Tag: July 1900

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1900: Found Speaking for Striking Miners of Georges Creek Coal District

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Shoulder to Shoulder, Blt Sun p10, July 26, 1900———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday September 8, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for July 1900
Found Speaking in Baltimore for Striking Miners of Georges Creek Coal District

From the Baltimore Sun of July 26, 1900:

MOTHER JONES FOR MINERS
—————
She Denounces The Courts And
The Federation Gives $25.

Mother Jones, Kenosha Ns WI p7, June 26, 1900

The courts of Cumberland are God Almighty in the State of Maryland, and there is no justice for the laborer in them. They are dirty, contemptible courts, and a lot of “my boys” have been brought up before them for standing up for their rights. You know how much justice they will get. The poor man has no rights any more, and all we workers will get will be what we stand shoulder to shoulder and fight for, miners and all other workingmen included. The man or woman who will not fight for his or her rights is unworthy to be a father or mother.

With these words “Mother” Jones, the female labor agitator, opened a speech at the regular weekly meeting of the Federation of Labor last night. She had two young men, striking miners, with her, whom she called her “boys,” and said she had brought them along with her to appeal to the labor unions of Baltimore for financial aid for the strikers of the George’s Creek region. Every union in the city will be visited and asked to contribute. The Federation of Labor, at the suggestion of President Sullivan, headed a subscription for the striking mine workers with $25.

In describing the alleged deplorable condition of some of the mine workers in [West?] Virginia, where she had been endeavoring to organize unions, “Mother” Jones said:

If you could be there and see little children coming up out of the mines, you would not want to be missionaries to China, but would become missionaries to the coal fields. If those fellows over there in China had stayed at home and minded their own business they would be better off, and so would we. I don’t blame the Boxers a bit.

We had a visit from a sort of a missionary not long ago. He was looking after himself, though. This Roosevelt, the Rough Rider, comes down from New York, and, say, what happened? Why, every mine workman was made to turn out and cheer for him. Roosevelt wants a job.

The speaker made a stirring appeal for money to help the men now on strike, and alleged that the fight against the “money power” was just the same, whether conducted in Baltimore or in Cumberland.

Charles Dold, of Chicago, general organizer of the Piano Workers’ Union, stated that on Saturday he had organized a local union of 60 members. Union-made pianos are hereafter to have union labels upon them.

The nominations for officers, to be balloted for at a later meeting, were as follows:

For president, J. M. Sullivan; for first vice-president, William Biggins and George D. Simpson; for second vice-president, William H. O. Thompson and J. Pearson; recording secretary, H. L. Elchleberger; financial secretary, George Greisman; treasurer, John W. Ringrose.

—————

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for June 1900, Part III: Mother Jones Returns to Georges Creek District to Assist Striking Miners

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote JA Wayland, Mother Jones, AtR p1, Mar 17, 1900———-

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday July 12, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for June 1900, Part III
Found Returning to Georges Creek Coal District to Assist Striking Miners

From the Washington Times of June 28, 1900:

WARRANTS FOR STRIKERS.
—–
The Lonaconing Editor’s Assailants
to be Arrested.

Mother Jones, Atlanta Constitution p9, June 8, 1900CUMBERLAND, June 27.-Warrants have been issued for the arrest of Lonaconing rioters. Joseph J. Robinson, editor of the Lonaconing Star, Robert A. L. Dick, who addressed tho anti-strike meeting; Mayor Thompson and others have made information. It is expected that another batch will be sworn out in the case of the brutal assault on James Stapleton, the roadsman yesterday. The region is being patrolled by union miners and a fresh outbreak is expected at any time. “Mother” Jones, the famous woman agitator, has returned to the region and is lending to the excitement.

Hugh Muir, a prominent resident of Lonaconing and a member of the United Mine Workers, was here yesterday to obtain advice regarding entering a libel suit against one of the strike leaders. The charge grows out of a publication by a strike organization. The organization seems to be divided and is believed by many to be disintegrating.

