Tag: Montana News

Hellraisers Journal: “Red Flags, Red Language and Red Enthusiasm” Greet Eugene Debs at Faneuil Hall, Boston

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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We’re not here to reform
the capitalist class,
but to wipe it out.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 24, 1908
Boston, Massachusetts – Socialist Greet Debs with Wild Enthusiasm

From the Montana News of October 15, 1908:

BOSTON SOCIALISTS WELCOME LEADER
—–
Thousands Great Debs With the
Greatest Enthusiasm.
—–

EVD Red Special Crew, Cover ISR Oct 1908

—–

Red flags, red language and red enthusiasm swept everything before them at Faneuil hall on the night of October 5 when the socialists of Boston waited patiently until nearly 10 o’clock to welcome their standard bearer, Eugene V. Debs of Illinois [Terre Haute, Indiana], locomotive fireman, grocer, legislator, labor agitator, strike director, convert to socialism and, like Bryan, three times a candidate for president.

The Cradle of Liberty got the wildest rocking both inside and out it has had in many years. As early as 6 o’clock the reds began to gather and by 7:30 o’clock the doors had to be closed, as everything was filled to the limit. Crowds surged to and fro all around the building, waving the red tri-cornered flags and shouting “Hurrah for Debs and Hanford.”

Enthusiasm to Spare.

Talk about enthusiasm. Why, the reds have both the big parties rolled into one and then beaten by fourteen miles. One of the speakers said the republicans or the democrats would have hard work to get out such a crowd. He might just as well have said it would have been impossible. First a wave of applause would surge out of the hall, and it would be met by an answering billow from the mob outside.

Inside the hall the crowd seated was only a small part of the real audience present. They hung off the balcony, up over the portraits of Sam Adams and John Hancock. They filled the space in front of the platform so that the reporters had to fight for their places. They forced their way up on the platform and pressed their way forward to the very chairs occupied by the speakers.

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Hellraisers Journal: Joseph Wanhope, Socialist Candidate for Governor of New York, Boards the Red Special at Buffalo

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD re Political Scabbing, AtR p2, Oct 3, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 23, 1908
Joseph Wanhope Comes Aboard the Red Special at Buffalo

From the Montana News of October 15, 1908:

ENTHUSIASM UNRIVALED
——

TREMENDOUS ARDOR REMINDS OLD RESIDENTS
OF LINCOLN’S CAMPAIGN.
—–

RED FLAGS FLYING
—–
People Greet Debs as Social Deliverer
-Huge Masses Pack Streets
-Capitalist Papers Break Silence Acknowledging
the Popularity of Socialism.
—–

[Continued.]

Wanhope on “Special.”

SPA Joseph Wanhope for NY Governor, Wilshire's 446, Sept 1908

Joe Wanhope and W. H. Leffingwell of Wilshire’s Magazine came aboard at Buffalo, and the expert work of Wanhope livened up the speech making during the day. Leffingwell made the collection appeal and literature talks. Wanhope came on his own trip, as the state committee of New York made no arrangements whatever to have him aboard, as requested by the national organization.

Thomas J. Mooney, a union iron molder who joined the special at San Jose, has been selling literature ever since and has made a record. At every evening meeting he is in the hall early and makes a “literature talk” that increases interest in the books offered and increases sales. He hopes to attend the University of Chicago this winter to add to his equipment as a labor agitator on the soap box and by writing.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Montana News: “Red Flags Flying” Debs Met in Buffalo with “Enthusiasm Unrivaled”

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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The Red Special..is an inspiration,
and the trait it leaves
will blaze with Socialism that
can never be extinguished.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday October 22, 1908
Eastern Tour of Red Special Met with “Tremendous Ardor”

From the Montana News of October 15, 1908:

ENTHUSIASM UNRIVALED
——

TREMENDOUS ARDOR REMINDS OLD RESIDENTS
OF LINCOLN’S CAMPAIGN.
—–

RED FLAGS FLYING
—–
People Greet Debs as Social Deliverer
-Huge Masses Pack Streets
-Capitalist Papers Break Silence Acknowledging
the Popularity of Socialism.
—–

EVD w J Wanhop n G Wilshire, Wilshires Mag p7, Oct 1908

The “Red Special” of the socialists arrived in Buffalo October 1 after a campaign in the west, which Eugene V. Debs, candidate for president, says marks an epoch in the history of socialism.

“The biggest passenger engine in the world that draws the three cars composing the “Red Special,” tooted at the state crossing as it left Pennsylvania and entered New York on a tour which before it ends on October 21, will have embraced the eastern and southern states and covered since August 31 more than 20,000 miles.

