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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday February 17, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for January 1909, Part II:
-Found Speaking at Convention of United Mine Workers of America
From The Indianapolis Star of January 29, 1909:
Tag: Thomas L Lewis
Hellraisers Journal: Mothers Jones Thanks United Mine Workers for $1,000 Donation to Defense of Mexican Revolutionaries
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday January 31, 1909
Indianapolis, Indiana – Mother Jones Thanks Mine Workers’ Convention
From Proceedings of United Mine Workers Convention
-Wednesday January 29, 1909
President Lewis—…..Mother Jones would like the floor for a few minutes to express her appreciation of the action of the convention in donating $1,000 for the defense of the Mexican refugees.
Mother Jones—In behalf of our brothers who are lying in the bastile of capitalism because they dared to raise their voices in behalf of their oppressed and murdered brothers in Mexico, I tender to you my deepest and most heartfelt appreciation of the resolution and donation to them. It is not charity; it is our duty even to go with them and give our lives for a cause so great. Never in human history before were men and women called upon to link hands in the mighty battle for the emancipation of the working class from the robbing class. Our brothers are behind the bars, and it lies with you and with me to do our part to free them. I extend to you my deep appreciation for the generous donation you gave to them. And when your turn comes they will be on deck to do their part for you. They will never surrender the rights of labor to the ruling class, even if they die in its defense.
Now, my brothers, you and I are not going to part. We have fought many battles together, and we have marched the highways together. Brave hearts marched with us then. Lying in lonely graves are some of the men who laid the foundation for this great and magnificent organization that you represent here to-day.
Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks to Convention of United Mine Workers on Behalf of Mexican Revolutionaries, Part II
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday January 30, 1909
Indianapolis, Indiana – Mother Speaks at U. M. W. Convention, Part II
From Proceedings of United Mine Workers Convention
-Wednesday January 27, 1909
Speech of Mother Jones, Part II:
Now, I will tell you what I am here today for. I am not here to beg. I hate beggars; I don’t want any begging machines; I want to do away with every begging parasite in the world. I want to fight and take what belongs to us. What I want here today with you is this: We have got to get those boys out of jail. We have got to let them live in this land; we have got to let them fight Mexico from here. And I am with those boys because Diaz and Harriman and Rockefeller and the whole push are together down there. They were down there wining and dining, and we paid for it.
And while I am on this wining and dining subject I am going to say something about the board member from Pennsylvania, Miles Dougherty. I want to talk to you Pennsylvania fellows. You had an awful fight there. I was out West and took up a paper and read of Mr. Miles Dougherty sitting down with his feet under the table looking Mrs. Harriman square in the eye and putting a bowl of champagne inside of his stomach— “Here’s a health to you, Mr. Belmont; here’s a health to you, Miss Morgan, and here’s a health to you, Mrs. Harriman.” And then, when Mrs. Harriman and Miss Morgan walked down the street with Miles Dougherty the fellows over home in Pennsylvania said, “Don’t you see how labor is getting recognized?” How labor is getting recognized! That’s true, Mr. Lewis, as sure as you sit there, they said that about labor getting recognized! I want to tell you here the trouble with you is this: your skull hasn’t developed only to the third degree. You would consider it an honor to go down the street with Miss Morgan, who never worked a day in her life. You would consider it an honor to dine with those fellows that skinned you and your children and murdered you in the mines, and while they were filling you with champagne they murdered us poor devils with bullets.
Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks to Convention of United Mine Workers on Behalf of Mexican Revolutionaries
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Hellraisers Journal – Friday January 29, 1909
Indianapolis, Indiana – Mother Speaks at U. M. W. Convention, Part I
From Proceedings of United Mine Workers Convention
-Wednesday January 27, 1909
Speech of Mother Jones, Part I:
President Lewis—If there are no objections we will have a short intermission at this time and hear from a visitor we have present.
We have with us this morning a friend with whom many of the delegates are acquainted. The Mine Workers of the country generally know of the work of this friend. In many of the districts in the turbulent times when our men were engaged in a struggle, when men, women and children were suffering all the hardships incident to industrial warfare, she spent her time helping them. This morning she is here in the interest of men who have been persecuted in other countries and have come to this country in the belief that they were coming to the land of the free. We understand that the men in whose interest she is here have not committed any crime, but rather are regarded as political criminals because they believed that all men have certain rights that all other men should respect. She has encouraged our men, women and children, not alone in the mountains of West Virginia and the valleys of Pennsylvania, but on the prairies of some of our states where words of encouragement were needed by those whose spirits were drooping because of surrounding conditions. I therefore take great pleasure in introducing to this convention Mother Jones, who has lost none of her vigor, none of her interest in the cause of organized labor and in the cause of humanity because of her age or her white hair.
