Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for June 1901, Part IV: Found Speaking at Memorial Service for Martyrs of St. Louis Streetcar Strike

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Quote EVD, re St Louis Streetcar Strike Massacre, LW p1, June 23, 1900—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday July 12, 1901
Mother Jones News Round-Up for June 1901, Part IV
Found Speaking at Memorial for Martyrs of St. Louis Streetcar Strike

From The Indianapolis Journal of June 14, 1901:

“Mother” Jones in the City.

Mother Jones, Drawing, SDH p4, Mar 9, 1901

“Mother” Jones, known the United States over by organised labor, and particularly by members of the United Mine Workers of America, with whom she has been personally identified in many strike, made an unexpected visit to the Mine Workers’ headquarters yesterday. She is on her way to St. Louis to deliver an address, and then will visit the Illinois miners. “Mother” Jones is a regularly employed organizer of the miners’ organization now, and is said to be one of its most successful workers, especially in time of strikes.

[Drawing of Mother Jones added.]

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of June 17, 1901:

MOTHER JONES SPOKE
———-

HER ADDRESS WAS FEATURE OF
LABOR MEMORIAL SERVICES.
———-
LEON GREENBAUM PRESIDED
———-
Exercises Were Held in Memory of Men
Killed in Street Car Strike Riot.

At the Odeon Sunday afternoon, services in memory of the three men killed, June 10, 1900, during the parade of former street car employes on Washington avenue, were held under the auspices of the Central Trades and Labor Union.

The hall was well filled, the widows of George Rine [Ryne] and Arthur E. Burkhart [Ed Burkhardt], two of the men killed, being among those present. Each was accompanied by two little children.

The principal address was made by “Mother” Mary Jones of Chicago. All of the speeches had special reference to the street car strike, its causes and the conditions which preceded it, with a general bearing upon the rights of organized labor.

Leon Greenbaum presided and the services were in charge of the memorial committee of the Central labor body, consisting of J. H. Rakel, chairman; David Kreyling, secretary; R. M. Parker, treasurer; A. Hamberg and Leon Greenbaum. Music was furnished by the United Singing Societies.

In opening the meeting, Mr. Greenbaum, who was the Socialist candidate for mayor last spring, reviewed the events which led up to the strike of 1900. He described the scene on Washington avenue, when Thomas Rine and Burkhart fell before the riot guns of the posse.

William M. Brandt, business agent of the Cigar Makers’ Union, who helped organize the street car men in preparation for the strike, told of the conditions as he found them at the time the work was undertaken.

“Mother” Jones, the organizer of the Mine Workers’ Union, was next introduced and made an address of two hours’ duration. She was received with cheers from the audience, which proclaimed her the “friend of the laboring man,” and was frequently interrupted by applause. Her remarks were directed chiefly against corporations and the trusts.

She said she was engaged in helping the miners of Maryland win a strike while the St. Louis trouble was in progress, and, hence, was unable to be here, but her heart went out in sympathy to those who were struggling for their rights.

She advocated a revolution, if Congress and the state legislatures did not soon “give the people their rights.”

“Mother” Jones said she had been charged with inciting trouble, and believed that, in rousing the people, lay the only safety for this country.

“The most dangerous thing on earth,” she declared, “is a contented slave.”

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Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review, Volume I, Issue 1: The St. Louis Streetcar Strike and Posse Comitatus

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Quote EVD, re St Louis Streetcar Strike Massacre, LW p1, June 23, 1900———–

Hellraisers Journal – Monday July 2, 1900
St. Louis, Missouri – Strikers Slaughtered by Posse Comitatus

From the International Socialist Review of July 1900:

The Chicago and St. Louis Strikes

[Part II of II.]

Labor Martyrs, St Louis Streetcar Strike copy, StL Rpb p1, June 11, 1900
St. Louis Republican of June 11, 1900

The St. Louis street car strike, like the one just described, started with various subjects of dispute and soon narrowed down to a question of the recognition of the right of the men to act together. From the beginning this strike was marked with acts of violence. However much this may be deplored the fact remains that so long as capital exists it is impossible for any large strike to continue for any length of time without the accompaniment of violence. This is especially true when lines of transportation are concerned.

When non-union men are so conspicuously engaged in treason to their class as they must be when they run street cars or railroad trains in time of strike it would require a stage of human development far above that of capitalism to produce the sort of human beings that will stand idly by and see their means of living taken away and not resort to violence. But before commenting further on the subject of violence during strikes a few observations are necessary. In the first place it is well to remember that the press is in the control of the present ruling capitalist class and always exaggerates any violence that may take place and in a great many instances, notably during the great railroad strike of 1894, manufactures out of whole cloth long and elaborate stories of acts of violence that never occurred at all. This in itself is sufficient proof of which class it is that deserves violence, “The wish is father to the thought.”

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Hellraisers Journal: St. Louis Streetcar Strikers Shot Down by Sheriff’s Posse; Eugene V. Debs on Law and Order

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Quote EVD, re St Louis Streetcar Strike Massacre, LW p1, June 23, 1900———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday June 24, 1900
St. Louis, Missouri – Streetcar Strikers Shot Down Returning from Picnic

From the Duluth Labor World of June 23, 1900:

ST. LOUIS OUTRAGE HOMESTEAD
—–

HOMESTEAD AND HAZELTON PALE
INTO INSIGNIFICANCE.
—–
Street Car Men Returning Home From a Picnic
Cruelly Shot and Murdered by Posse of Deputy Sheriffs-
Debs’ Strong Letter-Says No Strike is Ever Lost-
The Lesson is Worth the Cost.
—–

Labor Martyrs, St Louis Streetcar Strike, StL Rpb p1, June 11, 1900Labor Martyrs 2, St Louis Streetcar Strike, StL Rpb p1, June 11, 1900—–

The St. Louis street car strike is still on and will be, perhaps, for some time, as the St. Louis Transit Co. have positively refused to accept any proposition for arbitration whatever. Since then the St. Louis Central Labor Union has determined to fight the street car company to the bitter end, and adopted the following proposition for the election of a committee of 50 to form immediate organization and proceed to raise a fund of at least $100,000 to carry on the strike until it is won, the fund to be raised by an appeal to organized labor throughout the world, by personal appeals to every kind of organized bodies in St. Louis, and by such other means as may be deemed proper, closing with an appeal to the people of St. Louis to refrain from riding on the Transit cars, and to organizations, societies and associations of every kind in St. Louis, in sympathy with the movement, to make the street railway strike a special order of business at all their meetings, and to appoint committees to raise funds and continue to maintain an iron-clad boycott until the victory is won.

Mr. E. V. Debs was requested to come to St. Louis, but on account of illness was unable to do so. He however sent a very strong letter, which sums up the situation in a true light. The following from his letter will not be without interest:

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