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for June 1900, Part II: “Labor’s Joan of Arc” -Leads Strikers, Comforts Wife and Child

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote JA Wayland, Mother Jones, AtR p1, Mar 17, 1900———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday July 11, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for June 1900, Part II
Fondly Remembered in Birmingham as “Labor’s Joan of Arc”

From the Birmingham Labor Advocate of June 16, 1900:

MOTHER JONES
—–
“I Have Devoted Myself to Humanity.”
—–

LABOR’S JOAN OF ARC
—–
Comforts the Wife and Child,
Touches as With a Mother’s Hand
the Brow of the Sick,
and Leads the Strikers.
—–

Mother Jones, Atlanta Constitution p9, June 8, 1900Mother Jones, who is distinguishing herself and honoring her dear old gray head by her efforts in labor’s cause in Pennsylvania and Maryland, is well and affectionately known in Birmingham, where she labored a few years ago, largely in the interest of cotton mill serfs. God bless her. No truer, braver or more devoted champion of the right ever graced the earth.

We are making history, and she will live in its pages. Her life will be held up as an example to emulate in that better day when right shall rule.

The following article is clipped from the editorial page of the Philadelphia North American, illustrated by a double column likeness of our well-beloved sister:

“Mother” Mary Jones comes to the front again, as is evidenced from the reports from the George’s Creek coal mining region of Maryland. By talking to the miners and their families there she has persuaded them to remain on strike. The scenes attending the speech-making of Mother Jones are intensely dramatic, as, indeed, they well might have been, judging by the Meyersdale situation and the character of the woman labor leader.

Mrs. Mary Jones is better known among the workmen of the United States and especially among the miners, as “Mother.” She has earned the title by the truly motherly manner in which she cares for the families of those men who happen to be on strike in her neighborhood. As she says, “the women are great factors in a strike.” By controlling the women and children, Mother Jones is able to win many strikes for the men.

“A man can face the devil.” says Mother Jones, “but he can’t stand out against capitalism and its servants when the wife points to the little children and says there is no bread.”

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for June 1900, Part I: Found Marching with Striking Miners of Georges Creek Coal District

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote JA Wayland, Mother Jones, AtR p1, Mar 17, 1900———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday July 10, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for June 1900, Part I
Found Marching with Striking Miners of Georges Creek Coal District

From the Baltimore Sun of June 1, 1900:

THE MINERS’ STRIKE
—–
Mother Jones Rallies The Union Men
At Knapp’s Meadow.

(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)

Mother Jones, Kenosha Ns WI p7, June 26, 1900CUMBERLAND, Md., May 31.-“Mother” Jones, the noted woman organizer of Punxsutawney, Pa., arrived in the George’s creek mining region today accompanied by District President Allan Barber. They had been attending the miners’ celebration at Dubois, Pa. Mother Jones was accorded great honors. She at once took hold of affairs, Organizer William Warner and Thomas Haggerty becoming secondary in importance.

This afternoon over three hundred miners from Frostburg, Eckhart and Vale Summit, headed by Mother Jones, who is regarded as a Joan of Arc in the present struggle, started on a march to Knapp’s Meadow, one mile from Lonaconing, where a meeting had been called today. The circular call was supposed to have been issued from non-union sources and the union men proceeded to capture the meeting. Mother Jones rode in a carriage and Organizers Warner and Haggerty followed on foot. The procession marched to music from a bass drum, a fife and a horn. A number of banners were carried bearing inscriptions demanding 60 cents a ton. The procession marched and countermarched through the main streets of Lonaconing. But few miners of Lonaconing participated in the parade and but few attended the meeting at Knapp’s Meadow.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for April & May, 1900: Found Speaking at Meeting of Coal Miners in Windber, Pennsylvania

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote JA Wayland, Mother Jones, AtR p1, Mar 17, 1900———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday July 9, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for April and May of 1900
Found Speaking to Coal Miners at Windber, Pennsylvania

From The Tyrone Herald of April 12, 1900:

Miners Would Not Strike.

