I studied carefully the New York East Side,
the slums, the dives, and the sweatshops
and the terrible conditions of the people there
drove me into socialism.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday September 22, 1907
Chicago, Illinois – Miss Flynn Delegate to I. W. W. Convention
From Montana’s Great Falls Daily Tribune of September 21, 1907:
To advocate peace with things as they are
is treason to humanity.
This is a class struggle and on class lines
it must be fought out to a finish.
-Ida Crouch-Hazlett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday September 15, 1907
Spokane, Washington – Ida Crouch-Hazlett Arrested
From the Montana News of September 12, 1907:
Assail Free Speech in Spokane
—–Mrs. Hazlett Arrested
—–
Two Thousand People Storm Jail and
Form a Triumphal Procession After
She Is Released on Bond
The fool policemen of Spokane and the idiotic city “reform ” administration has broken out in a new place and attempted to put an end to socialist street speaking.
Saturday evening, September 7, Mrs. Hazlett [editor of the Montana News] was addressing a crowd of 5,000 people on the street. She had spoken for an hour and a half without any molestation. There was not the slightest disturbance, the crowd standing remarkably still in a compact mass during that time. Just as she had announced her collection and was beginning to sell her books and subscription cards, a policeman in plain clothes came up and said, she was obstructing the sidewalk. She said she was not obstructing the sidewalk as she was in the middle of the street, but asked the crowd to open up a passage, which it immediately did. She then told the policeman that it was his business to keep people off the sidewalk and not hers. Whereupon he jerked her down from the box and placed her under arrest. The vast crowd began a most vigorous protest, shouting and shaming the policeman and even threatening to use force.
It’s great to fight for Freedom
with a Rebel Girl.
-Joe Hill
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday September 10, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Miss Flynn Lectures on Socialism
From the Chicago Inter Ocean of September 9, 1907:
GIRL IN HIGH SCHOOL SOCIALIST LECTURER
—–
Miss Elizabeth Flynn Mounts Dry Goods Box
on Philadelphia’s Corners to Expound the
Doctrines of Her Political Beliefs.
—–STRICKEN BY POVERTY, SHE AIMS BLOW AT CAPITALISTS
—–
Handles Rockefeller, Roosevelt, and Other Leaders
Without Gloves in Addresses to Masses
-Says Crisis Will Bring Change.
—–Special Dispatch to The Inter Ocean.
PHILADELPHIA. PA., Sept. 8.-Philadelphia is being treated to a series of lectures on socialism, delivered by a girl of 17 years. She is miss Elizabeth Flynn of New York, still in high school, and every night she expounds the doctrine of ther political faith from the top of a dry goods box at a busy corner.
Two weeks ago Miss Flynn passed her seventeenth birthday, celebrating this important occasion by delivering two powerful addresses on socialism, brimful of tart remarks about Mr. Rockefeller’s fine and about the insincerity of Mr. Roosevelt and any other politician of the capitalistic class.
Draws Picture of Capitalist.
Here are some hammer blows from her speeches:
On the one hand is the working class, on the other hand the things they need, and between the two the capitalist dragging down the working man and pushing up the price of materials he must have.
Are we going to sit around and starve ourselves waiting for the capitalist to get out of his market glue?
Mark me!The downfall of capitalism will come in some great crisis.
Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 24, 1917
Butte, Montana – Fellow Worker Frank Little Speaks
Fellow Worker Frank Little arrived in Butte, Montana, on July 18th as a representative of the Industrial Workers of the World. The Butte Metal Mine Workers Union is officially unaffiliated with the I. W. W., and yet, Frank Little, a leader of the Metal Mine Workers Industrial Union No. 800, was welcomed whole-heartedly by the striking miners and was invited to speak at a mass meeting held on July 19th at the Columbia Garden Baseball Park.
As he spoke, a light rain began to fall. Frank looked upward into the raindrops, raised his hands and remembered the miners left in the New Mexican desert following the Bisbee Deportation:
Oh man, if this rain could only descend upon that bull pen in the hot, sun-parched desert of New Mexico, and bring some relief to the two thousand noble men held there by the uniformed federal thugs, it would be appreciated.
Frank Little closed his speech with a call for Solidarity and Unity, the only means by which the working class can gain liberty from oppression.
The worm turns at last, and so does the worker.
Let them dare to execute their devilish plot
and every state in this Union will resound
with the tramp of revolution
-Eugene Victor Debs
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday June 4, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Eugene Debs Will Not Attend Haywood Trial
From the South Dakota Lead Daily Call of June 1, 1907:
DON’T WANT DEBS
—–Haywood’s Attorneys Request Debs,
the Famous Socialistic Labor Leader,
Not to Attend the Trial Now on at Boise
—–[…]
BOISE, Idaho, June 1.-Eugene V. Debs, the leading apostle of socialism in the country, has been requested by Attorneys Richardson and Darrow to stay away from Boise during the progress of the Haywood trial. Debs has replied to the letter of Haywood’s counsel announcing his acquiescence in their desire.
