Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 6, 1908
Compassion of Eugene Debs Re-Converts Florence Kelley
From The Socialist Woman of July 1908:
A RE-CONVERT.
—–
Rose Pastor Stokes.
Florence Kelley
Mrs. Florence Kelley is one of the noblest women I know, and has worked for twenty years or more for Socialism among trades unionists and other classes of men and women. She used to belong to the Socialist party, but has not been a party member for many years. Last Sunday Mrs. Kelley was present at the mass meeting of the Christian Socialist Fellowship, when Eugene V. Debs spoke.
She was there when everybody else on the program spoke; but when she heard his wonderful plea for the woman who is not “fallen” but “knocked down;” for his sisters who are forced by a cruel and heartless system to sell their honor for a living, when she heard him declare, in a voice broken with emotion, that he honors these sisters of his and places his arm about them, and takes his stand by their side, Mrs. Kelley could not hear more.
Her face was flushed, and I saw the tears she wouldn’t let come to her eyes, as she exclaimed: “I am ashamed to be out of the party that has a man like that at its head! I’ll take out my membership card for him tomorrow.”
And her word is as good as her bond. Welcome to another new comrade!-The New York Evening Call.
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
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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday June 19, 1918
Canton, Ohio – Echoes from Nimisilla Park
On Sunday June 16th, Eugene Debs arrived at the Nimisilla Park, in Canton, for a grand picnic given by the Socialist Party of Ohio on the final day of the state convention. He came directly to the park following a brief visit with the Ohio Comrades, C. E. Ruthenberg, Alfred Wagenknecht, and Charles Baker who are now residing behind the bars of the Stark County Work House, across the street from the park.
Comrade Debs walked through the crowd smiling and came to the front of the platform. He gave a speech which is certain to be remembered for years to come.
Debs spoke for about two hours, and said, in part:
-(Emphasis added.)
Comrades, friends and fellow-workers, for this very cordial greeting, this very hearty reception, I thank you all with the fullest appreciation of your interest in and your devotion to the cause for which I am to speak to you this afternoon.
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.
I have just returned from a visit over yonder, where three of our most loyal comrades are paying the penalty for their devotion to the cause of the working class. They have come to realize, as many of us have, that it is extremely dangerous to exercise the constitutional right of free speech in a country fighting to make democracy safe in the world.
I realize that, in speaking to you this afternoon, there are certain limitations placed upon the right of free speech. I must be exceedingly careful, prudent, as to what I say, and even more careful and prudent as to how I say it. I may not be able to say all I think; but I am not going to say anything that I do not think. I would rather a thousand times be a free soul in jail than to be a sycophant and coward in the streets. They may put those boys in jail—and some of the rest of us in jail—but they can not put the Socialist movement in jail. Those prison bars separate their bodies from ours, but their souls are here this afternoon. They are simply paying the penalty that all men have paid in all the ages of history for standing erect, and for seeking to pave the way to better conditions for mankind.
You need to know that you are fit for something
better than slavery and cannon fodder.
-Eugene Victor Debs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday June 18, 1918
Canton, Ohio – Federal Agents Were on Hand at Nimisilla Park
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer of June 17, 1918:
DEBS URGES AID FOR BOLSHEVIKI FROM AMERICA
—–
Suggests Army of 1,000,000 Socialists to Help
Russia Resist Prussian Aggression.
—–
FIGHT CAPITALISTIC WAR
—–
U. S. Agents Hear Speeches
at Canton Convention;
May Act.
—–
BY C. R. MILLER.
Staff Correspondent Plain Dealer.
CANTON, June 16.-Hundreds of Socialists, including scores of delegates to the Ohio Socialist party convention which has been in progress here since Friday [June 14th], went on record today as being unequivocally opposed to “a war of capitalism.”
The Socialists of Ohio were urged to stand by the party’s program by Eugene V. Debs, three times Socialist candidate for president, who addressed the closing session of the convention which took the form of a picnic at one of Canton’s public parks.
J. J. Fried, Cleveland Socialist, said Debs had approved a plan for American Socialists’ co-operation with the Bolsheviki by sending an army of 1,000,000 men to their assistance.
Mr. Debs, after paying tribute to Socialist leaders, particularly to those of Cleveland who had “the moral course” to go to jail for the sake of their principles, praised I. W. W. members, referred to the Bolsheviki as “our comrades who have made Russia a land of living light,” and charged the purposes of the allies in the war is the same as that of the central powers-a desire for plunder.
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday November 14, 1907
Mother Jones News Round-Up for October, Found in Utah & Chicago
From Utah’s Eureka Reporter of October 4, 1907:
Mother Jones Will Speak Here Again
—–
The Ladies Socialist Club will hold a meeting in the Elks Hall tomorrow evening the program to include an address by Mother Jones who will arrive in town again tomorrow morning. The ladies will probably prepare refreshments for the occasion.
———-
[Photograph added.]
From The Eureka Reporter of October 11, 1907:
Political [News]
—–
From the present indication the voters of Eureka will have to choose between the Republican and Socialist tickets as the Democrats are undoubtedly down and out as far as the coming election is concerned. Some of the prominent members of the party are in favor of putting up a ticket but it would be a hard matter to secure candidates who would willing to dig up for campaign expenses as they realize that there is absolutely no chance to elect anyone upon a Democratic ticket in Eureka. One or two who have taken a prominent part in Democratic affairs here state that they would rather see an endorsement of the Socialist ticket than to allow the matter to go by the board but we believe that the rank and file of the Democratic party here are with the Republicans as they realize that the city is in splendid condition as a result of the clean business like city government which we have had here for the past four years.
—–
The Ladies’ Socialist Club held a meeting at the Elk’s hall last Saturday night [October 5th] and selected the following new officers: Mrs. D. J. Russell, financial secretary, Mrs. Robert Adamson, organizer and Mrs. George A. Udall, recording secretary.
Mother Jones was present and addressed the meeting and after the adjournment of the Miners Union the members of the two organizations enjoyed a nice banquet.
The Ladies Socialist Club will hold regular meetings in the future.
———-
Hellraisers Journal of October 11, 1907, reported on the death, on Labor Day, of Federal District Judge John Jay Jackson who so famously tangle with Mother Jones during the U. M. W. of A. organizing drive of 1902 in state of West Virginia.
Mother later described her thoughts on her exchange with the “Old Injunction Judge,” whereby, by most accounts, she got the better the him:
You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday November 30, 1916
From the New Jersey State Penitentiary: Patrick Quinlan Set Free
The Appeal to Reason of November 25th reported the happy news:
Will Parole Quinlan
According to a telegram received from Mrs. Anna Sloan, of 88 Washington Place, New York city, we learn that Pat Quinlan will be paroled on Thursday, November 23. This report is written on Tuesday, so by the time the Appeal readers get this issue we will have final verification.
The long, weary months Pat Quinlan spent in the New Jersey penitentiary were his punishment for being loyal to the striking silk workers of Paterson, N. J. There is not the slightest doubt that he was railroaded to the penitentiary because he had aroused the ire of the silk capitalists and their cohorts. Quinlan was in no sense guilty of the charges made against him, as the evidence clearly demonstrates. Quinlan is supposed to have aroused sentiment for violence at a meeting-which he never attended!
Quinlan will come out radiant in spirit, ready to take up anew the fight for the oppressed toilers. But the prison sentence has had its cruel effect on his health.