Mother Jones, Kenosha Ns WI p7, June 26, 1900An effort was made yesterday to get the 10,000 miners in the employ of the Berwind-White Coal Mining company at Windber [Pennsylvania] to strike out of sympathy for their fellow-employes at Horatio and Anita, but their effort ended in failure, as the men have steady employment at good wages and are not in a humor to give up a certainty for an uncertainty. A meeting was called for yesterday at Windber for the purpose of organizing the employes of the company into a branch of the United Mine Workers. The district officials who were present were: District President W. B. Wilson, of Blossburg; District Vice President Barney Rice, of DuBois; Secretary-treasurer Richard Gilbert, of South Fork, and “Mother” Mary Jones, the female agitator, of Chicago.

There was but a small turnout of miners at the meeting and an organization was not effected, The object was to strengthen the cause of the striking niners at Horatio and Punxsutawney. The miners at these two places have felt for the past week or more that their fight was a losing one and that, unless they could secure help from other sources, they would be compelled to call the strike off. At the DuBois shaft of the company the strike has been called off and the men are at work. A large number of Horatio and Anita men have also returned to work and it is entirely likely that the end of this week will see the end of the strike at these two points.

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review, Volume I, Issue 1: The St. Louis Streetcar Strike and Posse Comitatus

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote EVD, re St Louis Streetcar Strike Massacre, LW p1, June 23, 1900———–

Hellraisers Journal – Monday July 2, 1900
St. Louis, Missouri – Strikers Slaughtered by Posse Comitatus

From the International Socialist Review of July 1900:

The Chicago and St. Louis Strikes

[Part II of II.]

Labor Martyrs, St Louis Streetcar Strike copy, StL Rpb p1, June 11, 1900
St. Louis Republican of June 11, 1900

The St. Louis street car strike, like the one just described, started with various subjects of dispute and soon narrowed down to a question of the recognition of the right of the men to act together. From the beginning this strike was marked with acts of violence. However much this may be deplored the fact remains that so long as capital exists it is impossible for any large strike to continue for any length of time without the accompaniment of violence. This is especially true when lines of transportation are concerned.

When non-union men are so conspicuously engaged in treason to their class as they must be when they run street cars or railroad trains in time of strike it would require a stage of human development far above that of capitalism to produce the sort of human beings that will stand idly by and see their means of living taken away and not resort to violence. But before commenting further on the subject of violence during strikes a few observations are necessary. In the first place it is well to remember that the press is in the control of the present ruling capitalist class and always exaggerates any violence that may take place and in a great many instances, notably during the great railroad strike of 1894, manufactures out of whole cloth long and elaborate stories of acts of violence that never occurred at all. This in itself is sufficient proof of which class it is that deserves violence, “The wish is father to the thought.”

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Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review, Volume I, Issue 1: The Great Chicago Building Trades Lock-Out

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote EVD, Proud Socialists SDP Conv, SF Cls Strgl p4, Mar 17, 1900———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday July 1, 1900
Chicago, Illinois – Great Lock-Out of Building Trades Continues

From the International Socialist Review of July 1900:

“The Chicago and St. Louis Strikes”
Part I of II.

Chicago n St Louis Strikes, ISR p58, July 1900

At the beginning there were various points of contention, but as time passed these all gave way to one main point of contention, the question of the principle of federated trades. All the building trades of Chicago are federated for such common action as may be thought necessary in the Building Trades Council. The contractors insist that this body disband as a condition to any settlement whatever.

This is, of course, an absolutely impossible condition for the laborers, the concession of which would not be a settlement at all, but a crushing defeat. It would mean the setting back of labor one step in the long upward struggle of centuries; the abandonment of one vantage point gained at terrible cost. The individual union is almost if not quite as helpless in the face of the intensely concentrated capital of today as was the individual work man before the capitalist employer of a generation ago. This was especially emphasized in the Chicago struggle as the employers were all united in a Central Contractors’ Council. The fact that the contractors never dreamed of dissolving their central body proved the purely class nature of their demand and showed that the dispute was one that could be settled only by a test of strength.

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