Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 24, 1920
Mother Jones News for September 1920, Part II Found in Stone Cutters’ Journal: Los Angeles Speech of March 7th
From The Stone Cutters’ Journal of September 1920:
Mother Jones Speaks in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Times March 11, 1920
Mother Jones spoke to the workers in the Labor Temple in Los Angeles recently. She said in part:
Fellow Workers:-I came here to rest, but I never allow rest to interfere with an opportunity to spread my religion among the workers. First of all, I want to say to you secret service men, get out your books and pencils and come right up here on the platform, and listen closely to every word I say. You might learn something for your own good-some new ideas might percolate through your thick skulls, and you might form a desire to lead a cleaner, better, more useful life.
Fellow workers, you are today in a most critical position. You are either facing liberty and emancipation or else if you don’t wake u , you are going into the blackest, most abject slavery ever known by man in the history of this world.
We whipped the Kaiser abroad and all his autocrats; now, let’s clean ’em up at home.
The inhuman way in which the workers were dealt with in, the steel strike is a fair example of the Prussianism of big business. They tell you that the steel strike was lost, but I say to you that the steel strike was one of the greatest victories ever won by labor in this country—great, because 350,000 workers of all nationalities, and different tongues, stood shoulder to shoulder, and demonstrated what “solidarity” means. They paralyzed one of our strongest industries, and the supply of steel will not be normal for six months yet.
There’s a great cry going up now to Americanize these foreigners—that’s the trouble with them now, they are Americanized. Most of them were imported here 20 years ago or more by those patriotic profiteers, Carnegie, and Gary, to act as scabs during the Homestead strikes— they scabbed then, and broke that strike, but they’re Americanized now and there’s no scabs in their families any more. You can bet on that.
They have learned what true “Americanism” means, and they want it; they want freedom and decent working conditions and they’ll get it some day.
They’ve been slaving 12 and 14 hours a day, with a 24-hour shift every other Sunday. That’s not Americanism, and that’s why they struck. They are not machinery or animals; they’re human beings and they want a square deal.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 23, 1920 Mother Jones News for September 1920, Part I “Famous Woman Leader of Miners” Found in Missouri and Illinois
From the United Mine Workers Journal of September 1, 1920:
Labor Day Speakers
Notice of the following assignments of speakers for celebrations of the United Mine Workers of America on Labor Day have been received at the office of the Journal:
Philip Murray, International Vice President, New Kensington, Pa . William Green, International Secretary Treasurer, Cambridge, Ohio. Ellis Searles, Editor of the United Mine Workers Journal, Ernest, Pa. Samuel Pascoe, President of District 30, Novinger, Mo. Andrew Steele, International Board Member from District 25, South Fork, Pa. William Turnblazer, International Organizer, Spadra, Ark. Mother Jones, Kirksville, Mo. William Feeney, International Organizer, Midland, Ark
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 15, 1910 Mother Jones News Round-Up for September 1910, Part II: -Found in Ohio Speaking in Cincinnati and Columbus
From the Wilkes-Barre Evening News of September 23, 1900:
“Mother” Jones after recuperating her health in Hazleton, returned to Cincinnati, Ohio, today.
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From The Cincinnati Post of September 23, 1910:
‘MOTHER JONES’ TO BE SPEAKER AT OUTING ——-
“Mother Jones,” known as the “Angel of the Miners,” will address the Woman’s Union Label League at an outing at Chester Park Sunday. Mrs. May Wood Simons, one of the editors of the Chicago Daily Socialist; E. L. Hitchens, Wm. Tateman and Mrs. Etta Knatt Behrman also will speak.
Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 14, 1910 Mother Jones News Round-Up for September 1910, Part I: -Found in Pennsylvania Denouncing Former U. M. W. President Mitchell
From the Mount Carmel Daily News of September 1, 1910:
“MOTHER” JONES ATTACKS MITCHELL ——-
Addressing a mass meeting of mine workers at Shenandoah, “Mother” Jones denounced John Mitchell, former head of the United Mine Workers, and ex-President Roosevelt, and declared that Mitchell was a traitor to labor.