The correspondence was perfectly friendly, Debs accepting the reasons advanced by Richardson and Darrow as sufficient.
The socialist problem is a serious and difficult one for the defense attorneys. A dozen representatives of as many socialistic publications are attending the trial and each is at odds with the other….
The request to Debs was made because of a statement published over his signature a year ago in which he declared for an armed demonstration if the Colorado men were executed…
[Photograph added.]
From the June 3rd Evening Star of Independence, Kansas:
———-
Girard correspondence in the Pittsburg Headlight [Pittsburg, Kansas]: Eugene V. Debs, who is living in Girard for the present, treated the ladies who are employed at the Appeal to reason office very liberally to ice cream, cake and candy at Decker’s Candy Kitchen, after office hours last Friday afternoon.
Since the earth belongs to the capitalist class,
why should a grand jury concern itself
in such a small matter as
helping itself to the state of Idaho?
-Eugene Victor Debs
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday May 14, 1907
From the Appeal to Reason: Eugene V. Debs Responds to The Statesman
On April 20th (see below), The Idaho Daily Statesman published an editorial in which it referred to the Appeal as the “Appeal to Treason” and insisted that the Socialists of the Appeal were actually “anarchists…wolves of society.” In the the May 11th edition of the Appeal, Comrade Debs asks, “Who Are the Wolves?” We will publish the entire response in two parts, beginning today with Part I:
WHO ARE THE WOLVES?
—–
An Inquiry Into Some of the Charges Made Against
the Appeal to Reason by the
Criminal Idaho Statesman.
—–BY EUGENE V. DEBS.
—–
UT few people are so blind or indifferent as to be oblivious of the mighty struggle now in progress in the existing social and economic order. It is true that only the few who have studied historic and social evolution have any proper understanding of the forces underlying society, or any clear perception of the trend of its development, but the fact that we are living in an era of industrial transformation and that economic conditions are rapidly changing is pretty generally understood by the whole people.
Now the system under which we live, like the one preceding it, and from which it sprang, has its historic limitations and when its mission is accomplished it will be relegated to the past, but this will happen only after the system that is to succeed it has evolved and taken its place in the orderly march of events and the unceasing progress of civilization.
Capitalist society, corner-stoned in wage slavery, will no more last forever than did the feudal system based upon serf-labor. It will serve its historic time and purpose and that will be the end of it. Another and better system will take its place, out of which will rise a higher civilization.
But the dominant class in every system want that system to last forever. They are on top and want to remain there. That is natural enough. Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Answers Charges of Idaho Statesman: “Who Are the Wolves?” Part I”
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday May 1, 1907
From the Appeal to Reason: Thoughts on May Day and The Red Flag
William D. Haywood writes to the Appeal from the Ada County Jail:
May Day of all the year is the most momentous to the workers of the world. In every civilized country the first of May is recognized as International Labor Day. On this day thought-waves are carrying around the globe messages of love and encouragement. “The world is my country man is my brother,” expresses the sublime sentiment of a world-wide fraternity in every land where men and women are straining under the galling chains of oppression. This noble thought quickens the soul and kindles the spark of hope in the breast of the heavy laden.
Brave hearts of every clime are beating in unison and millions of feet are keeping step in the onward, upward march to industrial liberty.
This era of evolution is blotting out racial and national hatreds, the toilers are awakened and conscious of the truth that sufferings now endured are but the labor pains that foretell the new democracy to be born.
WM. D. HAYWOOD,
Ada County Jail, Boise, Idaho.
Comrades, the red blood in you
must now prove itself.
I pledge myself to you
in this fight to its finish.
-Eugene Victor Debs
Hellraisers Journal, Friday April 13, 1917
From the International Socialist Review: Debs Fights for Life of Tom Mooney
TOM MOONEY SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Appeal to the Organized Workers of America!
By EUGENE V. DEBS
A TELEGRAM just received from San Francisco announces the sentence of Tom Mooney. He is to hang by the neck until he is dead. The day set for his murder is May 17th. The capitalist jury and judge have done their foul work, and it is now up to us to do ours.
Tom Mooney is an absolutely innocent man and his conviction an infamous crime. We, the workers of America, are duty bound to challenge the verdict of the capitalists’ jury and set aside the sentence of the capitalist judge. We constitute a court, a jury and a judge of our own.
We sat thru this case from the hour the vile conspiracy was concocted and we knew beyond doubt that Mooney was framed and that he is to be murdered for no other reason than that the corporation criminals, the big capitalist thieves and their official highbinders could not buy him, or silence his agitation.
