Tag: Socialists

Hellraisers Journal: Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Editor of Montana News, Discovers a Socialist Local in Caldwell, Idaho

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday March 16, 1907
Caldwell, Idaho – Editor Crouch-Hazlett on the Scene

The editor of the Montana News is now reporting from the scene of the attempted frame-up of the officials of the Western Federation of Miners, and, to her surprise, she has found an active and effective Local of the Socialist Party in that small western town.

From the Caldwell Socialist of August 18, 1906:

HMP, Waiting by Ryan Walker, Caldwell Socialist of Aug 18, 1906

From the Montana News of March 14, 1907:

Socialist Activity in the Idaho Conspiracy.

[By Ida Crouch-Hazlett]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Editor of Montana News, Discovers a Socialist Local in Caldwell, Idaho” →

Hellraisers Journal: Agnes Thecla Fair, Hobo Poet and “The Good Angel of Labor,” Memorialized by Alfred D. Cridge

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

I have a sharp tongue and a hat pin,
and know how to put any man down and out
who gets foolish.
-Agnes Thecla Fair

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday February 13, 1917
Portland, Oregon – Agnes Thecla Fair Journeys On

Agnes Thecla Fair, OR Dly Jr, Dec 17, 1916

We are saddened to hear of the death of Sister Agnes Thecla Fair who took her own life on January 11th in Portland, Oregon. The Oregon Daily Journal of January 12th reported:

Convinced that failing health made it impossible for her to continue her work in behalf of the downtrodden in the ranks of labor, Agnes Thesla [Thecla] Fair, noted street lecturer and writer on sociological subjects, yesterday afternoon ended it all by throwing herself in front of an Oregon City electric car on Spokane avenue in Sellwood [a neighborhood of Portland]. She was 37 years of age…

A Tribute from the Appeal to Reason of February 10, 1917:

Agnes Thecla Fair, Rough Neck, Railway Carmens Jr, Apr 1914

Agnes Thecla Fair

[“Sister Agnes”-as she was called by thousands-is dead. All through the west, Agnes Thecla Fair’s name is known to the workers in almost every mining and lumber camp. Wherever union men needed help-Agnes was there. Wherever the Socialist had a particular difficult job-Agnes was there. Wherever the victims of the system endured especially trying hardships-Agnes was there with a helping hand. She was a rare character-a real woman hobo. She never hesitated to ride the rods. She went to hundreds of cities via the boxcar route. On such trips she wore overalls. The following appreciation of “The Good Angel of Labor” appeared in the Oregon Journal of Portland, on January 14. Agnes was killed under a train:]

—–

BY ALFRED D. CRIDGE.

Agnes Fair has gone again, this time never to return. She was a frail and earnest little woman, whose experiences had been many and varied for her thirty-seven years of life. She never spoke of her early life or parentage to me, but in a way we were friends.

Agnes was the friend of every man who was down and out. That we were not better friends is because I never was in a position to need her help.

Agnes was first heard of by me as being active in the free speech fight in Spokane some years ago.

She was known before that in Seattle and in the Yukon territory and Alaska as the advocate, nurse and provider for the under dog.

Agnes never sought help for herself. She always sought help for others. She would sell the clothes she had on to help the down and outs. I have known her literally to do so.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Agnes Thecla Fair, Hobo Poet and “The Good Angel of Labor,” Memorialized by Alfred D. Cridge” →

Hellraisers Journal: Chicago Federation of Labor Protests War in Response to Wilson’s Break with Germany

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

[Show] the capitalists that we will not permit
ourselves to be made cannon fodder
for their interests.
-William Sims, Janitors’ Union

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday February 7, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Chicago Federation of Labor Protests War

The Chicago Federation of Labor met February 4th at its regular bi-monthly meeting, the day after President Wilson announced his decision to break off diplomatic relations with Germany. Concerning the grim prospect of war, the following resolution was passed by the delegates:

The Chicago Federation of Labor protests against this country taking part in the European War and demands that all American citizens be prevented from entering the war zone.

