Tag: May 1898

Hellraisers Journal: New Appeal Publishes “Ballad of Reading Jail” by Oscar Wilde, “Greatest Prison Poem Ever Written“

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Oscar Wilde, Poem Reading Goal p25, London 1898 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday February 26, 1919
The New Appeal Book Department Publishes Oscar Wilde’s “Reading Jail”

From The New Appeal of February 22, 1919:

Greatest Prison Poem Ever Written

Oscar Wilde’s “The Ballad of Reading Jail” Has Just
Been Published by The New Appeal Book Department

Oscar Wilde by Napoleon Sarony, 1882

“The Ballad of Reading Jail” [first published in 1898] will live as long as the English language. It is the greatest prison poem ever penned. This soul-stirring masterpiece of literature is the most overwhelming argument ever aimed against the terrible evil of capital punishment.

“The Ballad of Reading Jail” was written while Oscar Wilde was in a prison cell. One of the prisoners, sentenced to hang, and finally executed, so moved Wilde to the depths that he was inspired to write this ballad.

This poetical classic is the first of The New Appeal’s Pocket Series. We have printed this poem on fine book paper and have bound it handsomely. It is printed in a convenient form so that you will be able to slip it into your pocket and read it on the street car during your lunch hour or during any spare moments when you will want something that will be of more use to you than the usual trash with which one whiles away his time. A poem like this is not read once or twice. Those who know this tremendous masterpiece have it within reach so that they may return to it time and time again. By publishing this long, readable poem in this simple, bulkless from we enable you to carry it with you without bulging your pockets.

Oscar Wilde was a genius. Whatever may be said about him, no one has ever questioned his mastery of the English language and his ability to express the deepest emotions in the simplest, most compelling, manner conceivable.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones 1898, Part I: January-May; Found in St. Louis, Missouri

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Perish in Sight of Plenty, St L Rpb p14, May 12, 1898—–

Hellraisers Journal – Friday February 10, 1899
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for the Year 1898, Part I

Mother Jones, Factory Girls, St L Rpb p14, May 12, 1898
The St. Louis Republic
May 12, 1898

During February of 1898, Mother Jones was found in St. Louis, Missouri, preparing for a Conference of Labor and Labor Reform Organizations scheduled to be held in that city on May 2nd. She was also found advocating for Domestic Workers in that city who were seeking to establish “a home of their own.”

Mother departed St. Louis in early March and headed out on a tour of Eastern cities in order to “stir up sentiment among the several reform organizations in behalf of the reform convention” to be held in May. Mother was back in St. Louis in time to present at that convention which was, sadly, not well attended. Nevertheless, Mother was soon busy attempting to organize factory girls, of whom, she declared:

The factory girls should be organized because their condition should be improved. This can be effected by organization, and by no other means. The girls are, as rule, underpaid, kept in cramped, unhealthy quarters, and ground down till their young lives have been dwarfed and stunted. Through the children the world is made what it is. In the unions they could be educated how to better themselves.

I have been all through the factories of this and other cities, and find conditions in them such that the lives of these children will be shortened many years by having worked in them. We have war abroad and war at home. The conflict with Spain is not half so grinding upon humanity as the battle for bread. A few hundred go down in a naval battle; thousands perish beneath the grinding tread of greed every day. We have reconcentrados in our own country-they are the poor, without wealth or friends, who perish in sight of plenty.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Speaks on “The Coming Nation” for Benefit of Terre Haute Central Labor Union

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD, Modern Wage Slave, Terre Haute May 31, 1998, Debs-IA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday June 8, 1898
Terre Haute, Indiana – Debs Speaks in Favor of Socialism

From the Huntington Weekly Herald of June 3, 1898:

EVD, New Time Magazine, Feb 1898Debs Talks at Terre Haute.

Terre Haute, Ind., June 2-Eugene Debs Spoke on “The Coming Nation” at the Opera House here [on Tuesday May 31st] to a large audience. The address was for the benefit of the Central Labor union, which has been organized on a stronger basis than ever before in the city. The receipts were large and the fund for the union’s new headquarters will be considerably increased. Debs’ address was an argument in favor of socialism.

———-

[Photograph added.]

From the Terre Haute Gazette of June 1, 1898:

Debs’ Lecture on the “Coming Nation”
—–

For the first time in the record of the ages the inalienable rights of man—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—have been usurped.

On July 4th, 1776, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence by which the ruler descended form his sceptered throne, the gem of liberty was planted in eternal truth, the workingman stood erect in his heaven-decreed prerogative, freed from his bonds.

It was decreed by the infinite that man should stand forth the coronated sovereign of the world. The song of liberty is the song of the stars. There is no more appropriate theme and to wave the banner of freedom. No matter how nature may be decked with beauty, no matter if she sends forth a succession of glorious melodies, if liberty is ostracized and expelled, the world wheels round the sun a gilded prison, a blot to the Siberian sphere of the heavens.

Strike down liberty, no matter by what subtle art, and the world becomes paralyzed by an indescribable power. Strike down the fetters of the plain, and it becomes a new world through the almighty genius of liberty. Its works redeem the poor man from animal suspense and make of him a new being. In our courts the product of our political liberty is being realized to a gratifying extent. I believe in a few years woman will be franchised and we will elect the officers of our country by direct vote. The political democracy will be complete.