More than 3,000 people greeted Debs when he appeared in Convention hall. It was an orderly, thoughtful assemblage, and cheers lasting three minutes were finally hushed by the uplifted hand of the socialist standard bearer.

He began the eastern campaign apparently well nurtured by the 18-cent meals served on the “red special.” His dinner consisted of tomato soup, roast lamb, baked potatoes, raisin biscuit, cheese for desert and black coffee. Debs was happy when he returned to the special and smoked a big cigar, the only smoke he permits himself in 24 hours.

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Hellraisers Journal: Socialist Montana News Editor Finds J. H. Walsh and His Hobo Army Encamped in Billings

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Am I to die, starving in the midst of plenty?
Or shall I die fighting?
For my part, a thousand times over,
I’ll die fighting before I’ll die starving.
-J. H. Walsh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal Monday September 21, 1908
Billings, Montana – Mrs. Hazlett Encounters Walsh and His Army

From the Socialist Montana News of September 17, 1908:

IWW Membership Card

On Mrs. Hazlett’s trip to Red Lodge, where the Labor day committee refused to let her speak after having engaged her, she spoke Saturday night at Billings. She had to combat a patent medicine doctor, another street fakir, and J. H. Walsh was there also with his industrial army. This “army” is a curious development of the unemployed protest. It will be remembered that J. H. Walsh was the first editor of the Montana News. He has since been a national organizer for I. W. W., and has been speaking along the coast, and through the western country. He has recently organize this hobo army of twenty, and they are on their way to the convention of the Industrial Workers of the World at Chicago.

They hobo it through the country and camp out. Mrs. Walsh goes through on a Pullman and he takes the baggage. They sing songs of the red flag and revolution, sell literature and take collections. They do not talk for socialism, but only for industrial unionism. Walsh does not believe in political action at all, but only in “direct action.” At the same time he says their propaganda is addressed to the large ranks of the unemployed, floaters, who are disfranchised because of no place to stay. Such work as the “hobo army” does may arouse the spirit of revolt in this class made miserable by society’s injustice, and so teach the only possible remedy for these terrible evils-the ownership by all mankind of the means of life.

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Hellraisers Journal: Migratory Workers Riding the Rods, Riding the Bumpers, and on the Blind Baggage

Janet RayeFree Speech Fights
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Then we’ll sing one song of the poor and ragged tramp,
He carries his home on his back;
Too old to work, he’s not wanted ’round the camp,
So he wanders without aim along the track.
-Joe Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 10, 1908
Chicago, Illinois – “How Hoboes Ride on Trains Free.”

From The Inter Ocean of August 9, 1908:

How Hoboes Ride, Intr Ocn -p29, Aug 9, 1908

CHICAGO being the greatest railroad center of the United States it is naturally the center of population for most of the hobos of the country at one season of the year or another. The train crews of all the great railroads and the guards in the big railroad yards of this city could tell some exciting stories of conflicts with the men who ride for nothing on the railroads, as hundreds are brought in here and go out every day.

Every body knows that there is a class of people called hobos. Everybody has heard of almost unbelievable rips, completed in almost unbelievable time, considering that not a cent of railroad fare is ever paid.

Many have spent time wondering how it is done, but when, upon inquiry, it is learned that it is a simple matter of “riding the bumpers” or “straddling the rods,” the recipient of the information is still in the dark as to the ways and means employed….

The following drawings are included in the article:

Riding the Rods

Riding the Rods, How Hoboes Ride, Intr Ocn -p29, Aug 9, 1908

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Socialist Woman: City of Los Angeles Locks-Up Socialist Women for Speaking on Streets

Janet RayeFree Speech Fights
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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, Sunday August 9, 1908
Los Angeles – Socialist Women Raise Hell for Free Speech

From The Socialist Woman of August 1908:

SOCIALIST WOMEN IN JAIL.

LA FSF, SF Call -p9, July 10, 1908

Four Socialist women—Mrs. Bertha M. Dailey, Mrs. Alice Vail Holloway, Mrs. Helen A. Collins, Mrs. Cloudsley Johns—all of Los Angeles, have been spending the warm days of July in the jail of that city. This, for speaking on the streets of Los Angeles—the City of Angels.

The Los Angeles Herald asks, editorially, “Why arrest scholarly, refined, delicately nurtured, women, mothers of families, and irreproachable members of society, and allow men to exercise with impunity the right of free speech?…Salvation Army speakers, evangelists, and other reformers are not interfered with…The worst feature of all this wretched display of prejudice and lack of good judgment is in the fact that all the leading newspapers of the land—ALL—have published accounts of the arrest of the little women and the immunity of the big men, and are commenting on it unreservedly. Los Angeles may well afford to do without this kind of advertising, and we think the chamber of commerce should call a special meeting to review this whole subject, and set our city right before the United States of America.”

