Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Delivers Talk to Packed House in Duluth, Minnesota, and Is Greeted With Rising Cheer

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Quote EVD, Socialist Ripe Trade Unionist, WLUC p45, May 31, 1902—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday June 21, 1914
Duluth, Minnesota – Debs Speaks to Packed House, Supports Colorado Miners

From The Labor World of June 20, 1914:

DEBS DELIVERS TALK TO A PACKED HOUSE
———-
Socialist Apostle At His Best In Speech
Last Monday Night At Auditorium
———-

SOCIALIST PARTY FOR THE WORKERS
———-
The Only Political Party Which Aids
Workmen on Strike Says Debs.
———-

EVD, LW p1, Aug 30, 1902

Before an enthusiastic audience of close to 2,500 people, Eugene V. Debs of Terre Haute, delivered a most powerful address in behalf of the striking miners in Colorado and the socialist movement, of which he is recognized as America’s most forcible exponent, last Monday night at the Auditorium. To the discredit of the Duluth dailies very little notice was given to the reading public of this meeting.

When Mr. Debs entered the hall he was greeted with a rising cheer from the audience, which lasted fully five minutes.

Debs Introduced.

W. E. Towne the socialist candidate for congressman at the primary election acted as chairman and introduced the speaker as “the most loved and the most hated man in the United States.”

In opening his address, Mr. Debs pointed out the evolution in society, stating that “never in the world’s history has their been a self governing people. Aristocracy, monarchy and republic have all been governed by a minority. The working class has always been in some form of slavery or servitude.”

“Capitalism,” he declared, “must be abolished” before real democracy can be realized. Lawrence, Patterson, Little Falls, Calumet and Ludlow were cited as glaring instances of the impossibility of a further continuance of the capitalist system. The strikes of the workers at the various cities were spoken of as being lessons to the working class. “No strike has ever been lost,” said Mr. Debs. “The working class must free themselves from their bondage, and to accomplish this freedom they must unite in their industrial and political organizations regardless of nationality, creed, sex, or color.”

The Workers Being Educated.

The working class is educating itself. They are developing their own thinkers. There is nothing more glorious than a thinker in overalls. Emerson once said that “when a thinker acts the earth trembles.” The working class now beginning to think the world is being shaken to its foundations

Speaking of the socialist party he characterized it as the greatest political movement in the world. “Its final triumph is assured.” This coming triumph he declared, may be “hastened or retarded but cannot be prevented.”

That socialist speakers and adherents of the party are vilified to-day was not at all deplored by the speaker. The American patriots of the Revolution were slandered by the ruling class of their day. Such men as Samuel Adams, Thos. Paine and Patrick Henry were mentioned among the many. A glowing tribute was paid to Thos. Paine, the greatest of America’s patriots, who has been slandered and vilified for many years.

Urges Affiliation.

Mr. Debs urged upon all workers, affiliation with the socialist party. He said, “a worker in the republican party is as much out of place as John D. Rockefeller would be in the socialist party. Rockefeller knows why he is a socialist but you don’t know why you are not.”

The crimes at Ludlow were graphically portrayed by the speaker. Louis Tikkas [Tikas], the Greek miner who was murdered in cold blood by gunmen, who Debs said, “are men with the heart of hyenas and the conscience of a rattle-snake,” was spoken of as a hero.

Ben Lindsey, who visited President Wilson in an effort to adjust the struggle in Colorado was referred to by the speaker as a truthful man.

The system of society which allows a title deed to stand between the welfare of the people and the interests in control of the resources of wealth was severely criticized. “Rockefeller could have prevented Ludlow by one word. The blood of Ludlow is not only on his head but also on his hands. When Rockefeller stated that his conscience was clear then he showed he has no conscience. When Rockefeller testified that only ten percent of the miners wanted to strike, he lied,” said Debs.

Objections Answered.

Mr. Debs briefly referred to those speakers who are going around the country lecturing against the socialist movement.

The socialist does not propose to break up the home but on the contrary hopes to make the real home a possibility for the working class. When they tell you socialism will rob you of your religion, they lie, I should like to meet one of these gentlemen before a working class audience for about five minutes and I would tear him to tatters.

The socialist party is the only party that supports the working class when on strike, continued the speaker. The party sent $40,000 to the Michigan miners, and five carloads of food and three carloads of clothing.

The future was referred to as the coming ideal of man. The address was closed admist deafening applause with Ingersoll’s “Vision of the Future.”

[Photograph and emphasis added]

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Hellraisers Journal: Sacramento IWW Prisoners Arrive at Leavenworth; Mortimer Downing Speaks to the Court

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Quote Mortimer Downing, Speech to Court, Sacramento, Jan 17, 1919—–

Hellraisers Journal – Monday January 27, 1919
Leavenworth Penitentiary – Fellow Workers Arrive from Sacramento

From The Leavenworth Times of January 26, 1919:

MORE I. W. W. PRISONERS HERE
—–
Special Car Load of Them Brought in
From California Yesterday
-Names and Sentences.
—–

Sacramento IWW, Silent Defense, Dec 1918 to Jan 1919
Silent Defenders

Another big batch of I. W. W. prisoners was landed in the Federal penitentiary yesterday. They were brought in from California in a special car in charge of six deputy United States marshals. They got into the prison at 3:30 in the afternoon.