More than twenty reputable witnesses not only testified to Mooney’s innocence but proved it beyond even the shadow of a doubt. His alibi was without a flaw. He was miles away from the bomb when it exploded in the preparedness parade. He had absolutely no connection with and no knowledge of the affair. Bourke Cockran, the eminent New York lawyer who defended him, is positively convinced of this and so is every other man or woman who attended the trial and is not in the pay or under the influence of the United Railroads, the Manufacturers’ Association, and other red-handed bandits who have for years been plundering San Francisco and have now set themselves up as the autocratic rulers of the Pacific coast.
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday March 30, 1907
Caldwell, Idaho – Judge Wood Grants Change of Venue
From the Montana News of March 28, 1907:
COURT DECISION
—–Judge Grants Change of Venue-
Trial Will Take Place in Boise-
Date Will Be Set on April FirstSpecial to the Montana News.
Caldwell, Idaho, March 25, 1907
Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone were all in court this morning to hear Judge Wood’s decision on the change of venue motion. The court room was crowded. The judge said it was not necessary to rehearse the facts connected with the case, that he had come to the decision that the trial should go to Ada county. With the consent of the defendants or to over-rule the motion. There were certain conditions existing at Caldwell that were different from those elsewhere but a large part of the showing would pertain equally to all other counties in this portion of the state, that there was a large portion of the county out side of Caldwell where a jury could be obtained. Attorney Nugent for the defense asked if providing the case changed to Ada, whether they were supposed to stay there no matter what condition might be revealed. On getting a reply in the affirmative he said they would have to have time for deliberation. The judge said they should have all the time they wished, and a half hour was named as sufficient. Prisoners and attorneys then retired.
They returned in twenty-five minutes and Mr. Nugent stated that since they had been given no alternative and since it was dangerous to go to trial in Canyon county they would abide by the judge’s decision, and go to Ada county. He called attention to the advantages of Washington county and to the fact that Mr. Steunenberg had resided for four years in Boise. The judge replied that Washington county was in no wise fitted for the trial. Mr. Hawley then asked the judge if it was understood that the prisoners were forced to remain at Boise no matter what the conditions were. The judge replied that he did not intend to take any rights away from the prisoners that the law allowed them. The motion was allowed and the case changed to Boise.
The issue is Socialism versus Capitalism.
I am for Socialism because I am for humanity.
We have been cursed with
the reign of gold long enough.
-Eugene Victor Debs
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday March 24, 1907
Appeal to Reason: Comrade Debs Exhorts Socialists to Stand Strong
To join the Socialist movement implies a declaration of war. War on the capitalist system and all its profit-fed institutions!
To issue such a declaration requires some measure of moral courage; to make it good requires a vast deal more.
Many a convert joins with enthusiasm to be extinguished a few months later in ignominy.
He lacks the nerve to stand his ground.
Many another joins the movement and grows stronger from the hour the battle begins; the more he is resisted the stauncher he stands; the more he is persecuted the more resolute he becomes, and in the storm of battle all the heroic fibre within him becomes steel and he rises to the stature of a full-grown man who has the strength to stand alone though all the world turn against him.
He has the nerve!
This is the secret of real heroism.
In writing this brief article on the subject of nerve, we have in mind a large number of Socialists and semi-Socialists who are more or less anxious to serve the movement, but who are so easily deflected from their purpose. They happen to hear of an uncomplimentary remark directed against them, and it strikes at the very heart of their allegiance to the cause. They hear of some temporary defeat of the party, or of some friction within the ranks, and they are at once discouraged.
The trouble is with their nerve. It is this that should have their immediate attention. The comrade lacking nerve, or having but a weak support of himself, will be kept in very hot water in the Socialist movement.
As previously stated, the man who joins the Socialist movement declares war against the capitalist system and capitalist society, and war of this kind is not a May festival. Ferdinand Lassalle, the brilliant social revolutionist, once said that the war against capitalism was not a rosewater affair. He was right. It is rather of the storm and tempest order. All kinds of attacks must be expected, and all kinds of wounds will be inflicted. The new comrade of tender sensibilities will soon get used to having his feelings torn and lacerated if he remains in the movement.
Many honest and well-meaning persons have been completely driven out of the movement because they could not stand the metaphorical shot and shell that were crashing about their heads.
Their hearts were right, but they lacked the nerve.
A fatal defect!
No matter what other good qualities a convert to Socialism may have, he must have the nerve to stick, the nerve to stay, if he is to be of any value to the movement. He must make up his mind that all the trials to which mortal man is subject will fall to his lot one after the other, and that if he lacks the nerve the weak spot in him will sooner or later be put to the test and he will go down and out, never to rise again.
But it is this very trial that serves a most beneficent purpose for both the individual and the movement; it eliminates the weak and unfit, and tempers those qualified for the higher service to which they are sure to be called, because they have the nerve and can stand the test.
