Hellraisers Journal: Debs Campaign Tours Kansas, Speaks with “Dear Old Battle-Scarred”Mother Jones at Pittsburg

31st August 20187th April 2024 Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs

Quote EVD, re Woman Suffrage, Ptt KS Dly Hdlt p4, Aug 20, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 31, 1908
Debs Campaign on the Road in Great State of Kansas

From the Appeal to Reason of August 29, 1908:

—–

DEBS’ TRIUMPHANT TOUR.

—–

Comrade Debs’ tour through the Third district was a continuous triumph, each meeting exceeding the other in interest and enthusiasm. Thousands of people, never heard with deepest interest the story of labor’s exploitation. Words utterly fail us to put in type the electric effect of these meetings, much less to express the truth of our beloved Des’ wonderful message. His appearance upon the platform was the signal for spontaneous enthusiasm and wildest applause and again and again as this mighty giant defender of labor hurried his impeachment into the heart of the cruel capitalist system or painted, as only a Debs can, in contrast the conditions of the toiler under the Co-operative Commonwealth, the audience was lifted into a new life and many an indifferent, tired, discouraged and all but defeated worker took fresh courage, which filled him with a new inspiration as he took his stand in the militant party for the emancipation of his class.

—–

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Debs Campaign Tours Kansas, Speaks with “Dear Old Battle-Scarred”Mother Jones at Pittsburg” →

Hellraisers Journal: From The Ohio Socialist: Eugene V. Debs Sends Out Hearty Hail to All Workers of the World

30th August 201817th August 2018 Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs

Debs is a SOCIALIST and a
REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALIST at that.
Prepare to do your share in his defense!
-The Ohio Socialist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 30, 1918
Eugene V. Debs: “I proudly march to Victory or Death!”

From The Ohio Socialist of August 28, 1918:

—–

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From The Ohio Socialist: Eugene V. Debs Sends Out Hearty Hail to All Workers of the World” →

Hellraisers Journal: “A Letter to All Reds” by A. S. Embree, Acting Secretary I. W. W. General Defense Committee

29th August 201817th August 2018 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 29, 1918
From the Cook County Jail: “Hold the Fort! We have nothing to regret.”

From The Ohio Socialist of August 28, 1918:

A Letter To All Reds

After 4 1-2 months of the most bitterly fought legal battle in the history of American labor, the prosecution scored an initial victory in the trial of one hundred of our fellow workers in Chicago.

A masterly defense was provided by Attorney George F. Vanderveer, assisted by William B. Cleary of Arizona, Otto Christensen of Chicago and Miss Caroline A.Lowe of Seattle. It is not too much to say that everything seemed to point to an acquittal, even the charge to the jury by Judge Landis, who, we gladly admit, proved himself to be impartial in all respects. The verdict of “Guilty” came as a shock, a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

The jury was out fifty-five minutes. It may have been only a formality that they left their seats to go to the jury room. A Chicago paper states it is evident that only one ballot was taken.

Motion for a new trial will be filed immediately and if necessary, appeal will be taken. All defendants are now in Cook County Jail. A word of cheer from the fellow workers in the field will be appreciated by them.

Fellow Worker Haywood gave out the following:

[Said Haywood, at the county jail:]

I have no fault to find with Judge Landis, and none of the rest of us have. He was fair to us, absolutely square throughout the whole trial. His instructions were fair, I thought, and certainly he treated us excellently while the trial was in progress.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “A Letter to All Reds” by A. S. Embree, Acting Secretary I. W. W. General Defense Committee” →

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1908, Part I: Fond Farewell to the “Loyal Comrades” of the State of Texas

20th August 201812th August 2018 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

I have just closed a four months’ tour in Texas
and I want to say that I never met
with more loyal comrades
than I did in the State of Texas.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 20, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for July, 1908, Part I
–Closes Out Four Months’ Tour in Texas

From the Appeal to Reason of July 11, 1908:

From Mother Jones

I have just closed a four months’ tour in Texas and I want to say that I never met with more loyal comrades than I did in the State of Texas. Their whole energy seems to be devoted to the Cause-even the young farmer girls refuse to dance with any young man who is not a subscriber the Appeal to Reason. I could not, in justice, single out any particular one to pay tribute to, because all are devoting their best efforts to the Cause that so much needs them. I must, though, make an exception of Galveston. The Comrades there were laboring under some terrible difficulties. They were not permitted to hold street meetings for many months. I called upon the chief of police and found him a gentleman in every sense of the word and he explained to me the reason why, and I felt from his explanation that he was perfectly justified. He allowed me the use of the streets for five nights and they are now open to any speaker who is not trying to advertise himself by breaking into jail. I wish every city in America had just such public officials. We would have less of this thing called anarchy.

