Tag: International Association of Machinists

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks to Workingmen and Their Women Folk in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Part I

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Quote Mother Jones, Revolution in Our Veins, Altoona Tb p6, Jan 12, 1920 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday January 14, 1920
Altoona, Pennsylvania – Mother Jones Speaks at Mishler Theater, Part I

From the Altoona Times Tribune of January 12, 1920:

Blair Co PA Labor News, CLU, Altoona PA Tx Tb p6, Jan 12, 1920

Mother Jones Elucidates Theories To Altoona Audience

[Part I of II.]

GSS, Mother Jones, WZF, Survey p64, Nov 8, 1919

Yesterday afternoon shortly after 2:30 o’clock, the crowd of workingmen and their women folks who had assembled at the Mishler theatre, were given the privilege of seeing Mother Jones in the flesh and of hearing her speak. At that moment there appeared upon the platform a silver haired motherly looking woman in black, wearing a flowing white lace jabot. Looking on her self-composed, benign countenance, the wonder struck one. Is this the Mother Jones who has created a furore in the whole world, whose impassioned waging of her cause for full economical rights of the working man has caused kings of finance to tremble in fear and who by her own admission says she wants “to raise Hell”?

But a second glance at that sturdy upright figure and one recognized a presence that radiates a dynamic force and vitality which gives the impression that it could conquer all obstacles no matter how great. Her strength and power in look and speech bely that 90th mile stone, which she said would reach May 1 of 1920, by many years.

Introduced by Pres. Charles Kutz, of Machinist Union No. 1008, Mother Jones wasted no time in digression but at once launched upon her theme by saying that this is the great year in the turning tide of oppression. For centuries the greatest agitators were murdered and driven off the earth through the power of money.

CITES CARTHAGE AGITATOR

Referring, by way of illustrations, to the time in Carthage when the rulers feared annihilation at the hands of the agitators, she detailed the incident of the leading one who was brought before the rulers. Asked, “Who are you?” he replied, “I am a man, a member of the human family.” “Why do you persist in this sedition?” “I belong to a class that through the progression of time has been murdered, maligned, imprisoned, roasted and tyrannized over.”

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Hellraisers Journal: Louis Duchez on Strikes Ongoing in McKees Rocks, Butler & New Castle, Pennsylvania, Part I

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege, Ab Chp III———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 3, 1909
“The Strikes in Pennsylvania” by Louis Duchez, Part I

From the International Socialist Review of September 1909:

McKees Rocks Strike, PA Strikes, ISR p193, Sept 1909

Letter I, ISR p193, Sept 1909

T is impossible to treat this subject fully within the space allowed. The writer will simply present a few of the more important facts gleaned from a study of conditions as they exist at McKees Rocks, Butler and New Castle.

At McKees Rocks fifty riveters of the “erection department” of the Pressed Steel Car Company’s plant came out on strike. The others remained at work. Half of those fifty returned the next day—the other half were discharged. The following day one-third of the force in the “passenger car department” walked out and they returned to work twenty-four hours later. About half of those were “fired.” On the third day half of the force of the “Pennsylvania porch department” walked out.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Louis Duchez on Strikes Ongoing in McKees Rocks, Butler & New Castle, Pennsylvania, Part I” →

Hellraisers Journal: Everett Trades Council Elects Delegate for Upcoming Chicago Tom Mooney Defense Conference

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 – Sunday January 5, 1919
Everett, Washington – Trades Council to Send Delegate to Chicago

From the Everett Labor Journal of January 3, 1919:

EVERETT’S ORGANIZED LABOR ELECTS
DELEGATE TO CHICAGO
—–
Big Meeting of Trades Unionists Last Wednesday
Night at Red Men’s Wigwam.
—–

Tom Mooney, Chicago Conference, Union Advocate Cfvl KS p1, Dec 29, 1918

Wednesday, January 1, 1919.

The Council was called to order at the usual time by President Gulley.

The Trades Council, having invited the membership of the several trades unions in the city to meet with it a larger hall was necessary and the Red Men’s Hall was secured for the occasion.

Members of nearly all the unions were in attendance and a large meeting was the result.

There were present President Short and ex-President Marsh of the Washington State Federation of Labor, which added zest to the meeting.

