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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday March 11, 1914
Book Review: “Arrows in the Gale” by Arturo Giovannitti
-with Introduction by Helen Keller
From the San Francisco Bulletin of March 4, 1914:
Ways of the World by John D. Barry
A NEW POET: The Revelation of Power Made by Arturo Giovannitti
in His Recently Published Volume, “Arrows in the Gale.”[…..]
“Arrows in the Gale” by Arturo Giovannitti, Introduced by Helen Keller
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday March 17, 1912
“The Trouble at Lawrence” by Mary Heaton Vorse
From Harper’s Weekly of March 16, 1912:
A few weeks ago a company of about forty children of the Lawrence strikers, bound for Philadelphia, were forcibly prevented from leaving Lawrence by the order of City Marshal John J. Sullivan. He was led to this act by the belief that some of those children were leaving town without the consent of their parents. Before this, several groups of children, to the total of nearly three hundred, had been sent out of town to the strike sympathizers in various cities, and public opinion against the departure of the children had been aroused. As Congressman Ames said: “The people here feel that the sending away of these children has hurt the fair name of Lawrence since it is a rich town and capable of caring for all its needy children without the help of outsiders.”
The forcible detention of these children had an extraordinary response throughout the country. It was one of those things that cannot be done in America without stirring up public opinion from north to south and east to west. There had been earlier aggressive moves on the part of the authorities: Joseph J. Ettor, one of the first to take charge of the strike on behalf of the Industrial Workers of the World, and Arturo Giovannitti, his chief lieutenant, were arrested and committed to jail without bail, as accessories to the murder of a woman [Anna LoPizzo], shot by a deflected bullet during a clash between the strikers and the police. Both men were two miles away during the conflict. Their imprisonment caused comment in the press, as did other episodes of the strike- for instance, the railroading of twenty-three men to prison for one year each, during a single morning’s police-court session, on the charge of inciting to riot; but in the minds of the country at large these things have been simply incidents. The abridgment of the right of people to move from one place to another freely was at once a matter of national importance. It had for its immediate sequel the sending of that touching little band of thirteen children of various nationalities to Washington to state their grievances and to testify as to what occurred at the railway station on that Saturday morning.
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday February 28, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Trial of Gurley Flynn and Filigno, Part II
From The Workingman’s Paper of February 26, 1910:
[Part II of II.]
The Jury
The first two days of the trial were taken up with impaneling the jury. It fell to Mr. Don Kiser’s lot to have charge of the prosecution’s side of this part of the performance.
About forty men were called before it was possible to get twelve men who were satisfactory. The vast majority were prejudiced against the I. W. W.; in fact, it was a surprise when a man would make the statement that he had formed no opinion concerning the case, or even when one would say he considered labor had a right to organize in order to better its conditions, etc.
Finally, however, by Friday afternoon the jury began to look like a jury and things were ready for taking up the testimony.
[The Prosecution’s Case.]
[Main witness for the prosecution were:
-Detective Martin J. Burns who testified that 20% of those arrested said no more than “Fellow Worker.”
-Chief Sullivan, witness for the prosecution, was unable to explain why foreigners who said no more than “Fellow-Workers” could draw such big crowds.
-“Floor-Spitter” Detective McDonald testified that the men he arrested were all foreigners whose names he could not remember nor pronounce.]
Defense Opens
At 3:30 [Tuesday February 15th] Mr. Symmes addressed the jury, and on request of defense court adjourned at about 4, to take up defense testimony in the morning.
When things are rearranged so that
I can help my fellow man best by helping myself,
…then, I shall love him more than ever.
-Eugene Victor Debs
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 5, 1908
Milwaukee, July: Eugene Debs Interviewed by Lincoln Steffens
From Everybody’s Magazine of October 1908:
Part II:
—–
[Debs on the Evils of Capitalism]
[Said Debs, without waiting for questions:]
To begin with, we Socialists know what the matter is: it’s Capitalism; and we know what the cure is: it’s Socialism.
“Words,” I muttered.
