Tag: John Mitchell

Hellraisers Journal: Miners to Celebrate Eight-Hour Day Victory, Won for Central Competitive Field in Great Strike of 1897

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Brave Hearts, UMWC, Jan 29, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday March 18, 1899
United Mine Workers to Celebrate Eight-Hour Day Victory

From The American Federationist of March 1899:

Miners’ Eight-Hour Day.
—–

UMW Ex Brd 1897, Evans II p480

—–

John Mitchell, Pres UMW Jan 1899, Evans II p650

An echo of the great victory of the miners in their strike of 1897, comes to us just now. It will be remembered that as a result of that memorable contest the miners secured, apart from an increase of 33 per cent, in wages, the establishment of the eight-hour day in the competitive field to be inaugurated April 1, 1898. After working under the eight-hour system for nearly a year the officers of the United Mine Workers through President Mitchell and Secretary Pearce have just issued the fallowing call upon the miners of the country:

Inasmuch as Saturday, April 1, 1899, marks the first anniversary of the inauguration of the eight-hour work day in the central competitive coal mining States, we desire that it be fittingly observed by members of our craft.

In commemorating this event, we not only can demonstrate our appreciation of the shorter work day, but also the re-establishment of joint movement methods of adjusting wage differences. When the Chicago agreement was entered into one year ago, which provided for the establishment of an eight-hour day in the States of Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, grave fears were entertained as to the probable outcome. That the influences it would exert over the trade of the States in question would be detrimental was freely argued by many, but we find, at this the close of the first year, that its adoption has not only proven a priceless boon to our craft, but also is looked upon with favor by many of our employers. The reaffirmation of the Chicago agreement by the Pittsburg convention means a continuation of these conditions and is a fitting endorsement of the policy. We therefore desire that Saturday, April 1, be set apart as a holiday to commemorate this important event and that local unions arrange suitable meetings, where appropriate exercises can be held. We further request our membership in States where the agreement is not operative at this time to likewise observe this day and thereby register your approval of this method and encourage its universal adoption.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for January 1909, Part II; Found in Indianapolis Speaking at UMWA Convention

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones on Swearing & Praying, UMWC 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday February 17, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for January 1909, Part II:
-Found Speaking at Convention of United Mine Workers of America

From The Indianapolis Star of January 29, 1909:

Mother Jones, Ipls UMWC with Her Boys, Ipl Str p7, Jan 29, 1909

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks to Convention of United Mine Workers on Behalf of Mexican Revolutionaries, Part II

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Old Devil, UMWC Jan 27, 1909—–

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday January 30, 1909
Indianapolis, Indiana – Mother Speaks at U. M. W. Convention, Part II

From Proceedings of United Mine Workers Convention
-Wednesday January 27, 1909
Speech of Mother Jones, Part II:

Mother Jones, Dnv Pst p2, July 19, 1908

Now, I will tell you what I am here today for. I am not here to beg. I hate beggars; I don’t want any begging machines; I want to do away with every begging parasite in the world. I want to fight and take what belongs to us. What I want here today with you is this: We have got to get those boys out of jail. We have got to let them live in this land; we have got to let them fight Mexico from here. And I am with those boys because Diaz and Harriman and Rockefeller and the whole push are together down there. They were down there wining and dining, and we paid for it.

And while I am on this wining and dining subject I am going to say something about the board member from Pennsylvania, Miles Dougherty. I want to talk to you Pennsylvania fellows. You had an awful fight there. I was out West and took up a paper and read of Mr. Miles Dougherty sitting down with his feet under the table looking Mrs. Harriman square in the eye and putting a bowl of champagne inside of his stomach— “Here’s a health to you, Mr. Belmont; here’s a health to you, Miss Morgan, and here’s a health to you, Mrs. Harriman.” And then, when Mrs. Harriman and Miss Morgan walked down the street with Miles Dougherty the fellows over home in Pennsylvania said, “Don’t you see how labor is getting recognized?” How labor is getting recognized! That’s true, Mr. Lewis, as sure as you sit there, they said that about labor getting recognized! I want to tell you here the trouble with you is this: your skull hasn’t developed only to the third degree. You would consider it an honor to go down the street with Miss Morgan, who never worked a day in her life. You would consider it an honor to dine with those fellows that skinned you and your children and murdered you in the mines, and while they were filling you with champagne they murdered us poor devils with bullets.

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Hellraisers Journal: Gompers, Mitchell, and Morrison Sentenced for Contempt of Court in Bucks Stove & Range Case-Continued

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 December 29, 1908
Samuel Gompers on the Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press:

Samuel Gompers addressed the Court, December 23rd, before being sentenced to one year in prison, and said, in part:

[T]he freedom of speech and of the press have not been granted in order that men may say the things that please, but to say the things that displease, which may convey the need of change and the unaccepted thought….

If in monarchical England these rights can be given, they ought not to be denied to the theoretically free citizens of this Republic.

From the Washington Evening Star of December 23, 1908:

Bucks Stove n Range, Morrison Gompers Mitchell, WDC Eve Str p3, Dec 23, 1908

From The Washington Times of December 23, 1908:

Bucks Stove n Range, AFL Leaders Sentenced, WDC Tx p1, Dec 23, 1908

[Continued.]

Defendants Before the Court.

All the while the reading [of Judge Wright’s opinion] proceeded the three defendants sat in the courtroom directly in front of Judge Wright. All were composed, betraying at times slight evidence of restlessness, but listening closely to the words of the court. When he had concluded his opinion, Justice Wright announced he was ready to pass sentence, and after the customary fashion, the defendants were ordered by the bailiff to stand up.

