Hellraisers Journal: Strike Committee Travels from Lawrence to Boston in Effort to Reach Settlement with Mill Owners

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Quote Lawrence Strike Committee, Drunk Cup to Dregs, Bst Dly Glb Eve p5, Jan 17, 1912—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday January 26, 1912
News from Lawrence Textile Strike: Joe Ettor Travels to Boston, Seeks Settlement

From The Boston Daily Globe of January 24, 1912:

HdLn Lawrence Move to Settle Strike, Woman n Children, Bst Glb p1, Jan 24, 1912

By F. P. SIBLEY.

LAWRENCE, Jan 23-Mayor Michael A. Scanlon and Alderman Robert S. Maloney went to Boston this afternoon and enlisted the services of the State Board of Arbitration in the effort to bring the striking textile mill operatives and their employers to a conference with the view of settling the strike.

Joseph J. Ettor and five members of the strikers’ committee also went to Boston today at the call of Max Mitchell [emissary of the the American Woolen Company] and had a conference with two men closely allied with the mill owners. The conference was a secret one and Ettor refused to make any statement as to what took place. On his return he made a date with Mayor Scanlon to meet the mill owners if they agreed to his plan.

[…..]

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[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Lawrence Strikers Vote Unanimously to Confer With Mill Owners as a Whole; Spirit of Unity Prevails

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Quote Bread and Roses Verse 1, American Magazine p214, Dec 1911
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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday January 25, 1912
News from Lawrence Textile Strike: Unity Prevails at Mass Meeting

From The Boston Daily Globe of January 23, 1912:

HdLn Lawrence Strikers to Meet w Mill Owners, On Paraded, Bst Glb p1, Jan 23, 1912

By F. P. SIBLEY.

LAWRENCE, Jan 23-Two steps in the negotiations between the striking mill operatives and the employers were taken today.

The strikers have put it up to the mill owners to make the arbitration general and to apply to all establishments alike. This proposition accompanies a refusal of the plan offered yesterday by the corporations for each mill to deal with a committee of its own employes.

This reply of the employes, drawn up last night by their executive committee, was ratified by a mass meeting of more than 3000 strikers on Lawrence Common this afternoon. 

[…..]

Chairman Ettor announced at this morning’s meeting of the executive committee that William D. Haywood, lecturer of the I. W. W., is coming here to help tomorrow or Wednesday. Haywood sprang into prominence in connection with the Western Miners’ Federation trouble in Idaho in 1906, when Gov Steunenberg’s residence was dynamited. The trials of Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone that followed stirred the labor men of the whole Nation.

The regular number of mills opened this morning. The pickets were fairly active and at the Pacific Mills a half-company of militia was sent to keep the crowd moving and prevent intimidation. At noon there was another slight disturbance at this mill and one Syrian, James Vlahodimo, 34, of 467 Common st, was arrested and locked up, charged with intimidation. This was the only arrest of the day in connection with the strike.

[…..]

HdLn Lawrence Strikers on Common, Thousands, Bst Glb p4, Jan 23, 1912

Big Crowd at Meeting.

The committee last night decided once more on recommending that a committee representing all the manufacturers should deal with another committee representing all the strikers.

This afternoon at 2 more than 3000 strikers, men and women, were gathered around the bandstand on the Common to listen to their committee’ proposition and to vote on it.

Joseph Ettor, August de Tollenaer for the French-speaking strikers, A. M. Giovannati [Giovannitti] for the Italians, and a Polish and a Syrian speaker climbed into the handstand and so far as possible divided the crowd into Nationalities, so that each speaker would have his own people before him. This set the crowd to “milling” round the bandstand. The pressure was fearful, and one woman was slightly hurt. She was helped out of the crowd, and remained there through the meeting.

Joseph Ettor said:

I hope nothing will be done to disturb this very important meeting. I know that it may be disturbed, for the purpose of distracting your attention from the real issues.

The question of meeting the employers was submitted to the strike committee last night, and its recommendation is that we offer a plan for a meeting of two committees, one representing all the operators and the other all the employes. (Cheers.) This is the report your committee now offers for your approval or rejection.

—–

Plan Unanimously Indorsed.

It means much to you. Accept and you say to the mill owners that the solidity and unity of the workers will be kept regardless of mills or employers. Decline and you will have to elect committees to deal with each mill separately.

When this speech had been translated into the various tongues, one after another, a show of hands was called for and it was wonderful to see the hands sprout out of the mob. The vote was unanimous.