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Hellraisers Journal: Fond Farewell from Eugene V. Debs: “Edward Bellamy Was a Friend of Mine”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote Edward Bellamy, New World, AtR p1, May 28, 1898
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 30, 1898
Terre Haute, Indiana – Debs Remembers Edward Bellamy

On the evening of May 28th, from his home in Terre Haute, Comrade Debs spoke fondly of his friend, Edward Bellamy who died of tuberculosis on May 22nd at his home in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts.

From the Terre Haute Express of May 29, 1898:

Mr. Debs on Bellamy

Edward Bellamy ab 1889, Wiki, LOC

It was with the most sincere regret that I learned of the death of Edward Bellamy. He was a very warm friend of mine.

When in 1888 the first edition of Looking Backward appeared, the name of Edward Bellamy flashed around the world. Of this epoch-making book it is estimated that fully 200,000 copies have been sold, and it has been translated into German, French, Italian, Russian, and many other languages.

Rarely has a book created such a profound impression on the popular mind. For years there has been agitation of the social question in other countries, especially in Germany and France, where a mighty international socialist movement was developing at a rate to arouse apprehension among the ruling class. Looking Backward was the first popular exposition of socialism in this country. Thousands read it with keen delight without being aware that it undermined the existing social order and paved the way for the social commonwealth.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Chicago Social Democrat: Eugene V. Debs Opposes Fusion of SDA with Populists

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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The Social Democracy is a socialist party
and is pledged to the principles of socialism.
It can not and will not fuse with any capitalist party,
by whatever name it may be called.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 23, 1898
From Spring Valley, Illinois – Debs Address Issue of Fusion

From the Chicago Social Democrat of May 19, 1898:

Against Fusion

[by Eugene V. Debs]

Spring Valley, Ill., May 14, 1898

Notwithstanding our repeated declarations as to the attitude of the Social Democracy in respect to fusion with other political parties, there are still those who persist in misunderstanding our position.

The Social Democracy is a socialist party and is pledged to the principles of socialism. It can not and will not fuse with any capitalist party, by whatever name it may be called. As special allusion to the Populist party is made by our inquirers, let it be said that the Populist party is a capitalist party and the Social Democracy will not fuse with it any more than it will with the Republican or Democratic party.

EVD of Social Democracy, Tpk St Jr KS p6, Feb 4, 1898

It is urged by some that we should encourage alliance with the Populist party because it inclines in our direction. Their advice, if followed, would wreck our party. If socialism is right, Populists should become socialists and join the Social Democracy. If they are not ready to do this they are not socialists, and hence opposed to socialism, and fusion with their party would result in inevitable disaster.

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Hellraisers Journal: W. F. of M. and Montana State Trades and Labor Council Meet to Form Western Labor Union

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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We hail with joy the formation of
the Western Labor Union
which has progress for its main object.
-Pueblo Courier

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 16, 1898
Salt Lake City, Utah – W. F M. and Montana Unionists Unite!

Rather than supplanting the Western Federation Miners as stated in the headline (see below) from the Salt Lake Herald, the avowed purpose of the newly founded Western Labor Union is to organize all unorganized workers into one powerful organization, especially the unskilled workers so often ignored by the American Federation of Labor.

From the Deseret Evening News of May 13, 1898:

FORM A WESTERN LABOR UNION.
—–
Includes All Territory in the United States West
of Mississippi and Canadian Northwest.
—–

Banquet fdg WLU at SLC May 12, DEN May 13, 1898

Late yesterday afternoon [May 12th] an organization to be known as the Western Labor union, was formed in this city as a result of the executive conference of the Western Federation of Miners which has been in session here for the last few days. The organization came into existence on the adoption of the following resolution by a vote of 119 to 9:

Be it resolved, by this conference, that a permanent organization is hereby organized by this conference to be hereafter known and designated the “Western Labor union,” having for its object the unification of all labor unions and assemblies east of the Pacific ocean and west of the Mississippi river into one organization, or others not included within these lines who desire to affiliate with it; and to organize all the wage-earners within these lines, whenever possible. To promote the interests of labor by unceasingly working for the establishment of the initiative and referendum in every department of this government. This body shall grant and issue charters under seal to all subordinate unions or assemblies that make application for the same.

This union shall hold its annual conventions on the first Monday of September in such town or city as may be designated by the executive board.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Social Democrat: “The Old Communard,” Story Concludes in French Village of 1891

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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C’est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous et demain
L’Internationale
Sera le genre humain.
-Eugène Pottier – Paris, June 1871

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Hellraisers Journal: Monday May 2, 1898
From London’s Social Democrat: the Story of an Old Communard, Conclusion

Vive La Commune, Paris 1871

The story of the Old Communard, begun in a French village in the year 1880, ends in that same village in the year 1891, during the month of May:

Father Martin was carried to the cemetery and laid to rest in the little corner of earth reserved for the poor, of whom he had been all his life the valiant defender.

———-

From the Social Democrat of May 1898:

THE OLD COMMUNARD.
(Il en Était)
—–

(From the French of J, B. Clément.)
—–

Triumph of Order over Paris Commune May 1871, ScDem Mar 1898

—–

V.

The honest and laborious sallies of the brave William, who was respected largely on account of his herculean strength, at length brought forth fruit.

Father Martin was able from time to time to go and enjoy the shelter of the grand old tree of liberty without being molested. In time, too, the people, who until now had regarded him with an air of contempt, began to acknowledge him at meeting, and sometimes even to salute him with respect.

The old man informed his son of this little alteration of opinion.

“Father,” replied the latter, “I also have observed it; the people who lately shunned me are coming to me again, and are testifying a sympathy which is quite touching. I am happy for your sake, but indifferent as regards myself.”

Father and son were worthy of each other.

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