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Hellraisers Journal: Gompers, Mitchell, and Morrison Sentenced for Contempt of Court in Bucks Stove & Range Case

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 – Monday December 28, 1908
Leaders of American Federation of Labor Flayed by Justice Wright

From The Washington Times of December 23, 1908:

Bucks Stove n Range, AFL Leaders Sentenced, WDC Tx p1, Dec 23, 1908

FEDERATION’S HEAD IS GIVEN ONE YEAR
BY JUSTICE WRIGHT
—–
Vice President Gets Nine Months
and the Secretary Six Months
in Bucks Stove and Range Case.
Give Appeal Bond.
—–

DEFENDANTS FLAYED FROM THE BENCH
—–
Court Declares Violation of Order as to Boycott
and “We Don’t Patronize List”
Is Flagrant and Deserves Severe Punishment.
—–

Bucks Stove n Range, Gompers, Mitchell, Judge, Morrison, WDC Tx p1, Dec 23, 1908

President Samuel Gompers of the American Federation of Labor,  Secretary Frank Morrison of this organization, and John Mitchell, former president of the United Mine Workers, were today sentenced by Judge Wright of the District Supreme Court to the District jail for contempt of court.

Their offense is the violation of the injunction issued some months ago by Judge Gould prohibiting the American Federation of Labor and its officials from publishing the name of the Bucks Stove and Range Company in the “We Don’t Patronize List” of the federation as it had appeared in the American Federationist, the official organ of the American Federation of Labor.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mine Operators Meet Demands of Virden Miners; Formal Agreement Ends Bitter Coal Strike

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones re Virden Martyrs, Daily Worker, Oct 22, 1925~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 18, 1898
Bitter Strike of Miners at Virden Ends in Victory

From the Chicago Daily Inter Ocean of November 16, 1898:

VIRDEN STRIKE ENDS
—–
Mine Operators Agree to
Meet Demands of Men.
—–

TO PAY UNION WAGES
—–
Conference Is Held at Company’s
Chicago Offices.
—–

Leaders of Coal Miner’s Organization
Rejoice at the Outcome of
the Bitter Fight.
—–

WNF Virden, O'Neill House, Chg Intr Ocn p2, Oct 15, 1898
Striking Miners Gather at O’Neill House after Battle of Virden

The conference between the representatives of the Chicago-Virden Coal company and the striking miners, held yesterday, resulted in an agreement which ends the Virden strike. The demands to the miners have been acceded to in full. The scale agreed upon is 40 cents per ton for hand mining and 33 cents for machine mining.

A formal agreement will be drawn up this morning, which will be signed by President Loucks of the coal company and President Hunter of the Illinois Mine-Workers’ union. The men who have been idle at Virden since April will return to work immediately.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1908, Part II: Found in Denver at Convention of Western Federation of Miners

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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The fellows who are now in palaces
ought to be in jail.
The fellows who are in jail
ought to be in the palaces.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 21, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for July 1908, Part II
–Found Speaking at Denver Convention of W. F. of M.

On July 18th, Mother Jones was present in Denver at the Sixteenth Annual Convention of the Western Federation of Miners when she was invited to address the delegates gathered there. She was introduced by John M. O’Neill and spoke at length. The following summary of her remarks is taken from The Denver Post of July 19th (see full article below.)

MOTHER JONES, PEACEMAKER AT MINERS’ CONVENTION

Mother Jones re WFMC Speech, Dnv Pst p2, July 19, 1908

[From Speech by Mother Jones]

Mother Jones Speech Excerpts WFMC, Dnv Pst p2, July 19, 1908

The Western Federation has paved the way for labor to come together. The crucial time is on now with the guns of capital trained against you from Washington. Did not labor of the world stand behind you in your troubles? Take the United Workers of America by the hand and thank God you are getting together. Forget the little worries over the check-off system. When we all get together we will kick the check-off boss overboard.

When you join the United Mine Workers of America you will put some warm blood into them. Don’t forget, too, that they have good members and plenty of them.

We are working in a new century and must abandon the old things for the new. Women should organize as strongly as the men. I lined up 3,000 women in the Eastern mining camps and they took away the guns of the sheriffs and their dude deputies. These dudes carried little guns on their hips and sported miniature mustaches.

Do not wait for a written document from the other side in labor peace pacts. Take Tom Lewis by the hand. They were forced to adopt the check-off system when they were up against it. Feel that the United Mine Workers are still your brothers. The peace that Christ teaches should rule between your organizations.

———-

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for December 1906: Articles Found in Appeal to Reason and Labor World

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, Thursday January 10, 1907
Mother Jones Found Featured in Socialist and Labor Press

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

As to the actual whereabouts of Mother Jones during the month of December 1906, we could find very little. However, we were able to find her featured in an article in the Appeal to Reason and as the author of an article in the Duluth Labor World. The article in the Appeal details the campaign, last fall, of William Dettrey in Pennsylvania where he ran as the Socialist candidate for the U. S. House of Representatives from Luzerne County. The article notes the hard work done by Mother Jones during that campaign and the lack of interest shown by the two most famous union leaders in the American labor movement.

From the Appeal to Reason of December 1, 1906:

DETTREY’S CAMPAIGN IN PENSLYVANIA.
—–

BY ONE OF THE BOYS.
—–

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