Bro. Short addressed the meeting briefly, calling special attention to conditions existing in California growing out of the Mooney case and then discussed the subject of reconstruction. He said the nation had entered the war in a state of unpreparedness and had “made good” in helping to destroy autocracy, but was now confronted by as serious a problem in the reconstruction made necessary by changed conditions. This new problem would tax the deepest thought of the greatest minds in the country and its solution would require all the wisdom, and experience of the people. Relating to the proposed strike in defense of Mooney and his co-defendants he said it was ill-advised. It lacked organization as to its national significance. If there should be a strike it should be confined to the State of California where the trouble lay. Industrially and politically California was so strongly organized by the corporation employers of labor that united effort must be put forth to crush that opposition to the welfare of the workers.

California was the offender and to California should be applied |the drastic remedy implied by a general strike. If a nation-wide strike were necessary there must needs be nation-wide preparation for it if success in the use of this last weapon of labor’s defense be made successful…..

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Hellraisers Journal: Organized Labor Prepared for General Strike in Advance of Governor’s Commutation for Mooney

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Beckmeyer re Mooney General Strike, Stt Str p4, Nov 28, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday November 30, 1918
Pacific Coast, Nation-Wide, and World-Wide, Labor Organized for Mooney

In advance of the commutation by the Governor of California of the death sentence of Tom Mooney, Labor was organizing on his behalf, even to the extent of considering a General Strike. The Governor’s opinion that this case does not represent a clash between Capital and Labor is not shared by the millions of working men and women around the world who have organized and are yet organizing against the frame-up of Brother Mooney.

From The Seattle Star of November 28, 1918:

Tom Mooney, Stt Strike Sentiment, Stt Str p4, Nov 28, 1918

—–

Tom Mooney, Densmore Report, Stt Str p4, Nov 28, 1918

—–

Tom Mooney, Rena's Message, Stt Str p4, Nov 28, 1918

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., NOV. 28.-Desperate but not united plans by Pacific coast labor to initiate a national protest strike, together with the federal Densmore dictaphone report exposing the methods of District Attorney Charles Fickert of San Francisco, where two sensational developments that sent the internationally known Mooney case into double quick time as it approached its crisis.

The general strike to which scores of federated bodies pledged themselves as the date for the hanging of Tom Mooney drew near, was regarded by a great portion of organized labor as the only effective means left to protest against the widely assailed prosecution methods used in the Preparedness day bomb cases.

With the execution date for Mooney set for December 13, his fate rests today with Governor Stephens of California, to whom President Wilson has three times addressed pleas to reopen the case.

Excluding presidential intervention, a pardon by Governor Stephens in Mooney’s only chance-that or provisional pardon, which would demand a retrial on one of several bomb indictments still standing against Mooney and his co-defendants.

Appeals to every court in the land had been denied before the agitation for a general strike began.

Strike Idea Grows

Just what effect John B. Densmore’s eleventh-hour espionage report upon Fickert’s secret activities in the Mooney case might have upon this contemplated protest remained speculative as labor digested its revelations.

After reading it, San Francisco labor council delegates, in violent disagreement, refused to sponsor a general strike, but instead decided to send a protest committee to the governor.

Meantime a number of big labor organizations thruout the country had already decided upon a general stoppage of industry to focus public attention upon the “persecution and unfair trial” of Thomas Mooney and the sentence of Warren Billings to life imprisonment.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for April 1918, Part II: Found in San Francisco, Speaking on Behalf of Tom Mooney

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Quote Mother Jones re Tom Mooney and Courts, Dec 16, 1918~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday May 18, 1918
Mother Jones News for April 1918, Part II: Found in San Francisco

Mother Jones was the featured speaker at a mass meeting held at the Auditorium in San Francisco on Tuesday evening, April 16th. The next day the following telegram was sent to the Machinists’ Union headquarters in Washington, D. C.:

Re Tom Mooney Apr 17, fr San Francisco by Beckmeyer to Machinist Jr, pbd May 1918

From the San Francisco Chronicle of April 17, 1918:

Mass Meeting Is Held by Partisans
Of “Tom” Mooney
—–

President to Be Told New Trial Is
Favored by Large Audience
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

Thousands of Thomas J. Mooney sympathizers gathered in the Auditorium last night to hear Mrs. Rena Mooney, Mrs. Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, Israel Weinberg, Mother Jones and others discuss the Preparedness day bomb cases.