From The New York Times of February 4, 1917:

WWI, US Break w Germany, NYT Feb 4, 1917

From The Chicago Daily Tribune of February 5, 1917:

CHICAGO LABOR PROTESTS
WAR WITH GERMANY
—–
Demands That All American Citizens
Be Kept from Belligerent Zone.
—–

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Chicago Federation of Labor Protests War in Response to Wilson’s Break with Germany” →

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Expects to Die Fighting “in the trenches, with my boys, facing the machine guns.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

My whole life has been spent
on the economic field
fighting the battles of the workers,
and it will close there.
-Mother Jones

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday January 22, 1917
From The New York Call: Letter to the Editor of the Forum

The following letter from Mother Jones was published yesterday in the Forum section of The New York Call:

Indianapolis, Indiana

Editor of the Forum:

Mother Jones, Colorado Military Bastile, March 1914

My attention was called to an article that appeared on December 9 [17th] in the New York Call, written by one Edward Meyer. It seems that he had a spasm and called for house cleaning in the Socialist party. His criticism was entirely misleading. He said that while languishing in the prison cells I had asked the Socialists to secure my liberty. I have never in my life asked the Socialists for any personal favor, and I have never received any that I know of.

He further said that I solicited votes for Woodrow Wilson. That is not true. I made some speeches in Indiana coal camps for Senator Kern. I would do it again, if every one in the United States stood against me. In my opinion he is one of the truest and noblest of men within the walls of the nation. I did incidentally pay my respects to President Wilson for leaving the White House and going down to the Senate and notifying the committee that they could not adjourn until the clild labor bill was passed. I would do that again and apologize to no man.

The child of today is the future citizen of tomorrow; and any man, whether he be president or otherwise, who considers the welfare of the child against dollars will receive my indorsement to the end.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Expects to Die Fighting “in the trenches, with my boys, facing the machine guns.”” →

Hellraisers Journal: Miss Flynn, 16, Plans Rejuvenation of World. Not an “out-and-out woman suffrage socialist.”

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
Share

It is glorious to be arrested
in a good cause.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, age 16

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday January 4, 1907
From Her Flat in the Bronx: An Interview with Miss Flynn

From New York Evening World of August 24, 1906:

EGF Girl Socialist w Hat, NYW, Aug 24, 1906

LIFE’S BIG THINGS ALONE INTEREST
GIRL SOCIALIST
—–

Miss Elizabeth Flynn at Sixteen
Plans Rejuvenation of World.
—–
STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL.
—–
Is Leading Spirit of Unity Club
and Laughs at Her Arrest.
—–
NO WOMAN SUFFRAGIST.
—–
Says She Fully Realizes the Size of
the Task, but Will Devote
Life to It
—–

The youngest girl socialist in America is undoubtedly Miss Elizabeth Flynn, who was arrested for preaching socialism in the streets and discharged yesterday, and who to-night will address an open-air meeting on Main street, Orange. Although she is only sixteen years of age, Miss Flynn has become the leader of a club of Socialists, the title of which is Unity and the purpose of which is to bring about a lull in the fighting that has so far marked the progress of the socialist party.

Miss Flynn, who lives at No. 795 East One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street, talked freely to-day with an Evening World reporter,. She announced her plan to devote her life to the socialistic cause, saying that she believes it is much better for a woman to give her time to the conversion of mankind to a great economic improvement than to be a mother of children.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Miss Flynn, 16, Plans Rejuvenation of World. Not an “out-and-out woman suffrage socialist.”” →

Hellraisers Journal: An Interview with Elizabeth Gurley Flynn on First Speech: “Women Under Socialism.”

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
Share

The barter and sale that goes on to-day
in the name of love
is highly obnoxious to me.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, age 15

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

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday January 3, 1907
From the New York Sun: Interview with Miss Elizabeth Flynn

From The Sun of April 8, 1906:

A GIRL STIRS UP SOCIALISTS.
—–

COMRADE ELIZABETH FLYNN
A LEADER AT 15.
—–

“The Daughter of the Reds.” They Call Her, and Maybe They’ll Elect Her President Yet-Not Yet Out of School, She Captures Meetings With Her Oratory Has Radical Theories and Doesn’t Care for Love, Clothes or Matinees.

EGF, Girl Socialist at 15, NYS Apr 8, 1906

Within the last few weeks there has appeared at various social reform meetings a young girl-she is said to be only 15-with the high, broad forehead and the dream filled, far gazing eyes of the idealist; a skin of almost infantile pinkness and whiteness and a mass of flyaway black hair, tied loosely in schoolgirl fashion at the back of her neck who has electrified the audiences by joining in the debate with a certainty of manner, an eloquence of expression and a lucidity of thought that have surprised experienced speakers and even professional radicals.