“Mitchell and Roosevelt,” she fairly shrieked, “are the two biggest bluffs at large.”
“Mother” Jones’ attack on Mitchell gained her few sympathizers, as Mitchell has a devoted following among the miners of this region. She said that Roosevelt’s recent visit to the hard coal region was for political purposes and that he “doesn’t care a rap” for the workers except to further his consuming ambition.
Prominent mine workers declared that her denunciation of Mitchell will hurt the United Mine Workers’ organization, as she is sent here on missionary work by President [Tom] Lewis, who is an inveterate foe of his predecessor in office.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 13, 1900 Mother Jones News Round-Up for September 1900, Part II Found in Pennsylvania Supporting Great Anthracite Strike
From The Philadelphia Inquirer of September 21, 1900:
POLISH WOMEN ATTACK POLICE —————
From a Staff Correspondent.
HAZLETON, Pa., Sept. 20.-Outside of a little flurry this morning at Shaft 40, the property of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company, between a half dozen coal and iron police and a crowd of two hundred Hungarians and Polish women, the most startling thing up to noon was the arrival in Hazleton of Wharton Barker, Jr., and Mother Mary Jones. The former came up for a day’s trip only, to study the situation from the standpoint of a student, of social economics and in its political bearing; the latter will remain over until Saturday to rest up after her speech-making of the last week or so, which has worn down her voice to a whisper.
The trouble at Shaft 40, was directly due to the over officiousness of the coal and iron police in going from house to house to collect boys to work in the breakers. They had gathered in about fifty, and were returning to the shaft by way of East Diamond avenue, when a couple of hundred Hungarian women made a dash to rescue the lads. They were repulsed but made another sortie. There was some torn clothing, but nothing worse. The women got the better end of the conflict, as the discomfited officers were not able to corral more than a dozen of the lads, for duty at the colliery.
Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 12, 1900 Mother Jones News Round-Up for September 1900, Part I Found Working with Pennsylvania Miners Ready to Strike
From The Philadelphia Inquirer of September 5, 1900:
A WOMAN’S WILL SWAYS THOUSANDS ——- “Mother” Mary Jones, of Chicago, Now Working Hand in Hand With Mine Workers’ Union, at Wilkes-Barre ——-
Special to The Inquirer.
WILKES-BARRE, Sept. 4.-The United Mine Workers’ Union here seems to be dominated by “Mother” Mary Jones, of Chicago, and she has full sway in dictating the policy of the union in the labor situation here.
She has not only every member of the United Mine Workers’ Union ready to strike, but her eloquent presentation of the wrongs suffered at the hands of the operator has made many new members, while an equal number are ready to follow the union men out without formally joining the organization.
Mrs. Jones has been working among the soft coal miners of the Meyersdale (Md.) and Central Pennsylvania districts since helping those in Tioga county to win their strike last winter.
Fifty-six years of age, she is bright and active. Her white hair commands respect, while her cheery face and manner hearten up the most morose assemblage.
[She said:]
The condition of the miner is most deplorable. He is the butt of a system of robbery. Of course, there are some good operators-men who would correct the grievances if they dared, but who are governed by others. In New Zealand the operators urge the men to organize, but in this country they shoot them down or get out an injunction and throw them into jail.
In this crisis if the operators don’t make concessions I believe that a strike is inevitable. The law says 2240 pounds make a ton. The operator expects 3300 from the miner. The miners are publicly robbed.
The company doctor is an imposition and ought to be driven out. The company store should not be tolerated. I don’t believe the men want to strike, but if it is their only alternative, I say strike.