“Ten thousand persons in mass meeting in San Francisco favor unanimously a new trial for Mooney,” is the effect of a message they voted to send to President Wilson.

Many of the people left when they found they couldn’t hear Mother Jones, the first speaker, whose voice did not carry far enough to be of value to those in the back of the Auditorium. A burst of applause at a time when applause scarcely was necessary apprised Mother Jones of her audience’s difficulties, and she quit speaking shortly after 10 o’clock.

The meeting was opened with the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Everybody stood up except a man in the audience and Mrs. Sheehy-Skeffington. The man arose under pressure, but the woman on the speakers’ platform remained seated.

After Mother Jones spoke a collection was taken. John P. [H.] Beckmeyer of the machinists’ union presided. A large number of Mooney sympathizers from Alameda county marched to the Auditorium from the Ferry building.

In an open letter Mooney told his friends “organized labor is the one weapon that will bring us speedy justice.”

———-

[Photograph added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for April 1918, Part II: Found in San Francisco, Speaking on Behalf of Tom Mooney” →

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for November 1917, Part I: Found in Connecticut, New York City and Kansas City

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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EVD Quote re Mother Jones, AtR, Nov 23, 1907

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday December 21, 1917
Mother Jones News for November, Part I: Attends District Miners Convention

Mother Jones, IL State Rgstr p2, Springfield, Sept 1, 1917

Mother Jones began the month of November in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she was found addressing a meeting of the employes of the Locomobile Company who were seeking organization with the machinists union.

We next found her in New York City at the headquarters of the Democratic Party where she shook hands with Mayor-elect Hylan.

At near mid-month we found her in Kansas City attending the convention of the miners of the Southwestern districts, whose delegates were there assembled to debate the “automatic penalty clause,” a bone of contention within the United Mine Workers of America. Regardless of her stand on that issue, Mother remains much beloved by the miners. She was welcomed into the convention on the arm of the President of District 14 (Kansas):

Howat entered the hall with Mother Jones on his arm. He introduced her as the “angel of the miners,” after she had been heartily cheered.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for November 1917, Part I: Found in Connecticut, New York City and Kansas City” →

Hellraisers Journal: From the United Mine Workers Journal: Corrupt Powers in San Francisco Demand Labor Victims

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, Tuesday September 25, 1917
San Francisco, California – Powerful Coterie Determined to Crush Labor

From the United Mine Workers Journal of September 20, 1917:

Victims Demanded

Mooney Tom Rena, Billings Weinberg Nolan, 1916, EN 1917

—–

A community shocked and enraged because of the perpetration of a heinous crime; a powerful coterie determined to crush organized labor; a venal district attorney, and newspapers owned and their news columns and editorial policy controlled by those interested in destroying organized labor as an economic and political power; that is the present situation in San Francisco and the other cities on the Pacific coast.

The terrible crime committed by some deranged alien enemy served as an opportunity. Tom Mooney, Rena Mooney, Billings, Weinberg and Nolan were selected as the readiest victims at hand. The order is, “Condemn those people, and through them the organized labor movement.”

In the case of Tom Mooney the main witness, upon the strength of whose evidence the verdict of guilty is based, it is generally conceded is a perjurer for price; also that the prosecuting attorney instructed this witness and attempted to suborn another and instruct him as to what evidence would best serve to convict.

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Hellraisers Journal: Thousands of Undesirable Citizens Prepare to March in Haywood-Moyer Protest Parades

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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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, Friday May 3, 1907
From the Montana News: Organized Labor Plans Protests

Massive protests parades in support of the officials of the Western Federation of Miners, now imprisoned in Boise, Idaho, will take place this weekend in New York City and in Boston. This week’s Montana News describes the preparations now underway:

Undesirable Citizens
—–

Action Taken by Organized Labor to
Resent the Insult of Roosevelt
and to Insure Justice

HMP, Undesirable Citizen, Walker 3, AtR, Apr 20, 1907

“Undesirable citizens” clubs were started throughout the country yesterday. In Chicago members of the Moyer-Haywood conference prepared to order a supply of buttons for organized working men bearing the Words: “We are undesirable citizens.”