Her speeches have been the more impressive because she is good to look upon. Added to the charm of her youth and her unusual gifts in line and color harmonies her face is bright and expressive. Her deep blue eyes are of unusual size and purity of color. The delicate, sensitive mouth has a queer little quivering twist of the upper lip. The nostrils of the clear cut, high bridged nose are thin and vibrant. The chin is small, pointed, delicately modelled.

She has always been simply dressed in the regulation schoolgirl shirtwaist and short skirt. Her attire shows a certain inattention to details that betrays a lack of interest in the whole subject of clothes. She is the average height of girls of 15, slender and girlishly immature.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: An Interview with Elizabeth Gurley Flynn on First Speech: “Women Under Socialism.”” →

Hellraisers Journal: Miss Elizabeth Flynn-“The Daughter of the Reds!”-Socialist Schoolgirl Orator Creates Sensation in 1906

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
Share

Prison bars do not frighten when
one has truth and right
deep in the heart.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday January 2, 1907
New York, New York – Miss Elizabeth Flynn, “Daughter of the Reds”

The story of the amazing schoolgirl orator, arrested last August for street speaking beneath the Red Flag, was published in newspapers across the nation in the days folowing her arrest and for months thereafter. The following article was published in several newspapers from New Jersey to Kansas and even down south in Louisiana.

From Pennsylvania’s Cameron County Press of October 25, 1906:

EGF, Socialist Schoolgirl, Article Cameron Co Press PA, Oct 25, 1916

From the New York Evening World of August 23, 1906:

EGF, In court for street speaking, NY Eve Wld, Aug 23, 1906

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Miss Elizabeth Flynn-“The Daughter of the Reds!”-Socialist Schoolgirl Orator Creates Sensation in 1906″ →

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Speaks in New York City: “Girl Socialist Amazes Hearers.”

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
Share

Prison bars do not frighten when
one has truth and right
deep in the heart.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday January 1, 1907
New York, New York – Miss Flynn Lectures on Socialism

From the New York Sun of December 31, 1906:

HYPATIA INSTEAD OF HOPP.
—–

Bread and Butter, Not Sentiment, Is the Universal Solvent of the Industrial Problem, in the Opinion of the Young Eyed Cherub-But Mr. Hopp Hangs On.

EGF NY arrest Aug 22, Union Leader W-B PA, Sep 7, 1906

Sandwiched between sentiments by Julius Hopp on what the real drama ought to be an audience that half filled the orchestra of the Berkeley Lyceum Theatre yesterday afternoon listened to a lecture by Miss Elizabeth Flynn, aged 17 schoolgirl Socialist.

Mis Flynn is pretty, is not addicted to laughter and is self-possessed, as one might expect a girl to be who nonchalantly submitted to arrest for carttail talking without a license. Her remarks were on lines familiar to most Socialists, but she declared that they were unfamiliar to most capitalistic editors, who appeared to have room enough in their heads for only one idea at a time.

She said that she was a materialistic Socialist and advocated socialism purely on scientific grounds. It was a problem of bread and butter and not of sentimentalism. Mr. Stokes could not feel about the subject as the workingman could because he was not in the workingmen’s class.

The idea of the Socialist was the cooperative commonwealth. That could be attained only through a process of evolution that had first caused the destruction of slave labor and later the disappearance of the feudal system. The next step in the evolutionary plan would be the vanishing of the capitalistic system. All methods of production that capitalism had used would be used by the working folk in more enlightened fashion for the benefit of all. Production, transportation and distribution would all be done by the people themselves.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Speaks in New York City: “Girl Socialist Amazes Hearers.”” →

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for November 1906: Gives Speech for Dettrey Campaign in Wilkes-Barre

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

While life remains I shall always
be with you conflict.
-Mother Jones

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday December 15, 1906
Mother Jones Found Campaigning for Comrade Dettrey During November

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

In the New York Worker of November 3, 1906, under “Party News,” National Secretary J. Mahlon Barnes reported on the whereabouts of Mother Jones:

PARTY NEWS

NATIONAL SECRETARY’S REPORT

The report of National Secretary Barnes to the National Executive Committee is in part as follows:

[…]

“Mother” Jones, in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois and Pennsylvania;…

From the Wilkes-Barre Times of November 5, 1906:

Mother Jones, Dettrey f/ Congress, W-B Tx, Nov 5, 1906

From the Wilkes-Barre Times of November 6, 1906:

THE SOCIALISTS held a final rally in this city last night. William Dettrey and Mother Jones were the chief speakers.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for November 1906: Gives Speech for Dettrey Campaign in Wilkes-Barre” →