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Hellraisers Journal: News from Lawrence Textile Strike: Militia Attacks Strikers; Committee Appeals to All Workers

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Quote Lawrence Strike Committee, Drunk Cup to Dregs, Bst Dly Glb Eve p5, Jan 17, 1912—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday January 20, 1912
Lawrence, Massachusetts – Militia Attacks Strikers; Strike Committee Issues Appeal

From The Boston Daily Globe (Evening) of January 17, 1912:

Lawrence Militia v Strikers Parade, Bst Glb Eve, Jan 17, 1912

LAWRENCE, Jan 17-Conflict between the textile strikers and State militiamen who have the mill district of the city in charge broke out afresh today. A mob of 3000 strikers who had paraded through the city was subdued only by the vigorous use of clubs and swords by members of Battery C, Light Artillery, of Lowell, when the strikers entered the mill district, within which zone martial law has been declared…

The larger part of the crowd was driven back, and the combat ceased for a moment. After being forced up Hampshire at the strikers began to bombard the soldiers with ice, bricks and tin cans, several of the militiamen being hit. None suffered serious wounds. Many of the strikers sustained injuries to heads and bodies by clubs and swords, and two had their faces badly cut in the same manner. Several children were trampled upon in the melee.

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Flag to Protect Them.

The strikers wee finally allowed to go up Canal st and when they reached the Lawrence Duck mill bridge, half a mile away, they made an attempt to cross [but Lieut. Davies] ordered the strikers to continue down Canal st without crossing the bridge.

An interesting episode occurred here. One of the strikers, who was carrying a big American flag, held it up and cried out, “This is the American flag; it can go anywhere.”

In another moment Lieut Davis had ordered the men to “charge bayonets,” and the flag was trailed in the snow by the Italians, who had stampeded when the strikers were forced to retreat before the bristling steel. No trouble developed beyond this point, the crowd ultimately dispersing.

———-

[…..]

Appeal to Non-Strikers.

An appeal issued today to English speaking and other mill operatives not on strike through the agency of the strike committee which was distributed on the picket lines and at meetings during the day was in part as follows:

To all workers, men and women, and all those who sympathize with their aspirations for a better day:

We, striking textile workers, who in the past suffered untold exploitations, outrages and insults, have reached the limit of human resignation and endurance. We submit to a candid world in brief our grievances and reason for revolt. Our wages have been gradually reduced, machines have been speeded to the point that in order to keep up with them we have o strain to the limit of endurance.

Taking advantage of a law that was passed to reduce the long working days of women and children, the mill owners reduced our wages and average of 5 percent.

Urged to “Strike all Together.”

According to the figures of the mill owners themselves, last pay day, Jan. 11, 25,000 workers received a total wage of $150,000, or an average wage of $6 for a week’s work.

We had to rebel because we had drunk of the cup to the very dregs.

We are opposed to rioting, opposed equally and strenuously, even though it hides its brutalities under the cloak of law and order and armed with bayonets.

These reasons and others too numerous to mention are sufficient, we believe, to entitle us to the support of all fellow-workers and friends.

We urge and plead with all who wish our case well to express themselves in words and deeds in no mistaken way.

Workers, remember! An injury to one is an injury to all. Strike all together; stick together. All to victory.

(Signed)
Strike Committee.

—————

Note: emphasis added throughout.

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Hellraisers Journal: News from Lawrence Textile Strike: Militia Drives Back Strikers: Young Dominico Rapsardo Bayoneted

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Quote Lawrence Strike Committee, Drunk Cup to Dregs, Bst Dly Glb Eve p5, Jan 17, 1912—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday January 19, 1912
Lawrence, Massachusetts – Young Striker, Dominico Rapsardo, Bayoneted by Soldier

From The Boston Globe (Morning Edition) of January 16, 1912:

Lawrence Strikers Driven Back by Militia, Bst Glb Morn p1, Jan 16, 1912

By JOHN W. CARBERRY.

Lawrence, Jan 15-In an attempt to prevent the operation of the woolen mills today, strikers and their sympathizers incited a riot which compelled the City Government to summon police aid from Salem, Lynn, Haverhill, Everett and Lowell, and to call into service eight companies of militia……

Today, in the clash between militiamen and those supporting the cause of the striking textile workers, one youth, Dominico Rapsardo, was stabbed in the breast by a soldier, and is seriously, though not mortally, wounded.

Many others were injured by being struck with the butts of rifles and the clubs of policemen.

More than 30 were arrested charged with damaging property and disturbing the peace…

Lawrence Militia Holds Strikers in Check, Bst Glb Morn p2, Jan 16, 1912—–Lawrence Strike Leader Joe Ettor, Bst Glb Morn p2, Jan 16, 1912

[…..]

Rapsardo Is Struck Down.

[About 10 a. m., at the Atlantic mills, militiamen with fixed bayonets, charged the strikers and drove them across the bridge at Canal st.]

In the charge Dominico Rapsardo of 51 Essex st was wounded. The crowd was packed so densely that those in front did not fall back quickly enough to suit the soldiers, and young Rapsardo received a thrust from a bayonet in his left breast. he fell fainting to the street, and was hastily driven to the General Hospital, badly injured. The bayonet had penetrated the flesh between the ribs, but doctors believed that no vital organ had been pierced.

[…..]

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