I do not approve of strikes, but at times they are necessary and if the operators do not grant the just and equitable demands of the men there is but one thing for them to do-strike, and continue to strike until they gain fair treatment.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 9, 1900 Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania – Mother Jones Interviewed by Olivia Howard Dunbar
From the New York Evening World of September 25, 1900:
EVENING WORLD WOMAN INTERVIEWS “MOTHER JONES.” —————
Strikers Friend Tells Some Plain Truths About the Great Struggle Between the Miners and Operators. ——-
NO. IX. OF THE SERIES. BY OLIVIA HOWARD DUNBAR.
MOTHER JONES, THE STRIKERS’ FRIEND
(Special to The Evening World.)
MAHANOY CITY, Pa., Sept. 25.-“Please tell all the readers of The Evening World for me that we have succeeded in crippling the operators, that the situation is most encouraging, and that we expect an early victory.”
This was the message that “Mother” Jones intrusted to me to-day, and she smiled hopefully as she said it. Ceaselessly vigilant, she had come to Mahanoy City to dull any possible echo of the carnival of strife and slaughter that has resounded so menacingly through Shenandoah.
The situation was tense when she arrived, but there had been no outbreak. Outwardly the little city was unruffled. Early in the morning I had found a group of swarthy, eager-eyed Hungarian women applauding an effigy of a non-union workman that had been bound to an electric-light pole on Eighth street.
Their voices were shrill, their gestures violent. The suggestive spectacle had aroused all their fury against the class that they consider selfishly retards the movement that means life or death to them.
Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 8, 1900 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania – “There Is Only One Mother Jones”
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of September 23, 1900:
WILKESBARRE, Pa., Sept. 20.
Special Correspondence of the Sunday Post-Dispatch.
THERE is only one Mother Jones. Her field is all her own.
Clara Barton has her work of mercy, Susan B. Anthony has her equal suffrage. Mother Jones has her “boys”-the great, patient army that sweats and strives and suffers wherever there is labor to be done.
It is a big brood she mothers-a big, toilsome, troublesome brood, scattered all over the face of the land, delving in the earth and under the earth, swarming in mills and factories and sweatshops. There is seldom a time when some part of it is not on the ragged edge of hunger and in need of a mother’s help.
That is the time for Mother Jones. She has been called the stormy petrel of industry. Her appearance is a signal for those who grow rich by grinding the faces of the poor to “go slow,” and if they disregard the warning so much the worse for them and the better for organized labor.
For Mother Jones is the most successful organizer and sustainer of strikes in the country. That is why she is at Wilkes-barre now. That is why the miners expect to win. That is why the mine owners accompany her name with anathemas.
How does she do it? By the greatest of all powers-the power of love. She love her “boys”-be they Polish or Bohemian or Irish or American-and she teaches them to love her. The combination is irresistible. The ranks of the toilers stand firm at her bidding and the strategy dictated by her woman’s intuition does the rest.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday September 29, 1900 Hazleton District, Pennsylvania – Mother Jones Organizing Women in Strike Zone
From the Philadelphia Times of September 24, 1900:
UNION OF THE WOMEN NOW TO BE FORMED ——- Mother Jones Tells the Plans to Organize the Wives and Daughters of Coal Miners Into an Auxiliary Association. ——-
(Written for The Times by “Mother” Mary Jone, the famous woman Labor Leader.)
As I have remarked In THE TIMES before, the greatest force in this strike, besides the men themselves, is the women of the coal regions, and we now are going to organize this force so that it can be used to greater advantages. National Organizers Mederiel, Dilcher and myselfhave already gone to work in the matter, and women’s auxiliaries have been organized in McAdoo and elsewhere. This work will be continued until every mother, wife, sister and daughter of the miners are part of the union.
The encouragement thus given to the men will hold them together in such solidity that no one can break the ranks. The position taken by the women in this strike has aroused the union working women in all parts of the country, and, owing to this, offers of help are pouring in from unions in every State. This shows that the united labor of the country is behind the 132,000 men who are on strike, and how hopeless is the struggle of the operators to defeat our organizations.
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From the Wilkes-Barre Evening News 
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