In the meantime, the “little women” are doing a good stroke of agitation work for the Socialist movement. They are advertising the Los Angeles movement as it was never advertised before, and are creating sympathy where it never before existed. A daintily gotten-up “At Home” card sent out by them, reads as follows:

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Hellraisers Journal: Socialist Red Special Will Make Possible 500 Meetings Across Nation for Debs Campaign

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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To speak for labor; to plead the cause
of the men and women and children who toil;
to serve the working class,
has always been to me a high privilege;
a duty of love.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday July 26, 1908
Socialist Party to Use “Special Train” for Debs Campaign

From the Socialist Montana News of July 23, 1908:

AD ed, Fundraisers Socialist Red Special, MTNs p1, July 23, 1908

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Hellraisers Journal: “Open Letter” from Los Angeles County Jail by Comrades Magón, Rivera, and Villarreal

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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We are free, truly free, when we don’t need to rent
our arms to anybody in order to be able to lift
a piece of bread to our mouths.
―Ricardo Flores Magón
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday July 25, 1908
From Los Angeles County Jail: “Open Letter” by Mexican Revolutionaries

From the Montana News of July 23, 1908:

MEXICAN REVOLUTIONISTS
APPEAL TO ROOSEVELT.
—–

MX Revs, Magon, Rivera, Villareal, El Paso Hld, Aug 30, 1907

—–

The “open letter”, of which this is a copy, was mailed to President Roosevelt, upon May 28, by Messrs. Magon, Villarreal, and River, the three Mexican political prisoners who are still in Los Angeles county jail. They have now been in prison over nine months without trial. If their case goes to the supreme court, they m ay be without trial for another year to come. So far, release under bond has been denied them, though it is at times granted even to persons accused of murder.

These men have violated no law. Their crime is that of working for the oppressed of their own country, agitating in behalf of education, improvement in the conditions of labor (throughout Mexico, men, women and children alike, work from 16 to 18 hours per day for wages of from 15 cents to 75 cents), and a more liberal government such as would permit freedom of speech and of the press, as well as election of public officials by the people. Such measures as these are contrary to the policy of the Mexican government. Therefore Magon, Villarreal, Rivera, and their associates are “wanted in Mexico.”

Newspapers and individuals are requested to help these men by giving all possible publicity to this letter.

The letter to President Roosevelt follows:

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Hellraisers Journal: Socialist Party Gears Up for Campaign; Red Special to Visit Kansas City with Debs Aboard

Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs
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Quote EVD Nature's Bounty, Girard, May 16, 1908

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday July 17, 1908
Kansas City, Kansas – “Red Special” Expected in August

THE “RED SPECIAL.”
Socialist Train With Debs on Board
Will Visit Kansas.
—–

Deb and Hanford, SPA Ticket, MT News p2, July 16, 1908

—–

Milwaukee, Wis., July 15.-Kansas will, in August, get a look at the “Red Special,” which the national Soicalist party will send out for a sixty-day tour, just before election, with candidate Debs aboard. When at Topeka, excursion will be run by the local committee to give all the Kansans a chance to hear him. Already over 200 speeches have been arranged for, and the number placed that wish to hear him is said to be nearly three times as large. The train will leave Chicago in August, visit the west first, then wind up the campaign in the east.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for May and June, 1908-Found on Tour in Texas, Speaking for Socialist Party

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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EVD Quote re Mother Jones, AtR, Nov 23, 1907
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 16, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for May and June, 1908
–Found in Texas on Tour for the Socialist Party of America

During her tour of Texas, Mother was found speaking in the city of Austin where she spoke for two hours and touched on the evils of Child Labor.

From The Austin Statesman of June 17, 1908:

MOTHER JONES LECTURES.
—–
She Speaks of Economic and
Child Labor Conditions.
—–

Mother Jones, Fort Worth Telegram, Apr 26, 1907

An attentive audience heard Mother Jones last night at the East Austin Fire hall. The lecturer spoke for two hours, dealing in the main with the economic conditions of the country as she has found them, a science of hunger and misery.

She made her topic realistic by picturing experiences in the mines, shops and fields.

Mother Jones is most familiar with the child labor situation. She has worked with the “babies” and is cognizant of their struggles and the impossibility of helping these toilers under the present system. She said that she has faith in the people, and that the laborers are realizing that they must own the tools of production in order to be self-supporting and independent.

Tonight Mother Jones will speak at the court house. She is here under the auspices of the socialist local in this city, and the lecture is given free to those interested in the movement.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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