so original and characteristic of herself and filled with a strong appeal, especially to the women. Her address was most loyally received.

Mother Jones was the next speaker. Our dear old battle-scarred Mother Jones, who, although grown gray in the fight, still retains her youth and spirit. She paced the platform, filled with the vigor of youth and in her own original manner, told the story of the robbery of labor and the way to its emancipation. At times she had the audience weeping, and then again by a certain turn she would lift the crowd to the wildest pitch of enthusiasm as she led them to a perception of class consciousness from which they viewed the inevitable triumph of the working class. The meeting closed by a talk from Comrade Wilson, who cinched the day’s program and left the audience ready for the invincible Debs at night. Wilson was more than enthusiastically received, showing the deep confidence and hold he has upon the miners whose cause he has plead for years. His speech had deep effect. Debs opened and closed his meeting amid cheers. The large audience was held spellbound during his long speech for two hours. The whole community has received a baptism of new life.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for August 1908, Part I: Found Campaigning in Kansas with Eugene Debs”

Hellraisers Journal: Appeal to Reason Pays Tribute to George Pettibone; Another Name Added to Roll of Labor Martyrdom

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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 August 27, 1908
George Pettibone, Tried and True Friend of Labor

From the Appeal to Reason of August 15, 1908:

George A. Pettibone, Martyr.
—–

HMP, Pettibone, & wife, Current Lit June 1907
Mr. and Mrs. George Pettibone

The death of the tried and true friend of labor occasions deep sadness but no surprise. For some time-indeed, ever since his incarceration at Boise, his health has been gradually failing, and it has long been know to his intimates that death was but a question of time.

There are few, if any, more tragic chapters in labor history than the life and death of George Pettibone. We shall not now attempt a comprehensive sketch of his career, but only state its salient features as a fitting prelude to an estimate of the service he rendered organized labor, and of the tribute he deserves as one of its bravest champions.

Pettibone first became prominently identified with organized labor at the time of the Couer d’Alene strikes, which were broken up by the intervention of federal troops. As one of the leaders he was arrested and sentenced to jail, serving several months. From this time forward he was actively engaged in organizing the Western Federation of Miners, of which he was one of the pioneers and an honored member up to the time of his death.

The kidnaping of Pettibone in February 1906, along with Moyer and Haywood is still fresh in the memory of all. It was this brutal assault upon him and the horrors and sufferings incident to it which shattered his health and left him an easy prey to death. Through it all, Pettibone never once wavered. He bore even this terrible ordeal with the serene philosophy of a stoic. No more infamous outrage was ever perpetrated upon any citizen of this country, and although Pettibone felt it keenly he bore up bravely through it all. When others were downcast he was in good cheer, and when even his closest associates were troubled over the outlook he wore his never-failing smile.

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Hellraisers Journal: George Pettibone devoted his life to the struggles and the cause of the downtrodden.

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George Pettibone never lost courage,
never despaired,
never lost hope in the working class.
-Industrial Union Bulletin
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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 26, 1908
George Pettibone, Miners’ Hero, Never Lost Courage

From The Industrial Union Bulletin of August 8, 1908:

George Pettibone ab 1901, Miners Mag Nov 1901
George Pettibone, Obt, IUB p2, Aug 8, 1908

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: George Pettibone devoted his life to the struggles and the cause of the downtrodden.”

Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Big Bill Haywood on the Stand, Part II-The Class War 1903 to Present Day

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Abolish the wage system, is our battle cry.
With an idea that is imperishable,
Organization and Education as our weapons,
we are invulnerable.
-Big Bill Haywood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 15, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Haywood Takes the Stand, Part II

Report from Harrison George:

BBH ab 1918, fr Haywood at Chg IWW Trial, GEB

Asked if he did any violence in the Cripple Creek strike days [1903-1904], Haywood said he had not, but had received some upon his body, the marks of which remain today.

The Western Federation of Miners had issued a poster bearing a U. S. flag on every stripe of which was an inscription: “Habeas Corpus denied in Colorado”; “Free Speech denied in Colorado,” etc. Under the flag was a photograph of John [Henry] Maki, a union miner, chained to a telegraph pole in the snow by militiamen. Over the flag was the caption: “Is Colorado in America?” Charles H. Moyer, president of the Western Federation of Miners, was arrested at Telluride by militia for “desecrating the flag,” and kept in the bull-pen for one hundred and ten days. Haywood was in Denver, under arrest, but paying a deputy $5 a day to remain out “looking for $300 bail.”

“Couldn’t you get $300 bail?” asked Vanderveer.

“Sure,” was the reply, “but as long as I paid that deputy $5 a day while looking for bail, I would not have to go to Telluride where the militia ruled.”

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Big Bill Haywood on the Stand, Part II-The Class War 1903 to Present Day”

Hellraisers Journal: From the Socialist Party of America: Principles and Platform Adopted by 1908 Chicago Convention

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Hellraisers Journal: Saturday June 20, 1908
Chicago, Illinois – Socialist Party Platform and Principles

From the International Socialist Review of June 1908:

Socialist Platform.

PRINCIPLES.

Socialist Party of America Button

Human life depends upon food clothing and shelter. Only with these assured are freedom, culture and higher human development possible. To produce food, clothing or shelter, land and machinery are needed. Land alone does not satisfy human needs. Human labor creates machinery and applies it to the land for the production of raw materials and food. Whoever has control of land and machinery controls human labor, and with it human life and liberty.

To-day the machinery and the land used for industrial purposes are owned by a rapidly decreasing minority. So long as machinery is simple and easily handled by one man, its owner cannot dominate the sources of life of others. But when machinery becomes more complex and expensive and requires for its effective operation the organized effort of many workers its influence reaches over wide circles of life. The owners of such machinery become the dominant class.

