Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday September 27, 1921 Mother Jones Speaks at United Mine Workers Convention, Part I
Indianapolis, Convention of the United Mine Workers of America Sixth Day, September 26, 1921, Mother Jones Speaks, Part I of IV:
Indiana Daily Times September 27, 1921
Vice-President Murray: I understand that Mother Jones has just arrived in the convention and I am going to request Brother David Fowler to escort her to the platform. It isn’t necessary that I should introduce Mother Jones to you at this time; it isn’t necessary that I should eulogize the work she has performed for the coal diggers of America, and I will simply present to the convention at this time our good friend, Mother Jones.
ADDRESS OF MOTHER JONES
Mr. Chairman and Delegates: I have been watching you from a distance, and you have been wasting a whole lot of time and money. I want you to stop it.
All along the ages, away back in the dusty past, the miners started their revolt. It didn’t come in this century, it came along in the cradle of the race when they were ground by superstition and wrong. Out of that they have moved onward and upward all the ages against all the courts, against all the guns, in every nation they have moved onward and upward to where they are today, and their effort has always been to get better homes for their children and for those who were to follow them.
I have just come up from West Virginia. I left Williamson last Friday and came into Charleston. I was doing a little business around there looking after things. We have never gotten down to the core of the trouble that exists there today. Newspapers have flashed it, magazines have contained articles, but they were by people who did not understand the background of the great struggle.
In 1900 I was sent into West Virginia; I went there and worked for a while, taking a survey of the situation. At that time men were working fourteen hours a day and they did not get their coal weighed. They weighed a ton of coal with an aching back, dug it, loaded it and didn’t know how much was in it. However, we have moved onward and today they get their checkweighman, they get paid in cash instead of in company money as they used to; but that wasn’t brought around in an easy manner, it wasn’t brought around arguing on the floor.
I walked nine miles one night with John H. Walker in the New River field after we had organized an army of slaves who were afraid to call their souls their own. We didn’t dare sleep in a miner’s house; if we did the family would be thrown out in the morning and would have no place to go. We walked nine miles before we got shelter. When we began to organize we had to pay the men’s dues, they had no money.
At one time some of the organizers came down from Charleston, went up to New Hope and held a meeting. They had about fourteen people at the meeting. The next morning the conductor on the train told me the organizers went up on a train to Charleston. I told Walker to bill a meeting at New Hope for the next night and I would come up myself. He said we could not bill meetings unless the national told us to. I said: “I am the national now and I tell you to bill that meeting.” He did.
When we got to the meeting there was a handful of miners there and the general manager, clerks and all the pencil pushers they could get. I don’t know but there were a few organizers for Jesus there, too. We talked but said nothing about organizing. Later that night a knock came on the door where I was staying and a bunch of the boys were outside. They asked if I would organize them. I said I would. They told me they hadn’t any money. Walker said the national was not in favor of organizing, they wanted us only to agitate. I said: “John, I am running the business here, not the national; they are up in Indianapolis and I am in New Hope. I am going to organize those fellows and if the national finds any fault with you, put it on me—I can fight the national as well as I can the company if they are not doing right.”
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 11, 1901 Mother Jones News Round-Up for July 1901, Part III Found Organizing Coal Miners in West Virginia
From the Baltimore Sun of July 24, 1901:
APPEALING TO MINERS ———- “Mother” Jones Arrives In The West Virginia Field.
(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)
Morgantown, W. Va., July 23.-The organization known as the United Mine Workers of America will make a desperate effort this summer to bring all the West Virginia miners now outside of their organization into it.
Thomas Burker [Burke], Edward Cahill, John H. Walker and Mary Jones, known as “Mother” Jones, arrived from Indianapolis yesterday and will begin their work here……
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[Photograph added.]
From West Virginia’s Shepherdstown Register of July 25, 1901:
John Jay Jackson Jr., Injunction Judge
At Charleston Tuesday Judge Jackson made perpetual a temporary injunction that he had granted restraining the striking coal miners in the Flat Top region [Pocahontas Coalfield] from interfering with the operation of the mines, and he held for the action of the grand jury certain miners who are said to have fired on United States officers. The Judge severely denounced the miners.
The United Mine Workers will get “Mother Jones” to come to West Virginia to help the cause of the strikers.
It will soon be demonstrated, however, that Judge Jackson is a bigger man than “Mother Jones.”
From The Indianapolis Journal of July 30, 1901:
Mother Jones and Eugene Debs Send Greetings to Socialist Unity Convention
Numerous telegrams were received from sympathizers of the party throughout the country, among them being one from Eugene V. Debs, the leader of the Socialists [those Socialists associated with the Social Democratic Party of America], and “Mother” Jones, the stanch supported of organized labor.
Hellraisers Journal – Friday July 26, 1901 Morgantown, West Virginia – Mother Jones Arrives with U. M. W. Organizers
From the Baltimore Sun of July 24, 1901:
APPEALING TO MINERS ———- “Mother” Jones Arrives In The West Virginia Field.
(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)
Morgantown, W. Va., July 23.-The organization known as the United Mine Workers of America will make a desperate effort this summer to bring all the West Virginia miners now outside of their organization into it.