[Said he, drawing near and reaching out his hands:]
No. Capitalism is a thing, a system; it’s the organization of society under which we all live. And it’s wrong, fundamentally wrong. It is a system of competition for wealth, for the necessities of human life, and, a survival of the old struggle of the jungle, it forces the individual to be selfish, and rewards him for beating and abusing his fellow man. Profit is made the aim of all human effort, not use, not service. The competitive system sets man against man, class against class; it puts a premium upon hate; and love—the love of a man for his neighbor—is abnormal and all but impossible. The system crucifies the prophets and servants of mankind. It pays greed the most, honors highest the ruthless, and advances swiftest the unscrupulous. These are the fit to survive.
Debs seized my arm.
It’s wrong, isn’t it? It’s inherently unjust, inhuman, unintelligent, and—it cannot last. The particular evils you write about, graft and corruption, and the others about which I speak, the poverty, crime, and cruelty, they are evidences of its weakness and failure; the signs that it is breaking down.
Old John Brown set an example of moral courage
and of single-hearted devotion to an ideal
for all men and for all ages.
-Eugene Victor Debs
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 4, 1908
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Lincoln Steffens Interviews Eugene Debs
From Everybody’s Magazine of October 1908:
Part I:
—–
EDITOR’S NOTE.-“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” said John the Baptist, when they questioned his mission. And his was the voice of promise of a new order of things. This voice of promise has come down the ages, sometimes almost stilled, again rising into tones of thunder. But always it has been a call to the poor and the unhappy-to the “rabble.” Unworthy mouth-pieces that voice has had, and blatant. But, for weal or for woe, whenever and wherever it has reached its full volume no earthly power has been able to drown its insistent cry. Is that voice to-day rising toward its highest note? Or do we hear merely the droning of false creeds? The voice of established order sounds clear and seemingly strong. But in Europe the cry of Socialism (they say it is applied Christianity) already bids fair to become dominant. In America more than a million thrill at its call. Debs is their voice. Fanatic or prophet? Inspired or insane? Only time will tell. But, for weal or for woe, we must listen. Debs believes that he voices the cry of a people wronged, and he believes he has the remedy for that wrong. For this reason we have asked him to talk to you. If he is a public enemy, you have here the chance to be come forearmed by being forewarned. We present you his gospel.
Had the greatest meeting ever held in Coalgate-
thousands and thousands-woods full of ’em,
all blazing with zeal for Socialism.
-Eugene Victor Debs
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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday July 19, 1908
Coalgate, Oklahoma – Debs Draws Enthusiastic Crowd
From the Appeal to Reason of July 18, 1908:
Debs in Oklahoma
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Eugene V. Debs spoke at the Fourth of July celebration at Coalgate, Okla., after several other orators had been heard in dead silence, and immediately had the 5,000 auditors aroused to enthusiasm and applause. letters to the Appeal describe it as a wonderful meeting. It was a non-partisan gathering, but the enthusiasm was all one way, and at the conclusion of Debs’ address 2,000 people followed him to the depot, two miles away, to cheer him when he took his departure.
On the night of the 5th, Debs spoke in Oklahoma City, on a warm evening, in a close hall, and was greeted by 2,000 people who paid an admission price to hear him. This is the more remarkable since Mr. Bryan, when speaking in the same hall, an admission being charged, a year ago, had only 500 auditors. The Daily News estimates Debs’ audience at 3,000, and says: “Though the evening was hot and the speech almost two hours long, very few people left the building. Fully half of the audience was made up of women, who joined in the liberal applause.”
From Debs.
Dear Appeal: Haven’t had a ghost of a chance to write-am constantly besieged and surrounded, early and late, on the trains, everywhere. Had the greatest meeting ever held in Coalgate-thousands and thousands-woods full of ’em, all blazing with zeal for Socialism. Great meeting at Oklahoma City and two at Fort Smith. Spoke four hours and a half, afternoon and evening, yesterday. Same great crowds and lusty enthusiasm everywhere. Am to meet Lincoln Steffens for interview in Everbody’s soon as he gets through with Denver convention. The people all through here are red-hot about the Appeal’s persecution. We passed through Olney, Okla., where the postmaster was reported to have burned the Appeals. He now denies it. The indignation is great. One comrade went to his postmaster and said: “If you destroy my Appeal. I’ll not squeal to Uncle Sam, but I’ll make it a personal matter with you.” The postmaster assured him he would get his paper right along. They daren’t refuse delivery.-E. V. Debs.
Since we arrived here we have learned
that the American people do not want war,
and especially the working people.
-Carlos Lovera
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 15, 1916
From The Masses: Robert Minor on Class War in Pittsburgh