In proportion as the number of such machine owners compared to all other classes decreases, their power in the nation and in the world increases. They bring ever larger masses of working people under their control, reducing them to the point, where muscle and, brain are their only productive property. Millions of formerly self-employing workers thus become the helpless wage slaves of the industrial masters.

As the economic power of the ruling class grows it becomes less useful in the life of the nation. All the useful work of the nation falls upon the shoulders of the class whose only property is its manual and mental labor power—the wage worker—or of the class who have but little land and little effective machinery outside of their labor power—the small traders and small farmers. The ruling minority is steadily becoming useless and parasitic.

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Hellraisers Journal: Harry Orchard Sentenced to Be Hanged May 15; Judge Wood Hopes for Commutation

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I want to say to this jury that
before Harry Orchard got religion
he was bad enough,
but it remained to religion
to make him totally depraved.
-Clarence Darrow

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Hellraisers Journal, Monday March 23, 1908
Caldwell, Idaho – Judge Wood “Positively Believes Orchard”

From the Boise Idaho Daily Statesman of March 19, 1908:

ORCHARD IS SENTENCED TO BE HANGED
ON FRIDAY, MAY 15

“I am more than satisfied that the defendant now at the bar of this court awaiting final sentence has not only acted in good faith in making the disclosures that he did, but that he also testified fully and fairly to the whole truth, withholding nothing that was material, and declaring nothing which had not actually taken place.”-From Judge Wood’s Address.

JUDGE WOOD MAKES RECOMMENDATION
THAT SENTENCE BE COMMUTED
—–

Jdg Wood Remarks to Orchard to Hang, IDS p1, Mar 19, 1908

TALK BY JUDGE WOOD CAUSES SENSATION
—–
Positively Believes Orchard Told the
Truth Fully, Unreservedly.
—–

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for February 1908-Part 2, Found at Girard, Kansas, at Third District Convention of Socialists

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Quote Mother Jones, Palaces and Jails, AtR, Feb 29, 1908

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday March 9, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for February 1908, Part 2:
–Found Speaking at Girard, Kansas, at Socialist District Convention

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

After February 19th, Mother Jones was found in the state of Kansas where she gave speeches in her usual rousing style on behalf of the Socialist Party. She was a special guest of the Appeal to Reason in Girard where she attended the Third District Convention and gave a speech which “aroused the audience to the wildest enthusiasm.”

The Dallas Morning News reported on February 28th that Mother had entered the state of Texas and was engaged to speak in Longview and in Dallas.

From the Appeal to Reason of February 29, 1908:

A GALA DAY FOR SOCIALISM
—–
The Third District Convention Stirs Things up in Girard
-Old Party Politicians Puzzled and Worried.
—–

Last Saturday, in the Girard court house, delegates from the Third district of Kansas met in convention and placed in nomination for congress Comrade Ben Wilson. Under the new primary law this nomination is merely an informal expression of the party’s desire and his name will necessarily have to be voted on at the regular primary in August. In the meantime a vigorous campaign will be carried on.

There were seventy-six regular delegates present, representing nearly every county in the district. There were several hundred out-of-town visitors at both afternoon and evening sessions, and the court house was crowded to the doors. Two years ago there were eleven delegates at our congressional convention in Parsons. The old party politicians viewed the assemblage with surprised wonder. They’ll be more surprised this fall.

The feature of the night session was a stirring address by Mother Jones. As usual, her clear, resonant voice, her earnest face, in its frame of silver hair, aroused the audience to the wildest enthusiasm. The air seemed electrified with the spirit of the revolution. Turning suddenly, as she pointed to Ben Wilson, she declared:

I’m coming back to the Third district this summer and fall and I’m going to help you fellows elect the first Socialist congressman. Then I’m going down to Washington, and when Ben and I get there you’ll see something doing.

—–

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Hellraisers Journal: From Appeal to Reason: Haywood Speaks for Industrial Freedom in Boston’s Faneuil Hall

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One thing I never can forget—
that I owe my life and my liberty
to the working class of America,
and what you have accomplished for me
and my comrades you can do for yourselves.
-Big Bill Haywood

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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday March 1, 1908
Big Bill Haywood Speaks in Historic Cradle of Liberty

From the Appeal to Reason of February 29, 1908:

HAYWOOD IN FANEUIL HALL.
—–
Historic Cradle of Liberty Rocked Once
More by Working Class Movement
for Industrial Freedom.
—–

BY JOHN RYAN.

Special to the Appeal.

BBH, SF Call p17, Dec 8, 1907

BOSTON, MASS., Feb. 22.-Faneuil hall, the cradle of liberty, was the scene of a historic gathering Monday night [February 17th]. It was the most impressive, enthusiastic and inspiring meeting ever held there. Patrick Henry, with words of fire, demanded constitutional rights. Wendell Phillips asked for the freedom of the negro. Haywood, in a speech logical, eloquent and so heartfelt that many wept, demanded the freedom of the wage slave. The day will come when his portrait will hang in Faneuil hall by the side of those of Patrick Henry and Wendell Phillips. Those fortunate enough to get inside seemed to realize the historical significance of it and felt they were standing in the presence of one who is as much greater than those who have gone before as his message is greater than theirs.

Patrick Mahoney, of Cigar Makers No. 97, acted as chairmen. As first speaker he introduced Joseph Spero, who did so much for the great Boston demonstration held on the Common the 5th day of last May [1907], where one hundred thousand people gathered to protest against the hanging of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone.

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