This is intended to amalgamate the men branded by President Roosevelt as “undesirable citizens” and show that the men be puts such a brand on are really the men who do the world’s work, the men who always stand as a class for lofty measures in public life and progress of the human race.

In New York plans are made to place 100,000 badges on the men who will parade in protest against the mine owners’ conspiracy to hang Mover, Haywood and Pettibone.

The New York Plan.

New York.—The executive committee of the Moyer and Haywood protest committee called off its expedition to the White House. In a statement the committee declared: “Only the respect in which we hold the presidential office restrains us from characterizing Roosevelt’s assertion by the term which the incumbent of that office so frequently employs—’an in famous lie.'”

The committee of three named to call upon Roosevelt will read a report at the next meeting of the organization Sunday morning. An order was placed today for 10,000 buttons bearing the inscription:

We are undesirable citizens. Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Thousands of Undesirable Citizens Prepare to March in Haywood-Moyer Protest Parades” →

Hellraisers Journal: “Get Red Blood and Fight!” -Mother Jones Speaks at Rally for Striking Street Carmen

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I would rather go before God Almighty
with a paid-up union card than
with first class credentials
from any church in the United States.
-Mother Jones

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday March 28, 1917
Washington, District of Columbia – Mother Jones Speaks

Mother Jones, Garment Strike, Chg Dly Tb, Feb 26, 1917, crpd

On the Monday Evening, March 26th, Mother Jones spoke at a rally for the striking street carmen and their wives, urging them to “stick together” and to “get some red blood and fight!”

The speech was covered by most of Washington D. C. press.

From The Washington Herald of March 27, 1917:

MOTHER JONES URGES STRIKERS TO STICK
—–
Predicted Disorder Fails to
Materialize at Meeting.

Mother Jones, with silver hair and bent form, but with voice and gesture as vigorous as any orator in the prime of life, swayed an audience of 1,500 that packed National Rifles Armory to the door last night to hear her version of the street carmen’s strike.

While trouble was expected to follow her address, the meeting was conducted without disorder, and a big detail of police under the direction of Lieut. Hartley saw the meeting disperse without trouble on the streets.

The speech of Mother Jones was tinged with anarchism, but in its entirety, the theme of her address was to have the men “stick together” and the wives of the strikers were urged to back them to the limit.

Present Strike Picnic

She rehearsed the industrial battles of the miners, which have brought about her title “Angel of the Miners” and declared that the present strike was a picnic compared to the majority which she had witnessed.

Some of the telling passages in her speech were:

This is the age of arbitration and not the age of Kings.

I would rather go before God Almighty with a paid-up union card than with first class credentials from any church in the United States.

Rome perished when the women became indifferent. So did Greece. So will every other nation. In this industrial war we must have the support of women.

Any old traitor or hypocrite can holler hurrah for the flag. The man who is a true patriot is the one who will work for free manhood for those beneath it.

The walls of the nation will never perish upon an altar of gold.

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Hellraisers Journal: Minneapolis Elects Socialist Mayor: Thomas H. Van Lear, Member of Machinists’ Union

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Organize! Oh, toilers, come organize your might;
Then we’ll sing one song of the workers’ commonwealth,
Full of beauty, full of love and health.
-Joe Hill

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

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday November 23, 1916
Minneapolis, Minnesota – New Mayor Is a Socialist Union Organizer

From the American Socialist of November 18, 1916:

Elections of 1916, Am Socialist, Smashing Victories, Nov 18

Elections 1916, London & Van Lear, Am Socialist, Nov 18

For the first time in the history of the nation a Socialist congressman has been re-elected. Meyer London has been sent back to Washington for two years more by the twelfth New York district to speak for labor in the national capitol.

For the second time a Socialist has been elected mayor of a large city against the combined opposition of all the old parties. Thomas H. Van Lear has been chosen chief executive of Minneapolis, Minn., the metropolis of the northwest.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Minneapolis Elects Socialist Mayor: Thomas H. Van Lear, Member of Machinists’ Union” →