These were all white men and they were a tough looking bunch. There were sharp and well dressed looking prisoners in the ninety-one that were brought over from Chicago with Haywood last fall, but the California gang seems to be run down hobos.

They will be dressed in Monday and put to work Tuesday. Like the other I. W. W. prisoners they will be divided up among the working gangs of the penitentiary.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones News for November 1918 -Favorite Authors: Voltaire, Hugo, and Thomas Paine

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Quote Mother Jones re Hugo, Montgomery WV, Aug 4, 1912~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 21, 1918
Mother Jones News for November 1918
-American Revolutionary, Thomas Paine, Among Favorite Authors

From The New Appeal of November 30, 1918:

Mother Jones and Debs

J. A. Wayland, of AtR, 1895-1912

This morning’s mail has brought The New Appeal Book Dept. orders for Voltaire’s “Candide” from Mother Jones and Eugene V. Debs. Mother Jones writes:

I want Voltaire’s greatest work, “Candide.” You know he is a very great writer. He and Victor Hugo and Thomas Paine were my favorites when the late J. A. Wayland and I used to sit up at night and talk these great writers over.

Mother Jones knows that Voltaire’s “Candide” is worth reading. Do you? If you don’t, then be sure to order this beautifully printed and exquisitely bound edition, which we are selling, postpaid, for only 80 cents. This is a low price and cannot remain that low very long. But we will fill your order if we receive it in the near future.

[Photograph added.]

Ad for Voltaire’s Candide:

Appeal Books, Voltaire, AtR p1, Nov 30, 1918

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Industrial Union Bulletin: “On the Advance” in Philadelphia by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

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Quote EGF, Paine and Liberty, IUB p2, Sept 19, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday September 29, 1908
Philadelphia – Organizer Gurley Flynn Describes Two Weeks’ Sojourn

During the month of August, Fellow Worker Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was found in the “Quaker City” organizing on behalf of the Industrial Workers of the World.

From The Industrial Union Bulletin of September 19, 1908:

ON THE ADVANCE
[by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn]
.

EGF, Ptt Prs p47, Sept 27, 1908

A year ago when I visited Philadelphia, there was no I. W. W. in existence and my weeks’ agitation found only about twelve bonafide, but scattered advocates of industrial unionism. Today thru the hard work and determined efforts on the part of these few unaided and encouraged, by passing organizers and speakers, there is a thriving movement in Philadelphia, now establishing its own headquarters, and if the Quaker City has not its quota of representatives at the convention this year, it can only be blamed on the capitalist class and panic.

* * *

This year my two weeks’ sojourn in Philadelphia started out under rather inauspicious circumstances, as the facts already forwarded to the Bulletin, concerning the Bakery Workers, will amply show. However, once we were rid of Mr. I. Roth and his attempts to make our organization a cloak for his label-selling and scab-furnishing schemes for the stooges, our general agitation meetings were highly successful.

The first week we held three open-air meetings, commencing August 20th, on the City Hall Plaza. An “Ancient Order of Hiberian [Hibernians]” Convention was going on that week in Philadelphia, and the celebration on this evening took the form of an Irish parade, from which we were able to extract an excellent crowd of about 300 people, in spite of the attempts of the North American to conceal our identity by a meager little five-line announcement tucked away in an inconspicuous corner. The convention had declared for Home Rule for Ireland, while we declared for Home Rule for the United States, by the people of the U. S., the working-class, and for two hours industrial unionism as the means of organizing to bring this about was expounded by Fellow Worker McAlvy and myself.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for November 1907, Found Lauded in the Appeal to Reason

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EVD Quote re Mother Jones, AtR, Nov 23, 1907


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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday December 14, 1907
Mother Jones News Round-Up for November:
-Found Covered with Fond Tributes in the Appeal to Reason

From the Appeal to Reason of November 2, 1907

Texas SP Sec Bell, AtR, Nov 2, 1907

The Typewriter Fund.

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

As correspondents will have noticed, the state office is now in possessions of a typewriter as a result of the movement in that direction started by Mother Jones.

The entire fund for that purpose, however, has never been raise.

Seeing the great need for a typewriter, Comrade N. B. Hunt, unsolicited, tendered a loan of $20 for the purpose of getting the much-needed machine without delay.

A machine was purchased from Comrade C. L. Vincent for $35; $2 of the fund has been contributed by Comrade Vincent…

Amount to be raised to cancel loan…$16.25.

Let us have your contribution to this fund and wipe out the debt.

—–

[Photograph & emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Masses: Art Young on “The Instigators,” Making Man the Enemy of Man

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You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly
-Bob Dylan

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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday December 17, 1916
From The Masses: “The Instigators” by Art Young

Masses, WWI Instigators, Art Young, Dec 1916

Thomas Paine from Rights of Man:

As war is the system of Government on the old construction, the animosity which Nations reciprocally entertain, is nothing more than what the policy of their Governments excites, to keep up the spirit of the system. Each Government accuses the other of perfidy, intrigue, and ambition, as a means of heating the imagination of their respective Nations, and incensing them to hostilities. Man is not the enemy of man, but through the medium of a false system of Government. Instead, therefore, of exclaiming against the ambition of Kings, the exclamation should be directed against the principle of such Governments; and instead of seeking to reform the individual, the wisdom of a Nation should apply itself to reform the system.

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