Thomas Burker [Burke], Edward Cahill, John H. Walker and Mary Jones, known as “Mother” Jones, arrived from Indianapolis yesterday and will begin their work here……
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday April 26, 1921 Mother Jones News Round-Up for March 1921 -Found in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Will Swear as Needed
From The Grand Rapids Press of March 15, 1921:
MOTHER JONES WILL SWEAR
IF IT IS REQUIRED ———-
“Mother” Jones, for many years a labor leader of national repute, arrived in Grand Rapids Tuesday noon for her first visit to this city in 20 years. She was a guest at the Eagle hotel and lunched at noon with a group of local labor leaders and their wives. During the afternoon she spoke at Trades and Labor council hall on general labor conditions in the United States, being introduced to the Grand Rapids audience by D. B. Hovey. Tuesday evening she will give another address at the Railway Workers’ union.
Grand Rapids labor circles greeted the venerated leader in a spirit of tribute for her many years of service in the cause of labor. She is a picturesque figure, but in spite of her flat bonnet and old-fashioned dress the impression the white haired old lady gives is not that of quaintness but of power, for the lines of her face are very strong and certainly she has a mind of her own. Though 85 years old she is more active than many persons much younger.
Mother Jones said she never knows what she is going to say to an audience until she faces it.
[She said:]
I’m not one of those orators that prepare a speech beforehand. I have to see what the folks I’m going to talk to look like first. If they’re a lot of roughnecks like us not I’ll swear at ’em.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday February 26, 1921 Mother Jones News Round-Up for December 1920: –Found in Washington, D. C., Pleading for Release of Debs
From Virginia’s Richmond Times-Dispatch of December 15, 1920:
DEBS MUST SERVE TERM, SAYS PRESIDENT WILSON ———- Socialist Leader Not Included in Christmas Pardons in List From White House. —–
THREE RECEIVE CLEMENCY ———- Executive’s Refusal Is Blow to Aspirations of Liberals, Who Have Been Working to That End. “Mother Jones” Visits Capital.
(By United News.]
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.-Two men convicted of murder and one man convicted of selling drugs unlawfully, received Christmas pardons today from President Wilson. Eugene V. Debs, choice of a million citizens for President in the recent election, did not. His ten-year term, under conviction of violating the espionage act, still stands, subject only to abbreviation through good behavior….
The President’s refusal to extend mercy to Debs is a blow in the face for Socialists and liberals all over the country. The Socialist party, as such, has not interceded in his behalf, but individual members of the party have been campaigning consistently ever since the signing of the peace treaty eighteen months ago to obtain Debs’ release. The Bureau of Civil liberties has been the center of activity of others working for pardon for him.
Mother Jones, aged friend of the miners, spent some time in Washington last week working in Debs’ behalf….
It became known recently that Attorney-General Palmer, who has been considered opposed to clemency for Debs, actually had recommended to the President that the grant the pardon. Partly because this fact was rumored among those working for Debs’ release and because of the frequent revival of the report that the President planned to grant the pardon at Christmas time, the general feeling In this city had been that the Socialist leader would be a free man Christmas Day. The statement that this would not be the case, made Thursday by the United News, was a profound shock, and many still clung to hope until the issuance of the pardon list by the Attorney-General’s office Friday revealed only the three names given above.
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday January 25, 1911 Miss Agnes Nestor Speaks on Behalf of Chicago Garment Strikers
Columbus, Ohio-Convention of United Mine Workers of America -Monday January 23, 1911, Sixth Day-Afternoon Session
President Lewisstated that Miss Agnes Nestor of Chicago was in the convention and desired to address the delegates in behalf of the striking garment workers in that city.
President Lewis stated that Miss Nestor had credentials from the Chicago Federation of Labor and the Woman’s Trade Union League.
Delegate Walker, District 12—
I move that an invitation be extended to Miss Agnes Nestor to address the convention. (Seconded and carried by unanimous vote.)
President Lewis-
I take pleasure in introducing the young lady spoken of in the credentials received from Chicago. Miss Nestor will address the convention in behalf of the striking garment workers in that city.
Miss Agnes Nestor—
Mr. Chairman and Delegates to this Convention: I am here to tell you something about the garment workers’ strike now going on in Chicago and to make an appeal for funds. This is an extraordinary strike. It is a wonderful strike, it is a strike of unorganized workers. It began with the unorganized workers in one of the shops of Hart, Schaffner & Marx and spread to every shop of that concern and every other unorganized garment factory in Chicago until it reached 40,000 garment workers. It began the latter part of September and spread to the greatest extent in October. These people have been on strike now nearly four months.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 23, 1920 Mother Jones News for September 1920, Part I “Famous Woman Leader of Miners” Found in Missouri and Illinois
From the United Mine Workers Journal of September 1, 1920:
Labor Day Speakers
Notice of the following assignments of speakers for celebrations of the United Mine Workers of America on Labor Day have been received at the office of the Journal:
Philip Murray, International Vice President, New Kensington, Pa . William Green, International Secretary Treasurer, Cambridge, Ohio. Ellis Searles, Editor of the United Mine Workers Journal, Ernest, Pa. Samuel Pascoe, President of District 30, Novinger, Mo. Andrew Steele, International Board Member from District 25, South Fork, Pa. William Turnblazer, International Organizer, Spadra, Ark. Mother Jones, Kirksville, Mo. William Feeney, International Organizer, Midland, Ark
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday September 26, 1920 -Mother Jones News for August 1920, Part II Found in Washington, D. C., Opining on Women, the Ballot, and Labor Struggles
From The Washington Times of August 29, 1920:
SEES CURE IN RIGHT VOTING ——- Victory Futile, Says 90-Year-Old Leader, If “Ownership of Bread” is Lost. ——-
“No nation can ever grow greater or more human than its womanhood and I am not expecting the millennium as a result of woman’s privilege to vote,” said Mother Jones, noted woman leader, here today.