Mrs. Mary Jones (Mother Jones)—Permit me to extend to your worthy President my appreciation for his introduction. In the days of old when the revolutionists fought against the conditions that King George III was about to fasten upon them, could he have reached his claws in and have put them around Washington he would no doubt have hung him. Today, after a century or more of history in this nation, we find two diabolically tyrannous governments reaching their hands into this country and asking us to deliver men who have taken refuge here and surrender our rights to the czar of Russia and the military despot of Mexico. You will realize, my friends, that international economic interests are back of all this; you must realize that for this change in our nation’s history there is a cause. Economic interests, both in Mexico and Russia, are dictating the policy of our government today—I mean the other fellow’s government. As the method of production changes, the policy of the government must change to fit into it. Newspapers, magazines, churches, all must fit into the changed order. It governs home life, it governs national life, it governs the newspapers, it governs all avenues of educating the people.
Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for August 1908, Part I: Found Campaigning in Kansas with Eugene Debs
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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 17, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for August, 1908, Part I
“Our Dear Old Battle-Scarred Mother Jones” Found in Kansas
On Wednesday August 19th, an all-day picnic was held in Pittsburg, Kansas, with Mother Jones and Eugene V. Debs as the principal speakers of the day and evening. The Appeal to Reason of August 29th describes the event:
The Pittsburg meeting was a winner. An all-day picnic was arranged. In the afternoon Comrade George D. Brewer, our next representative from Crawford county to Topeka, acted as chairman. George’s speech was enthusiastically received. He started off the program on the right foot, which gave the whole situation an assured success, culminating in a wonderful climax with Debs at night. After Brewer, Comrade Snyder gave one of his characteristic speeches which gripped the audience with intensity. Then followed Phil Callery, who, although speaking but a brief time, lifted the audience into the white heat of enthusiasm. Next came Comrade Miss Caroline A. Lowe with her sweet and convincing message so original and characteristic of herself and filled with a strong appeal, especially to the women. Her address was most loyally received.
Mother Jones was the next speaker. Our dear old battle-scarred Mother Jones, who, although grown gray in the fight, still retains her youth and spirit. She paced the platform, filled with the vigor of youth and in her own original manner, told the story of the robbery of labor and the way to its emancipation. At times she had the audience weeping, and then again by a certain turn she would lift the crowd to the wildest pitch of enthusiasm as she led them to a perception of class consciousness from which they viewed the inevitable triumph of the working class. The meeting closed by a talk from Comrade Wilson, who cinched the day’s program and left the audience ready for the invincible Debs at night. Wilson was more than enthusiastically received, showing the deep confidence and hold he has upon the miners whose cause he has plead for years. His speech had deep effect. Debs opened and closed his meeting amid cheers. The large audience was held spellbound during his long speech for two hours. The whole community has received a baptism of new life.
Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1908, Part II: Found in Denver at Convention of Western Federation of Miners
The fellows who are now in palaces
ought to be in jail.
The fellows who are in jail
ought to be in the palaces.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 21, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for July 1908, Part II
–Found Speaking at Denver Convention of W. F. of M.
On July 18th, Mother Jones was present in Denver at the Sixteenth Annual Convention of the Western Federation of Miners when she was invited to address the delegates gathered there. She was introduced by John M. O’Neill and spoke at length. The following summary of her remarks is taken from The Denver Post of July 19th (see full article below.)
MOTHER JONES, PEACEMAKER AT MINERS’ CONVENTION
[From Speech by Mother Jones]
The Western Federation has paved the way for labor to come together. The crucial time is on now with the guns of capital trained against you from Washington. Did not labor of the world stand behind you in your troubles? Take the United Workers of America by the hand and thank God you are getting together. Forget the little worries over the check-off system. When we all get together we will kick the check-off boss overboard.
When you join the United Mine Workers of America you will put some warm blood into them. Don’t forget, too, that they have good members and plenty of them.
We are working in a new century and must abandon the old things for the new. Women should organize as strongly as the men. I lined up 3,000 women in the Eastern mining camps and they took away the guns of the sheriffs and their dude deputies. These dudes carried little guns on their hips and sported miniature mustaches.
Do not wait for a written document from the other side in labor peace pacts. Take Tom Lewis by the hand. They were forced to adopt the check-off system when they were up against it. Feel that the United Mine Workers are still your brothers. The peace that Christ teaches should rule between your organizations.
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Hellraisers Journal: From Appeal to Reason: Luella Twining Reports on Convention of Western Federation
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Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 3, 1908
Denver, Colorado – Miss Luella Twining Reports on Convention
From the Appeal to Reason of August 1, 1908:
THE WESTERN FEDERATION
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The Late Convention Shows the Old-Time
Vigor and Aggressiveness.
Miss Luella Twining, who attended the Sixteenth annual convention of the Western Federation of Miners at Denver, reports to the Appeal that no discouragement is observable because of severe trials through which the organization has passed during the Colorado war. Addresses were made by Moyer, Haywood, Lewis and Mother Jones that breathed the militant and aggressive spirit. The late meeting brought about much better feeling between the Western Federation and the United Mine Workers, and it is evident the two organizations will hereafter co-operate. News of the acquittal of Steve Adams was received with demonstrations of joy. Reports from Douglas Island, Alaska, show a bitter fight in progress there. Stockades are built around the mines, and citizens cannot appear on the public highways without being molested by the militia, sent to break the strike. A system of peonage prevails there.