It is not surprising, indeed, that the comrades of Texas are so self-sacrificing when without exaggeration I say that their state secretary is one of the most efficient secretaries in the movement today. I wish that every state in the union had him duplicated. His every energy is devoted to the Cause-clean, impartial and just. Every comrade knows that I would be the first to condemn him if he did not merit my honest approbation and regard. I ask no favors from any secretary in the country and so I am perfectly free to express my opinion.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1908, Part I: Fond Farewell to the “Loyal Comrades” of the State of Texas” →

Hellraisers Journal: The Debs Red Special “will draw a red streak across the map and paint the towns red.”

17th August 201810th August 2018 Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs

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, Monday August 17, 1908
The Socialist Party’s Red Special Will Criss-Cross Nation

From The Pittsburg Press of August 15, 1908:

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: The Debs Red Special “will draw a red streak across the map and paint the towns red.”” →

Hellraisers Journal: Debs Speaks at Kansas State Federation of Labor Convention on Labor Unity and Victory

16th August 201810th August 2018 Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs

To serve the working class is to me
always a duty of love.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 16, 1908
Eugene Debs Speaks to Delegates at Labor Gathering

Eugene Debs, Socialist Party candidate for President, was invited to speak at the State F. of L. convention. He arrived at the convention from Girard where he had been resting after touring through the eastern states.

Pittsburg, Kansas, August 12, 1908
Kansas State Federation of Labor Convention:

Introduction by Chairman Cable

Gentlemen of the Convention: I assure you it is a great privilege on my part to present to you at this time a gentleman who needs no introduction at my hands; a gentleman who is known to you and who is known to the workingmen throughout the length and breadth of this country as a true and tried trade unionist and the candidate of the Socialist party for President of the United States. I, therefore, take great pleasure in presenting to you Brother Eugene V. Debs.

—–

[Debs Speaks]

Mr. Chairman, Delegates and Fellow Workers: It is with pleasure, I assure you, that I embrace this opportunity to exchange greetings with you in the councils of labor. I have prepared no formal address, nor is any necessary at this time. You have met here as the representatives of organized labor and if I can do anything to assist you in the work you have been delegated to do I shall render that assistance with great pleasure.

To serve the working class is to me always a duty of love. Thirty-three years ago I first became a member of a trade union. I can remember quite well under what difficulties meetings were held and with what contempt organized labor was treated at that time. There has been a decided change. The small and insignificant trade union has expanded to the proportions of a great national organization. The few hundreds now number millions and organized labor has become a recognized factor in the economics and politics of the nation.

There has been a great evolution during that time and while the power of the organized workers has increased there has been an industrial development which makes that power more necessary than ever before in all the history of the working class movement.

This is an age of organization. The small employer of a quarter of a century ago has practically disappeared. The workingman of today is confronted by the great corporation which has its ironclad rules and regulations, and if they don’t suit he can quit.

In the presence of this great power, workingmen are compelled to organize or be ground to atoms. They have organized. They have the numbers. They have had some bitter experience. They have suffered beyond the power of language to describe, but they have not yet developed their latent power to a degree that they can cope successfully with the great power that exploits and oppresses them. Upon this question of organization, my brothers, you and I may differ widely, but as we are reasonable men, we can discuss these differences candidly until we find common ground upon which we can stand side by side in the true spirit of solidarity–and work together for the emancipation of our class.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Debs Speaks at Kansas State Federation of Labor Convention on Labor Unity and Victory” →

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

9th August 20185th August 2018 Janet RayeFree Speech Fights

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.

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:

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From The Socialist Woman: City of Los Angeles Locks-Up Socialist Women for Speaking on Streets” →

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

26th July 2018 Janet RayeEugene 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:

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Socialist Red Special Will Make Possible 500 Meetings Across Nation for Debs Campaign” →

Hellraisers Journal: On Campaign Trail, Enthusiastic Crowd of 2,000 Follows Debs to Depot in Coalgate, Oklahoma

19th July 2018 Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs

Had the greatest meeting ever held in Coalgate-
thousands and thousands-woods full of ’em,
all blazing with zeal for Socialism.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday July 19, 1908
Coalgate, Oklahoma – Debs Draws Enthusiastic Crowd

From the Appeal to Reason of July 18, 1908:

Debs in Oklahoma
—–

—–

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.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: On Campaign Trail, Enthusiastic Crowd of 2,000 Follows Debs to Depot in Coalgate, Oklahoma” →

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

17th July 2018 Janet RayeEugene Victor Debs

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.
—–

—–

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.]

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

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Socialist Party Gears Up for Campaign; Red Special to Visit Kansas City with Debs Aboard” →

Tag: Socialist Party of America

Hellraisers Journal: Debs Campaign Tours Kansas, Speaks with “Dear Old Battle-Scarred”Mother Jones at Pittsburg

DEBS’ TRIUMPHANT TOUR.

Hellraisers Journal: From The Ohio Socialist: Eugene V. Debs Sends Out Hearty Hail to All Workers of the World

Hellraisers Journal: “A Letter to All Reds” by A. S. Embree, Acting Secretary I. W. W. General Defense Committee

A Letter To All Reds

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1908, Part I: Fond Farewell to the “Loyal Comrades” of the State of Texas

From Mother Jones