I am anxious to see women stand aide by side with men in developing the human family, but all of the ballots in the world will not change conditions for the people’s welfare unless attention is focused upon the disease causing the trouble.
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 22, 1920 -Mother Jones News for July 1920, Part II Speech at Williamson, W. Va., Described; Found in Indianapolis
From the Buffalo Labor Journal of July 8, 1920:
MOUNTAIN MEN AROUSED —–
Williamson, W. Va. [June 20, 1920]-“The motto of West Virginia, ‘Mountainers are always free,’ will be made effective,” declared Mother Jones in an address to over 5,000 miners of Mingo county. A drenching rain did not deter the workers from coming out of the mountains, the tent colonies of evicted strikers and neighboring towns. Mayor Porter of this place assured the meeting that he was in perfect sympathy with their efforts to rid the state of Baldwin-Feltz detective thugs, employed by the coal owners.
Secretary Pauley of the West Virginia Federation of Labor told the miners that trade unionists through out the state are behind them in this fight for law and order.
The recent murder of the mayor of Matewan and other citizens by the Baldwin-Feltz detective thugs, who were attempting to evict miners without due process of law, has aroused organized labor to greater activity against these private armies of the coal owners. The same condition prevails in Logan and McDowell counties. Governor Cornwell ignores these outlaws while delivering lectures and issuing statements on the need for “100 per cent. Americanism.”
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday July 25, 1920
-Mother Jones News for June 1920, Part II
Found Speaking in Williamson, Mingo County, West Virginia
From Hellraisers Journal of June 23, 1920:
Williamson, West Virginia – Sunday Evening June 20, 1920
-Mother Jones Speaks at Public Meeting in Front of Courthouse.
[Excerpts from Part II of Speech of Mother Jones]
[Mother Jones on Agitators.]
I went to a meeting and the secretary of the steel workers went with me. He got up to speak. They took him. The next fellow got up; they took him. I got up. They arrested me. I wouldn’t walk. They had to ride me. A big old Irish buck of a policeman said, “You will have to walk.” “No, I can’t.” “Can you walk?” “No, I can’t.” “We will take you down to jail and lock you up behind the bars.”
After a few minutes the chief came along.
“Mother Jones?”
“Yes, sir.”
“There is some of the steel managers here want to speak to you.”
“All right, let the gentlemen come in. I am sorry gentlemen, I haven’t got chairs to give you.” (Laughter.)
One good fellow says, “Now, Mother Jones, this agitation is dangerous. You know these are foreigners, mostly.”
“Well, that is the reason I want to talk to them. I want to organize them into the United States as a Union so as to show them what the institution stands for.”
“They don’t understand English,” he says.
I said, “I want to teach them English. We want them into the Union so they will understand.”
“But you can’t do that. This agitation won’t do. Your radicalism has got to go.”
I said, “Wait a minute, sir. You are one of the managers of the steel industry here?”
“Yes.”
“Wasn’t the first emigrant that landed on our shore an agitator?”
“Who was he?”
“Columbus. Didn’t he agitate to get the money from the people of Spain? Didn’t he agitate to get the crew, and crossed the ocean and discovered America for you and I?
“Wasn’t Washington an agitator? Didn’t the Mayflower bring over a ship-full of agitators? Didn’t we build a monument to them down there in Massachusetts. I want to ask you a question. Right today in and around the City of Pittsburgh I believe there has assembled as many as three hundred thousand people [bowing the knee to Jesus during Easter season.] Jesus was an agitator, Mr. Manager. What in hell did you hang him for if he didn’t hurt your pockets?” He never made a reply. He went away.
He was the manager of the steel works; he was the banker; he was the mayor; he was the judge; he was the chairman of the city council. Just think of that in America—and he had a stomach on him four miles long and two miles wide. (Laughter.) And when you looked at that fellow and compared him with people of toil it nauseated you.
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“Mother” Jones, for many years a labor leader of national repute, arrived in Grand Rapids Tuesday noon for her first visit to this city in 20 years. She was a guest at the Eagle hotel and lunched at noon with a group of local labor leaders and their wives. During the afternoon she spoke at Trades and Labor council hall on general labor conditions in the United States, being introduced to the Grand Rapids audience by D. B. Hovey. Tuesday evening she will give another address at the Railway Workers’ union.
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